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ARMY SLAVE-CATCHING PROHIBITED.

257

that the alternative of conceded Dis- | Mr. James F Wilson, of Iowa. Mr. union or constrained Emancipation Wilson, of Mass., soon reported' his might yet be avoided. His first An- bill; of which he pressed the considnual Message cautiously avoided the eration ten days afterward; but it subject; but proposed a systematic was resisted with great ingenuity and colonization-in some territory to be earnestness by all the Opposition and acquired outside of the present limits by a few of the more conservativo of our country-of those Blacks who Administration Senators. Other bills had already, or might thereafter, be having obtained precedence in the come free in consequence of the war. Senate, Mr. F. P. Blair reported to He coolly added: the House from its Military Committee, an additional Article of War, as follows:

"It might be well to consider, too, whether the free colored people already in the United States could not, so far as individuals may desire, be included in such colonization."

"All officers are prohibited from employing any of the forces under their respective commands for the purpose of returning fugitives from service or labor who may have escaped from any persons to whom such service or labor is claimed to be due. Any officer who shall be found guilty by courtmartial of violating this article shall be dismissed from the service."

Congress acceded to this, so far as to appropriate $100,000 in aid of the colonization as aforesaid of the freedmen of the District of Columbia; which sum, or most of it, was duly squandered—to the satisfaction of cer- This bill was strenuously opposed tain speculators, and the intense, pro- by Messrs. Mallory and Wickliffe, tracted misery of a few deluded of Kentucky, as also by Mr. ValBlacks, who were taken to a wretch-landigham, of Ohio, while ably ed sand-spit, known as Cow Island, advocated by Mr. Bingham, of Ohio; on the coast of Hayti, and kept there and passed by a (substantially) party so long as they could be: and this was vote: Yeas 83; Nays 44. Having the practical finale of the Coloniza- been received by the Senate and retion project. ferred to its Military Committee, it was duly reported therefrom by Mr. H. Wilson; vehemently opposed by Messrs. Garret Davis, of Ky., Carlile, of Va., Saulsbury, of Del., and supported by Messrs. Wilson, of Mass., Howard, of Michigan, Sherman, of Ohio, McDougall, of Cal., and Anthony, of R. I., and passed: Yeas 29; Nays 9-a party vote, save that Mr. McDougall, of Cal., voted Yea. The bill thus enacted was approved by the President, March 13th, 1862.

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The XXXVIIth Congress having convened for its second (or first regular) session, Gen. Wilson, of Mass., gave notice in Senate of a bill to punish officers and privates of our armies for arresting, detaining, or delivering persons claimed as fugitive slaves; and Mr. O. Lovejoy, of Ill., simultaneously introduced a bill of like tenor in the House. Mr. Wilson submitted his bill on the 23d; a resolve to the same effect having been submitted by Mr. Sumner six days before; as one of like nature was this day laid before the Ilouse by

'Dec. 3, 1861.Dec. 2, 1861. Dec. 4. VOL. II.-17

Gen. Wilson, upon evidence that the above act was inadequate to restrain the negro-catching propensities of some officers in the service, pro

7 Jan. 6, 1862. Feb. 25. March 4.

0

• March 10.

posed" further action to the same end; and the Senate considered "his resolution of inquiry. Mr. Grimes, of Iowa, in supporting it made a statement as follows:

"In the month of February last, an officer of the 3d regiment of Iowa infantry, stationed at a small town in Missouri, suc

ceeded in capturing several Rebel bridgeburners, and some recruiting officers belonging to Price's army. The information that led to their capture was furnished by two or three remarkably shrewd and intelligent slaves, claimed by a Lt.-Colonel in the Rebel army. Shortly afterward, the master dispatched an agent, with instructions to seize the slaves, and convey them within the Rebel lines: whereupon, the Iowa officer seized them, and reported the circumstances to headquarters. The slaves, soon understanding the full import of Gen. Halleck's celebrated Order No. 3, two of them attempt

ed an escape. This was regarded as an unpardonable sin. The Iowa officer was immediately placed under arrest; and a detach

ment of the Missouri State Militia-men in

the pay of this Government, and under the command of Gen. Halleck--were sent in pursuit of the fugitives. The hunt was successful.

The slaves were caught, and returned to their traitor master; but not until one of them had been shot by order of the soldier in command of the pursuing party."

Mr. Sumner followed in an able speech in advocacy; but the subject was overlaid by others deemed more urgent; and the bill was not conclusively acted on.

At an early period" of the session, Gen. Wilson had proposed a reference of all laws relating to persons of color in the District of Columbia, and to the arrest of fugitives from labor, to the Standing Committee on said District, with instructions that they consider the expediency of a compensated Abolition of Slavery therein; and he soon afterward introduced" a bill of like purport; which was read twice and referred to the Committee aforesaid. Mr.

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bill; which provided for the Abolition of Slavery in the District, and the payment to the masters from the Treasury of an average compensation of $300 each for the slaves thus manumitted. The bill was so amended as to abolish also the Black Laws of said District. Mr. G. Davis, of Ky., bitterly opposed the bill; proposing so to amend it as to send out of the country all persons freed thereby; which was ardently supported by Mr. Saulsbury, of Del. Mr. Doolittle (Repub.), of Wisc., favored colonizing the freedmen, but moved to add "with their own consent;" which prevailed-Yeas 23; Nays 16—and Mr. Davis's proposition, as thus amended, was lost by a tie vote-19 to 19; and the emancipating billafter having been ably supported by Messrs. Wilmot, of Pa., Hale, of N. II., Pomeroy, of Kansas (against paying the masters), King, of N. Y., Wilson, of Mass., Harlan, of Iowa, Wilkinson, of Minn., Sumner, of Mass., Fessenden, of Maine, Browning, of Ill., and Morrill, of Maine, and further opposed by Messrs. Wright (Union), of Ind., Willey, of West Va. (who wished the question of Emancipation submitted to a popular vote of the District), Kennedy, of Md., McDougall, of Cal., and Bayard, of Del.--was passed:" Yeas 29; Nays 14-as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Browning, Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Dixon, Doclit Harlan, Harris, Howard, Howe, King, Lane, tle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hale, of Ind., Lane, of Kansas, Morrill, Pomeroy, Wade, Wilkinson, Wilmot, and Wilson, of Sherman, Sumner, Ten Eyck, Trumbull,

Mass.-29.

NAYS-Messrs. Bayard, Carlile, Davis,

Henderson, Kennedy, Latham, McDougall,
Wilson, of Mo., and Wright-14.
Nesmith, Powell, Saulsbury, Stark, Willey,
14 Dec. 16. 15 Dec. 22. 15 Feb. 13. 17

Morrill, of Maine, duly reported"
from said Committee Gen. Wilson's
" April 3. 12 April 14.
13 Dec. 14.

April 3.

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