can do as he pleases with himself and his property. [Ap-free, are as loyal as could be desired. They freely proffer plause.] With others it means that some men can do as their services to the State, and zealously contend for the they please with other men and other men's labor. Each privilege of being allowed to work on the batteries. Yesof these things are called liberty, although they are entire- terday Gen. Gwynn declined the services of three hundred ly different. To give an illustration: A shepherd drives from Hampton who solicited employment on the batteries, the wolf from the throat of his sheep when attacked by and twice and thrice that number could be obtained in this him, and the sheep of course thanks the shepherd for the city and vicinity in a single day, if it was thought advisable preservation of his life; but the wolf denounces him as de- to accept them. Indeed, the entire fortifications of this spoiling the sheep of his liberty, especially if it be a black harbor might be constructed by the voluntary labor of nesheep. [Applause.] groes, who would claim no higher reward than the privilege of being allowed to contribute their share toward the defence of the State, and the protection of their masters and mistresses, who had always extended a sheltering hand over them.

This same difference of opinion prevails among some of the people of the North. But the people of Maryland have recently been doing something to properly define the meaning of the word, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they have done and are doing. [Ap. plause.]

It is not very becoming for a President to make a speech at great length, but there is a painful rumor afloat in the country in reference to which a few words shall be said. It is reported that there has been a wanton massacre of some hundreds of colored soldiers at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, during a recent engagement there, and he thought it fit to explain some facts in relation to the affair. It is said by some persons that the Government is not in this matter doing its duty. At the commencement of the war it was doubtful whether black men would be used as soldiers or not. The matter was examined into very carefully, and after mature deliberation, the whole matter resting as it were with himself, he in his judgment decided that they should. [Applause.] He was responsible for the act to the American people, to a Christian nation, to the future historian, and, above all, to his God, to whom he would have one day to render an account of his stewardship. [Ap plause. He would now say that in his opinion the black soldier should have the same protection as the white soldier, and he would have it. [Applause.] It was an error to say that the Government was not acting in the matter. The Government has no direct evidence to confirm the reports in existence relative to this massacre, but he himself believed the facts in relation to it to be as stated. When the

Government does know the facts from official sources, and they prove to substantiate the reports, retribution will be surely given. [Applause.] What is reported, he thought, would make a clear case. If it is not true, then all such stories are to be considered as false. If proved true, when the matter is thoroughly examined, what shape is to be given to the retribution? Can we take the man who was captured at Vicksburg and shoot him for the victim of this massacre? If it should happen that it was the act of only one man, what course is to be pursued then? It was a matter requiring careful examination and deliberation, and if it should be substantiated by sufficient evidence all might rest assured that retribution would be had. [Applause.]

In June, the rebel Legislature of Tennessee passed this enlistment bill, which became a law:

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That from and after the passage of this act the Governor shall be, and he is hereby, authorized, at his discretion, to receive into the military service of the State all male free persons of color between the ages of fifteen and fifty, or such numbers as may be necessary, who may be sound in mind and body, and capable of actual service.

dollars per month, as pay, and such persons shall be enti 2. That such free persons of color shall receive, each, eight tled to draw, each, one ration per day, and shall be entitled to a yearly allowance each for clothing.

3. That, in order to carry out the provisions of this act, it shall be the duty of the sheriffs of the several counties in this State to collect accurate information as to the number and condition, with the names of free persons of color, subject to the provisions of this act, and shall, as it is practicable, report the same in writing to the Governor.

4. That a failure or refusal of the sheriffs, or any one or deemed an offence, and on conviction thereof shall be punmore of them, to perform the duties required, shall be

ished as a misdemeanor.

5. That in the event a sufficient number of free persons of color to meet the wants of the State shall not tender their services, the Governor is empowered, through the sheriffs of the different counties, to press such persons until the requisite number is obtained.

6. That when any mess of volunteers shall keep a servant to wait on the members of the mess, each servant shall be allowed one ration.

This act to take effect from and after its passage.
W. C. WHITTHORNE,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
B. L. STÖVALL,

Passed June 28, 1861.

Speaker of the Senate.

The Avalanche of the 7th September said:

Upwards of one thousand negroes, armed with spades and pickaxes, have passed through the city within the past few days. Their destination is unknown, but it is supposed that they are on their way to the "other side of Jordan."

NEW ORLEANS, November 23. Over twenty-eight thousand troops were reviewed to-day by Governor Moore, Major General Lovell, and Brigadier General Ruggles. The line was over seven miles long. One regiment comprised 1,400 free colored men. 1862.

THE ENROLLMENT OF FREE NEGROES IN REBELDOM.

In the Virginia House of Delegates, on the 4th of February, on the subject of enrolling free negroes for the rebel army, the following debate took place. We copy the official report of the proceedings from the Richmond Examiner :

We learn that about seventy of the most respectable free negroes in this city have enrolled themselves and design tendering their services to the Governor, to act in whatever capacity may be assigned them in defence of the State. Threo cheers for the patriotic free negroes of Lynchburg. The bill amending the convention act for the enrollment A letter in the Petersburg (Va.) Express, of free negroes was, on motion of Mr. Prince, taken up. dated at Norfolk on the 23d April, says: Among the amendments in this bill Mr. Prince called attention to the one allowing ten cents for each negro so enThe negroes in all this section of the country, slave and rolled to the sheriff or officer so enrolling them. He pro

posed to strike out this amendment and insert in lieu of the proposed compensation that if the said officers fail to comply with the requisitions of this law, they be subjected to a penalty of not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars. As these officers were exempt from military duty, he said, it was about as little as they could do to perform the service of enrolling the free negroes of their respective counties as a part of their official duties. His amendment was adopted.

Mr. RIVES proposed that the amendment in the bill respecting the term of the enlistment of negroes be amended to make the term ninety days, instead of a hundred and eighty. His reason for this was the fact that the families of many of the free negroes so enlisted, having no other means of support, would, as had been the case in his own county, suffer very much from want.

Mr. PRINCE agreed to compromise with the gentleman on one hundred and twenty days.

Mr. ANDERSON, of Botetourt, hoped that the amendment would not pass. One hundred and eighty days were only

six months; and if white men could be drafted for two years, he saw no reason why free negroes should be entitled to such charitable discrimination.

Mr. RIVES replied that he made the proposition from no particular friendship to free negroes; if it were in his power, he would convert them all into slaves to-morrow. But it was simply to call the attention of the House to the fact that, in his own county, many severe cases of suffering had occurred among the families of free negroes from this cause, and he thought that possibly some alleviation might be brought about by the amendment proposed.

The amendment was rejected, and the bill was then ordered to its engrossment.

In the debate in the Rebel Congress, March 10, Mr. FOOTE of Tennessee, alluding to the fall of Nashville, said:

Gen. Johnston had called for 1,000 or 1,500 slaves to work on the fortifications, and that the call had been fully answered, when Nashville was surrendered,

DRAFT OF NEGROES FOR MILITARY SERVICE.

[From the Richmond Examiner, October 18, 1862.] We notice that in Texas, and in some portions of the Mississippi valley, the proposition is urged to make a conscription or forced levy of slaves, where their labor is necessary for the army. Since the invasion of the South the Yankees have stolen tens of thousands of negroes, and made them useful as teamsters, laborers in camp, &c. It appears that slaveholders are averse, for some reasons, to hire their negroes in the Confederate army. The prejudice is certainly an ignorant and mean one. As the war originated and is carried on in great part for the defence of the slaveholder in his property, rights, and the perpetuation of the institution, it is reasonable to suppose that he ought to be first and foremost in aiding and assisting, by every means in his power, the triumph and success of our arms. Good wages are offered, and proper care and attention will be given every negro hired to the army, and the slaveholder ought to remember that for every negro he thus furnishes he puts

GEORGIA, ALABAMA, AND MISSISSIPPI SENTIMENT. [From the Savannah, (Ga.) News, Sept 2]

EMPLOYMENT OF NEGROES IN THE REBEL ARMY.

A joint committee of the Alabama Legislature, just adjourned, reported a resolution in favor of the proposition States, which proposition, we see, is favored by many of to employ slaves in the military service of the Confederate the presses of Mississippi and Alabama. After discussion of sixty-eight yeas to twelve nays, after striking out the in the Alabama House, the resolution was adopted by a vote end of the resolution. The resolution was amended and words "military" before service, and soldiers" at the read as follows:

That it is the duty of Congress to provide by law for the America, in such situations and in such numbers as may employment in the service of the Confederate States of the country, whether as pioneers, sappers and miners, be found absolutely necessary, the able-bodied slaves of cooks, nurses and teamsters.

In this form we can see no objection to the resolution.

THE CHANGING SENTIMENT OF CONGRESS.

