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S. S. COX AND W. P. JOHNSON FOR 'PEACE.

breaking the national unity and resisting the national authority: Yet,

"Be it resolved, First: That, while we make undiminished and increased exertions by our Navy and Army to maintain the integrity and stability of this Government, the common laws of war, consisting of those maxims of humanity, moderation, and honor, which are a part of the international code, ought to be observed by both parties, and for a stronger reason than exists between two alien nations, inasmuch as the two parties have a common ancestry, history, prosperity, glory, Government, and Union, and are now unhappily engaged in lacerating their common country. Second: That, resulting from these premises, while there ought to be left open, as between two alien nations, the same means for preventing the war being carried to outrageous extremities, there ought, also, to be left open some means for the restoration of peace and Union. Third: That, to this end-the restoration of peace and union on the basis of the Constitution—there be appointed a Committee of one member from each State, who shall report to this House, at its next session, such amendments to the Constitution of the United States as shall assuage all grievances, and bring about a reconstruction of the national unity; and that, for the preparation of such adjustment, and the conference requisite for that purpose, there be appointed a commission of seven citizens of the United States, consisting of Edward Everett, of Massachusetts, Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire, Millard Fillmore, of New York, Reverdy Johnson, of Maryland, Martin Van Buren, of New York, Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, and James Guthrie, of Kentucky, who shall request from the so-called Confederate States the appointment of a similar commission, and who shall meet and confer on the subject in the city of Louisville, on the first Monday of September next. And that the Committee appointed from this House notify said Commissioners of their appointment and function, and report their action to the next session, as an amendment of the Constitution of the United States, to be proposed by Congress to the States for their ratification, according to the fifth article of the Constitu

tion."

The House refused to suspend: Yeas 41; Nays 85.

Mr. Waldo P. Johnson,' of Mo., proposed (Aug. 5th) to add to the bill providing for an increase of the Engineer Corps the following:

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"And be it further enacted, That this Congress recommend the Governors of the several States to convene their Legislatures for the purpose of calling an election to select two delegates from each Congressional district, to meet in general Convention at Louisville, in Kentucky, on the first Monday in September next; the purpose of the said Convention to be to devise measures for the restoration of peace to our country."

Mr. CARLILE, of Va. "Mr. President, there is no one, perhaps, within the limits of the Union, who is more anxious that peace should be restored to our country than I am; but, sir, in the presence of a large, organized army, engaged in an effort to overthrow the institutions of the country, and permanently to divide these States that have so long existed as one people, I do not think any such proposition as this ought to be made until that army shall be disbanded, and until an offer to meet those who desire peace shall be made to them by those who are engaged in this Rebellion. I cannot, therefore, entertaining these views, vote for the amendment offered by the Senator from Missouri-not that I would not go as far as he will go, or any other Senator on this floor, to allay the strife in our land; but I think that propositions of this kind, coming from the Senate of the United States at this hour, are inopportune; and, instead of aiding the effort that may be made for peace, they will prolong the civil war that is now raging in the country."

Mr. MCDOUGALL, of Cal. "I wish merely to amend the remark made by the Senator from Virginia. He says this proposition would be inopportune. I say it would be intensely cowardly."

Mr. Johnson's proposition was rejected by the following vote:

YEAS — Messrs. Bayard, Breckinridge, Bright, Johnson, of Mo., Latham, Pearce, Polk, Powell, and Saulsbury-9.

NAYS-Messrs. Baker, Browning, Carlile, Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Cowan, Dixon, Doolittle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Harris, Howe, King, Lane, of Ind., Lane, of Kansas, McDougall, Morrill, Rice, Sherman, Sumner, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Wade, Wilkinson, Wilmot, and Wilson-29.

The bill increasing the pay of soldiers being that day under consideration, Mr. Wilson, of Mass., moved to add the following:

"And be it further enacted, That all the acts, proclamations, and orders of the Presi

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Who, with his colleague, Trusten Polk, openly joined the Rebels soon afterward.

dent of the United States, after the 4th of March, 1861, respecting the Army and Navy of the United States, and calling out or relating to the militia or volunteers from the States, are hereby approved, and in all respects legalized and made valid, to the same intent, and with the same effect, as if they had been issued and done under the previous express authority and direction of the Congress of the United States."

