314 



CONGKESS, U. S. 



gress ought to do it ; and the question was 

 started then whether Congress, without a 

 change of the Constitution, or some special au- 

 thority given, would have a right to appropriate 

 from the Treasury any amount of money for 

 this purpose. I presume it was with a view 

 to that constitutional objection that the reso- 

 lution was worded as it was, and that the 

 recommendation came from the President as 

 it did, an expression that the United States 

 ought to assist the States in paying for the 

 slaves that might be emancipated, if they 

 chose to adopt such a policy. What may be 

 the true construction of it, I do not undertake 

 now to say. If this measure can be defended, 

 in my judgment it must be defended as a mat- 

 ter that in this time of war would be advisable, 

 necessary, perhaps, with a view to tie more 

 speedy and effectual suppression of the rebell- 

 ion. In that point of view, we may have au- 

 thority to pass it." 



Mr. Trumbull, of Illinois, objected to the 

 views of the preceding senator : " The sena- 

 tor from Maine says he did not mean to premise 

 that there was constitutional authority to give 

 this aid, but all he meant was that the United 

 States ought to do it, and that the Constitution 

 might be changed for that purpose if it was 

 necessary. Sir, how can you change it ? What 

 is the mode provided for changing the Con- 

 stitution of the United States? Is there any 

 mode provided by which, during this rebellion, 

 it may be changed ? "Has the United States 

 any authority in enough of the States of this 

 Union to obtain the expression of their opin- 

 ion as to whether they would consent to a 

 change or not ? Did the senator from Maine 

 mean to say by this resolution to the people of 

 the border States : " Congress ought to furnish 

 you pecuniary aid, but there is no power under 

 the Constitution to do it, and we will never 

 do it until the Constitution is changed ? Why, 

 sir, that is not the way this resolution reads, 

 nor is it the legitimate and proper meaning of 

 the resolution. 



" Then I repeat that in my judgment there 

 is an obligation upon Congress to stand by the 

 pledge it has given ; and further, I believe it 

 to be politic. I regard it as of the highest 

 importance, as has been eloquently said by the 

 senator from Missouri, that we should now 

 take the steps to make Missouri a free State." 



Mr. Foster, of Connecticut, said: "If we 

 would abolish slavery within the State of Mis- 

 souri, either that State or the United States, or 

 both together, must provide the means which, 

 according to the Constitution of the State of 

 Missouri, shall be an adequate compensation, 

 an equivalent to the owners of slaves who, 

 under the law, are to be set free. That is the 

 problem which is to be worked out, or we ac- 

 complish nothing. 



"Now, sir, we may say, and perhaps say 

 with great propriety, that the Congress of the 

 United States ought not to be called upon to 

 pay one dollar ; that this is a State affair ; that 



it concerns the prosperity and happiness of a 

 State ; that this is a domestic institution ; and 

 that the State of Missouri ought herself to pro- 

 vide the means by which to get rid of the insti- 

 tution. I am by no means prepared to say that 

 this is not so ; that it would not be just and 

 proper for Missouri to do so ; but the question 

 is, does any reasonable man suppose she will 

 do it ? The bill assumes, everybody assumes, 

 that she will not. Some assume that she can- 

 not. It may not be an assumption, under the 

 circumstances, to say that she cannot ; but all 

 assume that she will not. There being, then, 

 no other known mode of adding to what the 

 State may do, the Congress of the United States 

 is called upon, if the object is to be accom- 

 plished, to furnish the amount which the State 

 will not furnish. Otherwise the object is un- 

 accomplished ; the State of Missouri remains 

 as she is, a slave State. 



" Sir, if any senator is prepared to say that 

 he will give $10,000,000, and if the State will 

 go on with the $10,000,000 and abolish slavery, 

 he will be glad of it, but if she will not, he will 

 consent to stand by and see Missouri a slave 

 State for all time, so far as we know, on him 

 be the responsibility; I am not one of that 

 class. Impoverished as the treasury is, im- 

 paired as our credit is, loud as are the calls for 

 all the money we can raise in other quarters, 

 I am still prepared to raise this sum from 

 $10,000,000 up to $20,000,000, because I be- 

 lieve the accomplishment of the object is of 

 such vast importance that it will be worth all it 

 will then cost." 



Mr. Sherman, of Ohio, thus explained the 

 point of difficulty in the question : " The real 

 difficulty in this measure, if I understand it 

 correctly, is that certain senators insist that 

 emancipation in Missouri shall be immediate, 

 instead of gradual. There is no practical diffi- 

 culty in providing for the gradual abolishment 

 of slavery in Missouri, for the sum of $10,000,- 

 000, in strict conformity to the laws of Mis- 

 souri, and to the entire satisfaction of two 

 thirds of the Legislature of that State, if sena- 

 tors will but waive the idea on which they so 

 much insist, that slavery shall be immediately 

 abolished. This proposition will not be dis- 

 puted. From a conversation with the senator 

 from Missouri, I can state as his opinion that 

 there is no difficulty in framing a law to pro- 

 vide for the gradual emancipation of slaves in 

 Missouri, in which the Legislature of Missouri 

 will pledge the faith of the State and that is 

 all they can do to emancipate all slaves within 

 twenty-three years, for the sum of $10,000,000. 

 "We have, by a resolution passed a year 

 ago, pledged the faith of the United States 

 the faith of Congress, if you please that we 

 will aid pecuniarily the State of Missouri in 

 the gradual abolishment of slavery. We have 

 not agreed to pay any definite sums ; we have 

 not agreed even to cooperate in the immediate 

 emancipation of slaves in Missouri. All we 

 have agreed to do is, by pecuniary aid to co- 