In the Rebel House of Representatives, December 29th, Mr. Dargan, of Alabama, introduced a bill to receive into the military service all that portion of population in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida, known as "Creoles."

Mr. Dargan supported the bill in some remarks. He said the Creoles were a mixed-blooded race. Under the treaty of Paris in 1803, and the treaty of Spain in 1810, they were recognized as freemen. Many of them owned large estates, and were intelligent men. They were as much devoted to our cause as any class of men in the South, and were even anxious to go into service. They had applied to him to be received into service, and he had applied to Mr. Randolph, then Secretary of War. Mr. Randolph decided against the application, on the ground that it might furnish to the enemy a pretext of arming our slaves against us. Some time after this he was again applied to by them, and he the matter before him. Mr. Seddon refused to entertain the went to the present Secretary of War, Mr. Seddon, and laid proposition, on the ground that it did not come up before him through the military authorities. To obviate this ob jection, Gen. Maury, at Mobile, soon afterwards represented their wishes to the War Department. Mr. Seddon refused the offer of their services, on the ground that it would be incompatible with the position we occupied before the world; that it could not be done.

He cared not for "the world." He cared no more for their Mr. Dargan said he differed with the Secretary of War. opinions than they did for ours. He was anxious to bring into service every free man, be he who he may, willing to strike for our cause. He saw no objection to employing Creoles; they would form a potent element in our army. In his district alone a brigade of them could be raised. The crisis had been brought upon us by the enemy, and he believed the time would yet come when the question would not be the Union or no Union, but whether Southern men November 2-Governor Joseph E. Brown, of should be permitted to live at all. In resisting subjuga Georgia, issued a call announcing that if a tion by such a barbarous foe he was for employing all our available force. He would go further and say that he was sufficient supply of negroes be not tendered for arming and putting the slaves into the military service. within ten days, General Mercer will, in pur-He was in favor even of employing them as a military ara suance of authority given him, proceed to im-in the defence of the country. press, and asking of every planter of Georgia

a soldier in the ranks.

This one

a tender of one fifth of his negroes to complete
the fortifications around Savannah.
fifth is estimated at 15,000.

1863.

This paragraph was published in the New York Times, July 15, 1862:

The Adjutant General of the Confederate States publishes a general order from the Rebel War Department, directing recruiting officers, duly accredited, to draft every white or mulatto male found throughout the South who is able to bear arms, and who is between the ages of twenty and fifty-five years, whether such persons may have obtained substitutes for themselves or not; and willful evasion of this order is to be severely punished.

The Governor of South Carolina in July, issued a proclamation for 3,000 negroes to work on the fortifications, "the need for them being pressing."

1864.

[From the Charleston Courier of January 27.]

NEGRO LABOR UPON FORTIFICATIONS. The Mayor of Charleston, Charles Macbeth, summons all slaveholders within the city to furnish to the military authorities forthwith, one-fourth of all their male slaves de tween the ages of fifteen and fifty, to labor upon the fortifications. The penalty announced, in case of failure to com ply with this requisition is a fine of $200 for every slave not forthcoming. Compensation is allowed at the rate of

$400 a year.

and fifty are required to give themselves up for the same All free male persons of color between the ages of fifteen purpose. Those not complying will be imprisonod, and set to work upon the fortifications along the coast. To free negroes no other compensation than rations is allowed.

NEGROES IN THE ARMY.

The Richmond press publish the official copy of "An act to increase the efficiency of the army by the employment of free negroes and slaves in certain capacities," lately passed by the

Rebel Congress. The negroes are to perform | President is authorized to cause full and com"such duties as the Secretary of War or Complete retaliation for every such violation, in manding General may prescribe." The first sec- such manner and to such extent as he may think tion is as follows: proper.

Every white commissioned officer commanding negroes or mulattoes in arms against the Confederate States shall be deemed as inciting servile insurrection, and shall, if captured, be put to death, or be otherwise punished, at the discretion of the court.

The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That all male free negroes, and other free persons of color, not including those who are free under the treaty of Paris, of 1803, or under the treaty of Spain, of 1819, resident in the Confederate States, between the ages of eighteen and fifty years, shall be held liable to perform such duties with the army, or in connection with the military defences of the country, in the way of work upon the fortifications, or in government works for the production or preparation of materials of war, or in military hospitals, as the Secretary of War or the Commanding General of the Trans-Mississippi Department may, from time to time, prescribe; and while engaged in the performances of such duties shall receive rations and clothing and compensation at the rate of eleven dollars a month, under such rules and regulations as the said Secretary may establish: Provided, That the Secretary of War or the Commanding General of the Trans-Mississippi Department, with the approval of the President, may ex-gaged in war or taken in arms against the Conempt from the operations of this act such free negroes as the interests of the country may require should be exempt ed, or such as he may think proper to exempt on the ground of justice, equity or necessity.

The third section provides that when the Secretary of War shall be unable to procure the services of slaves in any military department, then he is authorized to impress the services of as many male slaves, not to exceed twenty thousand, as may be required, from time to time, to discharge the duties indicated in the first section of the act.

The owner of the slave is to be paid for his services; or, if he be killed or "escape to the enemy," the owner shall receive his full value.

Governor Smith, of Virginia, has made a call for five thousand male slaves to work on the batteries, to be drawn from fifty counties. The call for this force has been made by the President under a resolution of Congress.

General Magruder's proclamation to Texans, March 4, thus closes :

The slaveholding gentlemen of each county are respectfully requested to meet together at their respective county seats, or some convenient point, and appoint one or more of their number to accompany their negroes to Houston, and see that they are made comfortable. One-fourth of all the male hands between the ages of seventeen and fifty years in each county, without regard at this time to the numbers which have been previously furnished, will accomplish the purpose of fortifying Houston within a short time; and planters and all others are assured that the necessity of this course is manifest to the Major General commanding, and could be made so to them, but that his plans would thus be made known to the enemy. By command of Maj. Gen. J. Bankhead Magruder: EDMUND P. TURNER, A. 4. Gen. HOUSTON, March 4, 1864. "CONFEDERATE" LEGISLATION UPON NEGRO PRISONERS AND THEIR WHITE OFFICERS WHEN CAPTURED. *

1863, May 1-An act was approved declaring that the commissioned officers of the enemy ought not to be delivered to the authorities of the respective States, (as suggested in Davis's message;) but all captives taken by the Confederate forces ought to be dealt with and disposed of by the Confederate Government.

President Lincoln's emancipation proclamations of September 22, 1862, and January 1, 1863, were resolved to be inconsistent with the usages of war among civilized nations, and should be repressed by retaliation; and the

* December 23, 1862-Jefferson Davis issued a proclamation of outlawry against Major General B. F. Butler, the

last two clauses of which are:

Third. That all negro slaves captured in arms be at once delivered over to the executive authorities of the respective States to which they belong, to be dealt with according to the laws of said States.

Fourth. That the like orders be executed in all cases with respect to all commissioned officers of the United States when found serving in company with said slaves in insurrection against the authorities of the different States of this Confederacy.

Every person charged with an offence made punishable under the act shall be tried by the military court of the army or corps of troops capturing him; and, after conviction, the President may commute the punishment in such manner and on such terms as he may deem proper.

All negroes and mulattoes who shall be en

federate States, or shall give aid or comfort to the enemies of the Confederate States, shall, when captured in the Confederate States, be delivered to the authorities of the State or States in which they shall be captured, to be dealt with according to the present or future laws of such State or States.

PROPOSED PROHIBITION OF PAYMENT TO COLORED
SOLDIERS.

First Session, Thirty-Seventh Congress.
IN HOUSE.
Pending the army appropriation bill in the
House,

1861, July 11-Mr. VALLANDIGHAM offered this proviso to come in at the end of the bill:

Provided, That no part of the money hereby appropriated shall be employed in subjugating, or holding as a conquered province, any sovereign State now or lately one of the United States; nor in abolishing or interfering with African slavery in any of the States.

Which was rejected, without a call of the yeas and nays.

Second Session, Thirty-Seventh Congress.
IN SENATE.

1862, June 2-Mr. SAULSBURY offered this additional section:

That no part of the money arising from the taxes, imposts, and excises in this bill provided for, shall be applied to or expended for the support or maintenance of fugitive slaves or free negroes.

Which was rejected-yeas 5, nays 34, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Davis, Nesmith, Powell, Saulsbury, Stark

-5.

NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Browning, Chandler, Clark, Cowan, Dixon, Doolittle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Harris, Howard, Howe, King, Lane of IndiSherman, Simmons, Sumner, Thomson, Trumbull, Wade, ana, Lane of Kansas, Latham, McDougall, Morrill, Pomeroy, Wilkinson, Willey, Wilmot, Wilson of Massachusetts, Wright -34.

June 6-Pending the internal revenue bill, Mr. DAVIS offered this as a new section: to pay or subsist any armed negroes in the service of the That no money raised under this act shall ever be applied United States for any period of time after it goes into operation and effect.

Which was rejected without a division.

Third Session, Thirty-Seventh Congress.
IN SENATE.

Pending the army appropriation bill,

1863, Jan. 28-Mr. DAVIS moved to add this | Kellogg, Orlando Kellogg, Littlejohn, Loan, Longyear, proviso to the bill:

NAYS-Messrs. William J. Allen, Ancona, Baily, Augustus C. Baldwin, Jacob B. Blair, Bliss, Brooks, James S. Brown, W. G. Brown, Chanler, Coffroth, Cox, Cravens, Dawson, Eden, NAYS-Messrs. Anthony, Browning, Chandler, Clark, Col- Edgerton, Eldridge, English, Finck, Grider, Griswold, Hall, lamer, Cowan, Dixon, Doolittle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Harding, Harrington, Benjamin G. Harris, Herrick, Hutch Grimes, Hale, Harlan, Harris, Howe, King, Lane of Indi-ins, Philip Johnson, William Johnson, Kallfleisch, Kernan, ana, Lane of Kansas, Morrill, Pomeroy, Sherman, Sumner, King, Law, Lazear, Long, Mallory, Marcy, McAllister, McTen Eyck, Trumbull, Wilkinson, Willey, Wilson of Mas- Dowell, McKinney, Middleton, William H. Miller, James R. sachusetts-28. Morris, Morrison, Nelson, Noble, Odell, John O'Neill, Pendleton, Pruyn, Robinson, James S. Rollins, Ross, Scott, John B. Steele, Stiles, Strouse, Stuart, Thomas, Voorhees, Wads worth, Whaley, Wheeler, Fernando Wood, Yeaman-65.

1863, December 17-Mr. WILSON offered the orably discharged, having made an entry of land in con following; which was agreed to:

Julian, Kasson, Kelley, Francis W. Kellogg, Loan, Longyear, Marvin, McBride, McClurg, Samuel F. Miller, Moorhead, Leonard Myers, Norton, Perham, Pike, Price, Alexan

der H. Rice, John H. Rice, Schenck, Scofield, Shannon, Smithers, Spalding, Starr, Stevens, Thayer, Upson, Ellihu B. Washburne, Wilder, Wilson, Windom-58.

The bill then passed.

Unemployed Generals.

1863, December 13-Mr. FARNSWORTH offered this resolution, which was agreed to:

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to inform this House of the names, number, pay, and emoluments of major generals and brigadier generals of volunteers, and of the regular army, and their staffs respectively, not on duty, and the length of time which has elapsed since each of them has been relieved from duty, and which of them, and how many, are not now on duty in consequence of wounds or disability incurred in the service.

in the military service or while a prisoner. This
to vacate volunteer commissions only.
Mr. Cox moved to add this proviso:
Provided, That when any officer comprehended in this
act shall demand a board of inquiry according to the rules
and regulations in such cases, and who shall be willing to
serve, that such board shall be forthwith convened; and if
said board shall find him competent to command in the
rank to which he is entitled, he shall be at once restored to
active service with full pay: And provided further, That
all officers who have received the thanks of Congress dur-
ing the present war shall be exempted from the provisions
of this act.

Which was disagreed to-yeas 46, nays 69.

Mr. KERNAN offered a substitute providing for a board to examine into the competency, fitness, and efficiency of major and brigadier generals, as described in the joint resolution; and each officer found by the board to be incapable of properly and efficiently following his duties shall be dropped, &c.; which was disagreed to-yeas 50, nays 69.

The joint resolution was then passed-yeas

The Secretary of War replied, substantially, that twenty-five general officers-fourteen major generals and eleven brigadier generalswere entirely unemployed, and that certain officers of their personal staffs were also unem-72, nays 45, as follows: ployed with them, numbering twenty-five. At the same time another list was furnished of general officers on duty who were not actually commanding or serving with troops, amounting in number to thirty-nine, making an aggregate of eighty-nine officers reported as being either unemployed altogether or not employed in the command of troops.

YEAS-Messrs. Alley, Allison, Ames, Anderson, Arnold, Ashley, John D. Baldwin, Baxter, Beaman, Jacob B. Blair, Boutwell, Boyd, Ambrose W. Clark, Freeman Clarke, Cole, Creswell, Henry Winter Davis, Deming, Driggs, Eliot, Farnsworth, Garfield, Gooch, Grinnell, Higby, Hotchkiss, Jenckes, Julian, Kasson, Kelley, Francis W. Kellogg, Littlejohn, Loan, Longyear, McBride, McClurg, McIndoe, Moorhead, Morrill, Daniel Morris, Amos Myers, Leonard Myers, Norton, Charles O'Neill, Orth, Patterson, Perham, Pike, Pomeroy, Price, William H. Randall, Alexander H. Rice,

A similar resolution was adopted in the Sen-John H. Rice, Edward II. Rollins, Schenck, Scofield, Shanate, on motion of Mr. TRUMBULL:

non, Sloan, Smithers, Spalding, Thomas, Tracy, Upson, Van Valkenburgh, William B. Washburn, Webster, Whaley, Wilder, Wilson, Windom, Woodbridge, Yeaman-72

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to furnish the Senate with the names of all the major and brigaNAYS-Messrs. Ancona, Baily, Augustus C. Baldwin, dier generals who are without commands equal to a brigade, Brooks, James S. Brown, William G. Brown, Chanter, Crastating how long each has been without such command, vens, Eden, Edgerton, Eldridge, English, Finck, Grider, and whether each has a staff; and if so, how numerous, and Hall, Harrington, Herrick, Hutchins, Philip Johnson, Kalb of what rank, and what amount of pay, including commu-fleisch, Kernan, King, Long, Mallory, Marcy, McKinney, tations and rations, each, including those of his staff, has Middleton, William H. Miller, James R. Morris, Morrison, been receiving while so without a command; and also that Noble, Odell, John O'Neill, Pendleton, Pruyn, Robinson, he inform the Senate how many major and brigadier gen- Ross, Scott, John B. Steele, Stevens, Stiles, Stuart, Wads erals are in command of departments, districts, and posts worth, Wheeler, Fernando Wood-45. in the loyal States; and whether any necessity exists that requires that these departments, districts, and posts should be commanded by officers of such high rank, with their numerous and expensive staffs.

1864, January 18-Mr. HOLMAN offered this preamble and resolution; which were agreed to:

Whereas this House has been officially informed that a large number of officers of the army, including a number of major and brigadier generals, have been for a long period of time, relieved from active service, while still receiving the full pay pertaining to their rank; and whereas such policy, while embarrassing to the officers so relieved, is manifestly urjust to the country, and interferes with just and proper promotions in the army: Therefore,

Resolved, That, in the judgment of this House, the policy of retaining in the pay of the Government officers who have been indefinitely relieved from active service, not physically disabled by wonnds, and who have not been placed on the retired list, ought to be discontinued; and that the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire what legislation, if any, is necessary to effect a remedy in the premises, and reduce the number of general officers not employed in active service, and report by bill or otherwise.

May 12-The House resumed consideration of the joint resolution providing that all major and brigadier generals, who, on the 1st of July, 1864, shall not be in the performance of duty or service corresponding to their respective grades and rank, and who shall not have been engaged in such duty or service for three months continuously next prior to that date, shall then be dropped from the rolls of the army-no officer to be included whose absence from duty shall have been occasioned by wounds received, or disease contracted in the line of his duty while

The Senate did not consider the bill.

Resolutions relating to the War.
ITS OBJECT.

First Session, Thirty-Seventh Congress.
IN HOUSE.

1861, July 13-Mr. HOLMAN asked leave to offer these resolutions:

Resolved, That the sole object of the Government in its present and future military operations, resulting from the armed resistance to its authority, is, and ought to be, to maintain the integrity of the Union, as established by the Constitution, the enforcement of the laws, and the protec tion of the constitutional rights of the loyal citizens of every State; and such operations ought not to be suspended until the authority of the Federal Government shall have been firmly established throughout its territorial limits.

Resolved, That the Union must be preserved, and that no adjustment of pending difficulties can ever be sanctioned by the Government that is not based on the acknowledged integrity of the Union, and the supremacy of the Constitution

of the United States.

Leave was not obtained.

1861, July 15-Mr. ALLEN, of Ohio, offered the following resolutions:

against the General Government shall cease their rebellion

Resolved, That whenever the States now in rebellion

and become loyal to the Union, it is the duty of the Government to suspend the further prosecution of the present war.

war against the rebellious States to interfere with the instiResolved, That it is no part of the object of the present tution of slavery therein.

Which were ruled out of order by the Speaker.