The amendment was agreed to, and the bill thereupon passed, as follows: Yeas 33;

NAYS-Messrs. Breckinridge, Kennedy, Polk, Powell, and Saulsbury-5.

This bill was, the same day, reconsidered, and the above amendment, being moved afresh, was again adopt

ed: Yeas 37;

"That, whilst it is the duty of Congress, by appropriate legislation, to strengthen the hands of Government in its efforts to maintain the Union and enforce the supremacy of the laws, it is no less our duty to examine into the original causes of our dissensions, and to apply such remedies as are best calculated to restore peace and union to the country: Therefore, it is

"Resolved (The Senate concurring herein), that a Joint Committee, to consist of nine members of this House and four members of the Senate, be appointed to consider and report to Congress such amendments to the Constitution and laws as may be necessary to restore mutual confidence and insure a more perfect and endurable Union amongst these States."

This proposition was laid on the table: Yeas 72; Nays 39-nearly a party division. And Mr. Diven, of NAYS-Messrs. Breckinridge, Bright, Ken- N. Y., thereupon asked the unaninedy, Pearce, and Powell-5.

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mous consent of the House to enable him to offer the following:

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XXXV.

MISSOURI.

WE have seen Conventions of the people of several States coolly assume the power, asserted or reserved in no one of their respective Constitutions, to take those States out of the Union, and absolve their people from all ob

ligation to uphold or obey its Government, in flagrant defiance of that Federal charter, framed for and adopted by the people of the United States, and by them recognized and accepted as the supreme law of the

MISSOURI BETRAYED BY JACKSON.

573

land, anything in the Constitution | press terms, irrevocable. We have

and laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. We have seen one of these Conventions assume and exercise the right of revoking a fundamental compact between the State and the Union, which is, by its ex

seen State Legislatures, in default of Conventions, usurp, practically, this tremendous power of secession; and have heard a now loyal Governor proclaim that a popular majority for Secessionists, in an election of mem

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as we have seen, having found the | ively some forty and one hundred Convention, which his Legislature miles west of Jefferson, and in the had called, utterly and emphatically heart of the slaveholding region. intractable to the uses of treason, had | This call having been made, Jackson reconvened his docile Legislature. and Price, fearing an attack from the But even this body could not be in- | Federal forces gathering at St. Louis, duced to vote the State out of the started westward with their followUnion. Below that point, however, ers, reaching Booneville on the 18th it stood ready enough to aid the of June. Price, being sick, kept on bolder conspirators; and its pliancy by steamboat to Lexington. was taxed to the utmost. The State School Fund, the money provided to pay the July interest on the heavy State Debt, and all other available means, amounting in the aggregate to over three millions of dollars, were appropriated to military uses, and placed at the disposal of Jackson, under the pretense of arming the State against any emergency. By another act, the Governor was invested with despotic power-even verbal opposition to his assumptions of authority being constituted treason; while every citizen liable to military duty was declared subject to draft into active service at Jackson's will, and an oath of obedience to the State Executive exacted. Under these acts, Jackson appointed ex-Gov. Sterling Price Major-General of the State forces, with nine Brigadiers-Parsons, M. L. Clark, John B. Clark, Slack, Harris, Rains, McBride, Stein, and Jeff. Thompson, commanding in so many districts into which the State was divided. These Brigadiers were ordered by Maj. Gen. Price to muster and organize the militia of their several districts so fast as possible, and send it with all dispatch to Booneville and Lexington, two thriving young cities on the Missouri, respect

of the question had vanished. This was the position of Missouri, to whose Convention not a single Secessionist was elected. Gov. Price was

