CONGRESS, UNITED STATES (1862). 



95 



Resolution calling for a copy of the procla- 

 mation of General Phelps considered, 298; 

 desirable to know authoritatively and positive- 

 ly that it is not an act of the Government, 298 ; 

 an offset to the proclamation of Sherman and 

 orders of Halleck, 298 ; resolutions offered in 

 the House, 299. 



Resolution relative to disloyalty of persons 

 in the employ of the Government considered, 

 299 ; correspondence with the secretaries, 299 ; 

 their replies, 299. 



Resolution to inquire into the loyalty of 

 the Senator from Oregon before administering 

 the oath, 300 ; understood to be an open and 

 avowed supporter of secession, 300 ; no pre- 

 cedent for such a motion, 300 ; the times are 

 those when we are compelled to make prece- 

 dents, 301 ; it belongs to the Senate to make 

 a precedent, 301 ; this is not a new state of 

 things, 301 ; right and duty of the Senate to 

 make the investigation, 301 ; what are the 

 facts ? 301 ; he has a right to be sworn in, 302 ; 

 is not loyalty a qualification under the Consti- 

 tution ? 302 ; the case of Philip Barton Key in 

 1808, 302 ; the question of loyalty too indeter- 

 minate and rests upon opinion, 302 ; different 

 views of loyalty, 302 ; would you admit a felon ? 

 303; with credentials yes, 303; credentials 

 referred, 303. 



Inquiry relative to Ball's Bluff, 303 ; object 

 of the resolution, 304 ; the question is, Will 

 the House interfere in the conduct of the war ? 

 304 ; the Constitution provides that the mili- 

 tary shall be subject to the civil power, 304 ; 

 the nation has failed rightly to interpret the 

 providences of God, 305 ; when we cast this 

 accursed slavery overboard God will give us 

 success, 305 ; if the institution of slavery ever 

 stands in the way of constitutional liberty, the 

 people of Kentucky will wipe it out, 306 ; fur- 

 ther debate, 307. 



Resolution for a tax considered, 307; for 

 twenty-six years the question of slavery has 

 been debated in this House, 308 ; prepare for 

 the great question of finance, 308; the war 

 power of the Government under no limitation, 

 308; the essential destruction of lives and 

 property justifiable, right, and proper, 308; 

 Government invested with the right of self- 

 defence and self-preservation, 308; such the 

 rights, what are the duties of Government? 

 309 ; the most needed of all was an act to lib- 

 erate the slaves, 309 ; have the constitutional 



power, 309 ; no boundaries to the power of 

 Congress, 309; not one dollar nor one man 

 to be voted under such an interpretation of the 

 Constitution, 310; Congress can provide for 

 the common defence only in the manner that 

 the Constitution points out, 310; if we are 

 successful without an interference with slavery, 

 we return from victory like the Thracian horse, 

 bearing his master on his back, 311 ; if aboli- 

 tionism rules, this will be a war of extermina- 

 tion and death all over the country, 311 ; the 

 first summons from the Government read, 312 ; 

 what did the President mean by alleging there 

 should be no interference with property of any 

 kind? 312 ; to judge from the debates it would 

 appear that the President had no support from 

 the party that elected him, 312; universal 

 emancipation must be proclaimed to all, 313 ; 

 when the Constitution is defied and set aside, 

 it grants to the President and Congress a sup- 

 plemental power increasing and varying ac- 

 cording to the increasing and varying neces- 

 sities of the nation, 313; if no other means 

 were left to save the Government we have 

 power under the Constitution and according 

 to its express provision to declare a dictator, 

 313 ; the war power is our special property, 

 314; how it should be used, 314; declare the 

 oppressed to go free, 314. 



Better attend to providing the means and 

 the men for putting down these enemies, 314 ; 

 the conduct of a war is specially confined to 

 the Executive Department, 315 ; what are the 

 motives and ends of the Committee on the 

 War? 315; the commander-in-chief has been 

 before the committee, 315 ; they intend to 

 usurp the prerogatives of the Executive, 316; 

 the largest latitude is given to the President, 

 Secretaries of War and Navy, in the conduct 

 of the war, 316; is it intended to force the 

 Administration into a John Brown raid? 317. 



Issue of Treasury notes considered, 317; 

 necessary to carry on the war, 317; legal 

 tender, 317; a novel proposition, 318; impair 

 the obligations of every contract, 318; Con- 

 gress has not power to do it, 318 ; the financial 

 plan of the Government, 318; not one sound 

 precedent for a paper currency, 318 ; Congress 

 has the power to declare what shall be a legal 

 tender, 3-19 ; point out the words in the Consti- 

 tution, 319 ; Congress has not the power to 

 debase coin, 320; three propositions the sum 

 of the argument, 321 ; existence of the Gov- 



