94 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES (1862). 



you have no power by the Constitution to 

 touch slavery at all, 248 ; is it not competent 

 to forfeit the claim that a man has to his slaves 

 for treason in the master ? 248 ; if you have no 

 power, there the question ends, 248 ; is it not 

 a plain breach of the Constitution that a man 

 shall forfeit his slaves ? 249 ; can a confiscation 

 law promote the success of the army ? 249 ; 

 the rebels have no standing in court, they can- 

 not invoke the Constitution, 250 ; bill amended 

 and passed, 250 ; Congress adjourns, 250. 



II. Session of 1861-'62, second session of 

 Thirty-seventh, convened, 275 ; members, 275 ; 

 views of the majority, 275 ; vote of thanks to 

 Commander Wilkes passed in the House, 276 ; 

 antislavery resolutions offered, 276 ; resolu- 

 tions proposing a conference with the South- 

 ern States offered, 276; further resolutions 

 relating to slavery, 277; confiscation bill intro- 

 duced, 277 ; its features, 277 ; grants of power 

 in the Constitution, 278 ; armies in the field, 

 278 ; necessity for some regulation to govern 

 the commanders, 278; other reasons for the 

 measure, 278 ; further resolutions offered, 279. 



Resolution relative to the order of General 

 Halleck, 279 ; considered, 279 ; system of ex- 

 cluding slaves inaugurated in Western Virginia, 

 279; a disgrace to the profession of arms, 

 279 ; no authority from the President to issue 

 these orders, 280 ; explanation of General Hal- 

 leck, 280 ; this order regarded most wise and 

 salutary by the officers and soldiers, 280 ; pol- 

 icy of the Administration to deliver up the 

 slaves to their masters, 280 ; the contrary in- 

 ferred from the President's message, 281 ; the 

 Administration has had no hand directly or in- 

 directly in the order of General Halleck, 281 ; 

 letter from General Halleck, 281. 



Resolutions relative to the conduct of the 

 war considered, 281 ; let the military arm strike 

 that blow more effective for peace and free- 

 dom than armies or victories can be, 281 ; 

 whether right or wrong the majority of the 

 soldiers are opposed to this antislavery agita- 

 tion, 281 ; worst kind of folly and wickedness 

 to retain slavery, 281 ; does not the President 

 stand pledged before the country and the world 

 to the conservative policy ? 282 ; further de- 

 bate, 283 ; resolution referred, 283. 



Resolution of inquiry relative to arrests, 283 ; 

 what arrests is it proposed to consider? 284; 

 the right thing done at the right time, 284; 

 the Constitution confers all the power that is 



necessary to enable the Government to crush 

 secession, 284; it is assumed that these per- 

 sons are traitors, but who is to decide that ? 

 284 ; what becomes of constitutional liberty ? 

 284; let this thing be regulated by law, 285; 

 the resolution carries an implied censure upon 

 the Government, 285 ; the resolution eminent- 

 ly proper, 285; some investigation of these 

 arrests should be made, 286 ; are we fighting 

 for the Constitution ? 286 ; when these arrests 

 were made the loyal people of the country felt 

 that they had a Government, 286 ; if this is not 

 the proper mode to make arrests, then bring 

 in a bill to regulate it, 286 ; who seeks to make 

 it a censure on the Administration ? 286 ; no 

 necessity to trample on the Constitution in or- 

 der to maintain it, 287; the man who stops to 

 inquire whether there is a law, when the house 

 is burning, is unfit for a great place, 287 ; in- 

 appropriate time to adopt the resolution, 287 ; 

 referred to the Judiciary Committee, 288. 



Bill to raise a volunteer force in Kentucky 

 considered, 288 ; more soldiers now than can 

 be used, 288 ; reasons for the bill, 288 ; econ- 

 omy forbids it, 288 ; what does the bill pro- 

 pose? 289; if you change the object of the 

 war you paralyze the army, 289 ; not a war 

 for the emancipation of slaves, 289 ; what evi- 

 dence that more soldiers are needed ? 290 ; im- 

 portance of the bill, 290 ; peculiar situation of 

 Kentucky, 290 ; force of Kentucky in the field, 

 290; best reason in the world for believing 

 there are not men enough, 291 ; those who re- 

 fuse to vote troops, derelict, 291. 



Resolution that none but persons of supe- 

 rior competency should be appointed generals 

 considered, 291 ; not half the brigadiers need- 

 ed, 292; enough general officers now, 292; 

 the question of expense should be considered, 

 292 ; thousands of volunteers unfit for duty, 

 293. 



Resolution relative to using the soldiers to 

 surrender fugitives considered, 293. 



Inquiry relative to passports for California 

 considered, 294 ; letter of Secretary Seward, 

 294. 



Resolution relative to the cause of the war 

 considered, 295 ; no just cause of war at the 

 South, 295; what was the primary inciting 

 cause? 295; dissatisfaction with the principles 

 and operation of democratic government, 295 ; 

 white laborers at the South, 295; views of 

 Southern men, 296, 297. 