They had not moved too soon. Gen. Lyon and his army left St. Louis by steamboats on the 13th, and reached Jefferson City on the morning of the 15th, only to find that the Confederate chiefs had started when he did, with a good hundred miles advantage in the race. Reëmbarking on the 16th, he reached Rockport, nearly opposite Booneville, next morning, and espied the Rebel encampment just across the river. In it were collected some two or three thousand men, only half armed, and not at all drilled, under the immediate command of Col. Marmaduke: Jackson, utterly disconcerted by Lyon's unexpected rapidity of movement, had ordered his 'State Guard' to be disbanded, and no resistance to be offered. But Marmaduke determined to fight, and started for the landing, where he hoped to surprise and cut up the Unionists while debarking. He met Lyon advancing in good order, and was easily routed by him, losing two guns, with much camp-equipage, clothing, etc. His raw infantry were dispersed, but his strength in cavalry saved him from utter destruction.

Jackson fled to Warsaw, on the Osage, some eighty miles south-west.

elected from his district as a Union man, without opposition; and, on the assembling of the Convention, was chosen its President." May 3d.

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SIGEL'S FIGHT NEAR CARTHAGE.

575

Fifteen miles north of that place, at trated. Sigel found the Rebels, haltCamp Cole, a half-organized regimented after their morning march, well

of Unionists, under Capt. Cook, was asleep in two barns, with no pickets out save northward, when, during the night of the 18th, they were surprised by a Rebel force from the southward, under Col. O'Kane, and utterly routed-being unable to offer any serious resistance. Capt. Cook and a portion of his followers barely escaped with their lives. Jackson, reënforced by O'Kane, halted two days at Warsaw, then continued his retreat some fifty miles to Montevallo, in Vernon County, near the west line of the State, and was here joined on the 3d of July by Price, with such aid as he had been able to gather at Lexington and on his way. Their united force is stated by Pollard at 3,600. Being pursued by Lyon, they continued their retreat next day, halting at 9 P. M., in Jasper County, twenty-three miles distant.

Ten

miles hence, at 10 A. M., next morning, they were confronted by a Union force 1,500 strong, under Col. Franz Sigel, who had been dispatched from St. Louis by the South-western Pacific road, to Rolla, had marched thence to Springfield, and had pushed on to Mount Vernon, Lawrence County, hoping to prevent a junction between Jackson and some forces which his Brigadiers were hurrying to his support. Each army appears to have started that morning with intent to find and fight the other; and such mutual intentions are seldom frus

'It seems to be pretty well agreed that Cook's men were about 400 in number: but he reported that he was attacked by 1,200, while Pollard makes O'Kane's force only 350. Cook's account makes his loss 23 killed, 20 wounded, and 30 prisoners; while Pollard says we lost 206

posted, vastly superior in numbers and in cavalry, but inferior in artillery, which he accordingly resolved should play a principal part in the battle. In the cannonade which ensued, he inflicted great damage on the Rebels and received very little, until, after a desultory combat of three or four hours, the enemy resolved to profit by their vast superiority in cavalry by outflanking him, both right and left. This compelled Sigel to fall back on his baggagetrain, three miles distant, which was otherwise at the otherwise at the mercy of the enemy. The retreat was made in perfect order, with two cannon on either flank, two in front, and four in the rear, keeping the Rebel cavalry at a respectful distance; save when, at the crossing of Dry Fork creek, where the road passes between bluffs, an effort was made to stop him by massing a strong cavalry force in his front. This was easily routed by bringing all his guns to bear upon it; when he continued his retreat to Carthage, and through that town to Sarcoxie, some fifteen miles eastward. It was well, indeed, that he did so; for Jackson's force was augmented, during that night and next morning, by the arrival of Price from the southward, bringing to his aid several thousand Arkansas and Texas troops, under Gens. Ben. McCulloch and Pearce. Our loss in the affair of Carthage was 13 killed and 31 wounded-not one of

killed, a large number wounded, and over 100 taken prisoners; while the Rebels lost but 4 killed, 15 or 20 wounded, and captured 362 muskets. Such are the materials out of which History is necessarily distilled. Pollard is probably the nearer right in this case.

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