Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-65: its Causes, Incidents, and Results: Intended to exhibit especially its moral and political phases with the drift and progress of American opinion respecting human slavery from 1776 to the close of the War for the Union. Volume II.

[265] voting Nay, with all the Democrats and all the Border-State men. The Republicans voting Nay were Messrs. Dawes and Delano, of Mass., Diven, of N. Y., Dunn, of Ind., Fisher, of Del., Horton, of Ohio, Wm. Kellogg, of Ill., Killinger, of Pa., Mitchell, of Ind., Nixon, of N. J., Norton, of Ill., