HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
THURSDAY, January 22, 1863.Mr. CASON resumed his speech on Mr. Gregory's resolution relative to secret political societies. He reviewed the arguments presented by the majority, showing that their success was due to the absence of 60,000 soldiers in the army; and when they come home there would be a day of retribution for those men who denounce the Administration.
Mr. BROWN. Mr. Speaker, I think I have a right to make a word of explanation. The gentleman from Boone and Hendricks, (Mr. Cason) has charged upon me that in my remarks here I have spoken as though I thought that white soldiers in the army of the United States were good enough to be shot down by secessionists, whilst the negroes of the South should be employed in raising the products of the soil to sustain the armies of the rebellion and construct entrenchments for them. The gentleman is mistaken. I think white soldiers too good to be shot down by anybody; and I think all negroes are mean enough to do the bidding of any white man; and that is what I said. Let me say, further, that while I oppose the proclamation of the President of the United States, I do so because it imposes burdens only upon the loyal people, and upon them alone. The objection which I make to the proclamation affecting the progress and action of our armies, so far as the negroes are concerned, is, that its only effect is to take them from their homes and send them up to Washington to feed them; and I say here, that if the negro puts himself in the way of our armies, let him be swept out of the way by force of arms, and not by proclamation.
Mr. BURTON denied the existence of any such society as the Knights of the Golden Circle, in the North. Such Societies were peculiar to the South--the natural offset of the pestiferous New England Abolition societies. Both alike sought to overthrow the Constitution and the Union. It was an insult to the Democrats of Indiana to accuse any one of them of belonging to either of such societies. A man could not belong to them and be a Democrat. The party in power acted in accordance with the purposes of these disunion societies. Talk to him about the desire of the President to restore the Government! He had obtained an army under false pretensions, and was now wielding it for the abolition of Slavery. Thus he had driven every hitherto loyal man in the South to the standard of rebellion. He knew not whether there were Democrats in the South now or not. After these troubles were settled he would ascertain that. But Democrats in the North, now and forever, were opposed to Abraham Lincoln's infamous emancipation procla- page: 75[View Page 75] mation. No language could express their contempt of him for making himself the dirty tool of the miserable Abolitionists. He was a man of no purpose, ruled by others, of very little brain; and it was a great pity that he was President. It was a great pity that he had not remained in Springfield to tell jokes in barrooms. Democrats were opposed to his trampling on the rights of loyal citizens throughout the North. He did not deny that there were societies of good and true men, associated to arrest their constitutional rights against all such despotism. He did not, he said, admit or deny it. But that old political granny, Joe Wright. who was distinguished for nothing in particular but his terror of a thunder storm and his remarkable good judgement as to the qualities of sheep, had gone all over the State telling the people that Knights of the Golden Circle were organized in Indiana and if they didn't look out their houses would be burned and their wives butchered. He scared some old women and children, but the people laughed at poor old Joe. Mr.B.denounced the policy of the Administration. The war from the beginning he had been opposed to. It was an unnatural, an inhuman war, waged for the liberation of the negro. He demanded that it should stop. It was time for peace.
Mr. BRANHAM regretted the course the discussion had taken. He wished for an end of it. He hoped the subject would be dropped. He hoped nothing said about the President of the United States would be reported. The resolution was unnecessary, and this discussion was ill-timed and useless. The interests of the State--especially in financial matters--required a large amount of the attention of the House. The State debt of ten millions would soon be due, and must be provided for. Fraudulent bonds to the amount of a million were on the market, and require some action at our hands. The proof was overwhelming that secret political societies existed all over the State, and would soon be laid before the public without our action.
Mr. NIBLACK did not come to the Legislature to discuss abstract questions of the sort under consideration. He came here for practical and needed legislation, he had forborne, although holding Democratic views, from discussing questions which might stir up strife and contention. But this question and others like it, had been thrust upon us. In discussing them he would not impugns the patriotism of the people. If this war should become a failure, as the conviction seems to be forcing itself that it would, he would not charge it upon any party. It would not be the fault of the masses of any party. All these were alike patriotic. It would be the fault alone of our Generals in the field and of those in authority at Washing ton. It was wrong, therefore, for a man who is tottering on the brink of the grave, as the gentleman from Boone, (Mr. Cason) seems to be, to charge the masses of a great party with disloyalty--with seeding by means of secret political societies, to over throw the Constitution and the Government. To such societies he [Mr. Niblack] had always been opposed, and for their dissolution had relied upon the sober second thought of the people. The people themselves would correct these things. He could not believe that such societies existed in Indiana. If so, they would have been exposed long since. In the portion of the State in which he lived, the presiding judge of the Circuit had. at every meeting of the Grand Jury, charged if to investigate concerning these matters. Communications had been made to his Excellency that there was such a society in Knox county, consisting of over one thousand persons. The Grand Jury could not find a vestige of it. Gentlemen had stated that they had positive personal information with regard to the existence of secret political societies in Indiana. He would ask the gentleman from Boone and Hendricks [Mr. Cason] if he had communicated his facts to any court of justice.
Mr. CASON. The gentleman knows that I based my argument on matters already before the public. I never asserted that I knew anything of my own personal knowledge concerning the existence of secret societies.
Mr. NIBLACK. I desire it to go to the country that the gentleman states that he had no facts--that he had been talking about something he knew nothing about.
Mr. CASON. When the gentleman intimates that I argued from any facts in my own knowledge, he utters what he knows to be a slander upon me.
Mr. NIBLACK. Does the gentleman impeach my integrity and veracity when he says I slander him?
Mr. CASON. I mean that, as I have said, the gentleman knows he misrepresents me, when he states that I asserted that I had! facts of my own with regard to the existence of traitorous societies,I will not explain one inch further.
Mr. NIBLACK. I will not pursue the gentleman further. The man upon whom Almighty God has laid his hand ought to be spared by man. But. Mr. Speaker, the men who go about the North crying out traitor--persecuting some man against whom they entertain malice perhaps, or whom they wish to beat in an election--these men, not the best men of the Republican party, the gentleman from Boone and Hendricks always excepted, should shoulder their muskets and go South, where there are traitors. He would remind that gentleman of the adage, that page: 76[View Page 76] threatened men live longest. If traitors could be put down by threats, by proclamations, they would long ago have been the worst whipped people on God's earth. They would have been whipped before a blow was struck. The class of men among us who shout traitor the loudest, not the sensible gentlemen of the Republican party, the gentleman from Boone and Hendricks always excepted, approved, for instance of the McNeil murders in Missouri, where ten citizens were executed because of the disappearance of an old man, who reappeared a day or two after the inhuman and most monstrous deed was done. This class of men, the scavengers and dirty work doers of the Republican party, the gentlemen from Boone and Hendricks always exempted, approved, of the President's emancipation proclamation and of every act of tyranny and usurpation by the Administration. These were the men who shouted traitor all the time all the time against as good and as loyal men as there were in Indiana. These were the men who would assault hen-roosts at midnight, but who would never risk their precious bodies in defense of their country's Constitution and flag.
He believed that the agitation of this question was a trick by the opposition to divert the attention of the people from the conduct of the war by the Administration. This was an old trick in party politics.-- He asked gentlemen in opposition if they would not candidly admit to themselves that this was the fact. He argued against the proposed investigation, because it would involve a fruitless expense. It was entirely unnecessary, for upon the statute books already there was a law bringing to punishment persons guilty of disloyal practices. The people of this State are loyal and would enforce that law. We acknowledge the Constitution of the United States; and if State after State should leave the Union until Indiana only be left, she would remain true to the old flag, the old laws and the old Constitution. Not a single obstruction had ever been offered to the due administration of the laws in this State. The whole power of the Government was brought to bear in the case of the Federal Courts. If the United States Grand Jury, although they had issued a political pronunciamento previous to the October election, had failed to ascertain a single presentment; if county Grand Juries all over the State had failed in like manner, could we succeed better by any investigation we might undertake? In conclusion he said that from his former relations with persons in the South, he certainly should, if such an order existed in Indiana as the Knights of the Golden Circle, have had some intimation of it.-- Gentlemen had admitted to him that, in some localities where there was a good deal of irritation existing growing out of political arrests, mutual protection societies had been formed, but there was nothing treasonable in them. He had also been told by a gentleman yesterday that there was a secret society in the interest of the administration--in the interest of that party of which Governor Morton was the head in this State--now being formed in this city, and that it was to be extended throughout the State, and arms put in the hands of its members.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr. ANDERSON. It had been said to the minority that they had no right to ask for this investigation because they voted against the resolution on arbitrary arrests. He was in favor of a free investigation, but as the resolution in reference to arbitrary arrests stigmatized the government of our country as guilty of tyranny and outrage, which would not be committed except in a despotic government, he voted against it. He had always before this, thought this a free country. But without any proof to the contrary, he was called upon to pass that resolution and condemn the Government as despotic. He referred to the Democratic members pluming themselves on their possessing all the honesty and purity in the country, yet the same persons had just elevated to a responsible position a man who had appropriated to his own use thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars of the property of the State, and to another position a man who had made himself rich out of contracts with the State and with the United States. As to Know Nothingism, of which they have such a horror,an order with which he had never been connected, lie understood the Democrats in 1856 kept the machine in operation, to assist in electing James Buchanan, and that in this State in 1856 certain Democrats lined their pockets with gold to keep the machine running. This war was called an unholy war, and had been bitterly denounced on this floor. If such men are in earnest, they would show consistency in putting themselves alongside with their dear brethren at the South. They talk of resisting the Administration, but not the Government. The Constitution has no life except through the persons administering it. He had heard from these gentlemen, for every word In favor of the Constitution, ten words denouncing in the bitterest manner the Executive and those who sustain him, who are earnestly endeavoring to save their country. An outsider who was to form his estimate of the country he was in from, the character of the remarks and resolutions presented here from the first day of the session, would have thought himself in the Palmetto State. Taking, the statement of members on this floor it was admitted by page: 77[View Page 77] them that such societies existed for mutual protection. The members of these societies are not willing to rest with the courts the question of the Constitutionality and justice of the acts of the administration. They, meeting in secret at night in bye-places, are to set themselves up as judges, and determine what is tyranny and what acts of resistance they shall take against the government. And yet these gentlemen stand up and justify the people in taking the law in their own hands, and announce that they are ready to join with the people.
Mr. LEE. One remark was made by the gentleman who had just taken his seat which he could not let pass. He had said that the Democratic party stole. Good God! he did not suppose that there was a Republican who, at this stage of the game, would say any thing about stealing! Again: That gentleman had said that there were traitors in Indiana; that there were members of the Democratic party who, he insinuated, were traitors. Why did he not hunt them out and bring them to punishment? This discussion had proceeded far enough. It was time now to attend to the business of legislation. The majority on this floor had always treated the minority with all due respect, but to make a finality of the whole thing he moved indefinitely to postpone it.
Mr. MILROY spoke in vindication of Democratic principles, and in condemnation of the peculations and villainies of the Republican party. That party had plundered the public treasury; had repudiated the professions by which they obtained power, and he would not be surprised if they would yet deny their daddies. He (Mr. Milroy) had been in many battles of the war. But he was a Democrat and therefore could not sanction a war for the freedom of Americans of African descent. As for Jeff. Davis, he was a traitor and ought to be hung as high as Haman, and his bones left in mid air, for the winds of Heaven to whistle Yankee Doodle through.
Mr. RICHARDSON vindicated General McClellan, from aspertions attempted to be cast upon him by the gentleman from St. Joseph, (Mr. Anderson.) He (Mr. Richardson,) had served under Gen. McClellan. He was under him in the fearful battles along the Chickahominy. And he give it as his deliberate opinion that Gen. McClellan was the only general able to command our armies. (Applause.) He had never heard an officer or private utter any thing detracting from the merits of Gen. McClellan. He had been hounded by the Abolitionists only.
Mr. GREGORY concluded the debate. He was in favor of a free and full investigation, and had no partizan ends to serve in the matter.
Mr. LEE moved to indefinitely postpone.
Mr. BROWN moved to lay the motion and resolution on the table.
The yeas and nays were demanded by Messrs. Griffith and Woodruff, and being ordered and taken resulted--yeas 53, nays 36--as follows:
YEAS--Messrs. Abbett, Atkison, Blocher, Bregan, Brown, Burton, Colling, Cook, Donaldson, Ferris, Garvin, Given, Hall, Hanna, Harden,of Washington; Hardin, of Perry; Harney, Hetfield, Holcomb, Hon, Howard, Howell, Humphreys, Kemp, of Dubois, Lasselle, Lee, Lemmon, of Harrison; Lemmon, of Spencer; Mason, McGauchey, Miller, Milroy, Mutz, O'Brien, of Martin; Osborn, Packard, Pendleton, Priest, Reitz, Richardson, Rippey, Ryan, Shaffer, Shoaff, of Allen; Shoaff, of Jay Spencer, Veach, Roberts, Waterman, Williams, Wolfe, Woollen and Mr. Speaker--53.
NAYS--Messrs. Abdill, Anderson, Baker, Budd, Byerle, Cass, Chambers, Davis, Forester,Gregg, Gregory, Griffith Hershey, Higgins, Hostetter, James, Johnson, Jones, Kendrick, Lamb, Leeds, Marshall, Moorman, Morgan, Mustard, Newman, Noyes, O'Brien, of Hamilton; Perry, Pettibone, Robinson, Roe, Stone, Tarkington, Van Buskirk, and Woodruff--36.
So the resolution and pending amendments were laid on the table.
Mr. ROBERTS moved to reconsider the vote just taken and to lay that motion on the table.
The latter motion was agreed to.
HONOR TO OUR SOLDIERS.
Mr. PACKARD offered the following joint resolution [15] which was read the first time and passed to the second reading:
WHEREAS, Patriotism is correctly defined as love of our whole country, and loyalty the defense and support of its Constitution and laws; and,
WHEREAS, The due appreciation and encouragement of those who have in some distinguished manner evinced these high qualities of the citizen are eminently proper, and the just tribute of a nation gratitude; therefore,
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That we do hereby tender our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the brave and patriotic soldiery (officers and men) of the State, who banishing all feeling of passion and resentment, and recollecting only their duty to the whole country, have, since this unhappy struggle began in our land, gone forth for the noble and patriotic purpose of waging this war, not in any spirit of conquest or subjugation, nor for the purpose of overthrowing or interfering with the right or established institution of the States, but to maintain and defend the supremacy of the Constitution, and to preserve th Union with all the dignity, equality and rights of the several States unimpaired.
And we do assure them, that in the noble valor and bravery that have so signally distinguished them on many hard fought fields, we feel a manly pride and satisfaction, and are assured that whatever stigma ignorance and injustice may have attached to the Indiana soldiery in other times, has been nobly wiped out, and that the fair escutcheon of our State is left resplendent only with glory and renown.
To the families and friends of the noble brave who have fallen in the struggle, we tender our deepest sorrow and warmest sympathies; and we sincerely trust that the kindness and generosity of a patriotic people will never suffer want and privation to enter those bereaved households.
Resolved, That we will use every effort, here and elsewhere, to discover and bring to punishment that
page: 78[View Page 78]horde of national "horse leeches" (contractors and swindlers,) from those nearest the throne of power, to the merest tide waiter, who have fattened and gloated upon the miseries of their country, and gathered their treasures from the muscles and blood of our valiant soldiery.
Resolved, That a committee of five--three on the part of the House and two on the part of the Senate--be raised, whose duty it shall be to carefully collect, and arrange in a manner hereinafter prescribed, for future preservation, for the use of the State, the names of all the Indiana soldiery, (officers and men,) who have fallen in this struggle, or who may hereafter fall, whether by disease or the violence of the enemy; the time, place and cause of their death, their names, ages, places of nativity and residence, place and date of enlistment, draft, or substitution, regiment, company, commanding officers, from Colonel to Captain inclusive, length of service, the battles, skirmishes or any other engagements with the enemy in which they have participated, and any other incidents of special interest connected with their history; and if officers, the office, date of commission, division, brigade, regiment or company commanded by them, or to which they were attached, with the promotions, if any, and the cause of the same, and any and all other matters that may be interesting and useful in the transmission of these illustrious names to the posterity of the State; that the whole be inscribed, in a clear and legible hand, in a large and suitable book, or books, entitled, "Indiana's Roll of Honor," and the same to be placed in the Library of the State.
Resolved, That said committee be allowed to discharge the duties thereof, after the adjournment of this General Assembly, and be allowed the per diem and mileage of members of the General Assembly for the time necessarily spent, and the travel necessarily performed, in the discharge of their duties; their several accounts to be attested by oath and filed with the Auditor of State,and the same to be paid on the warrant of the Auditor out of any moneys not otherwise appropriated.
Resolved, That the Governor be instructed to transmit a copy of these joint resolutions to each Major or Brigadier General, and each Colonel, or other commanding officers from this State, with the request that they lay the same before the Indiana soldiers under their command.
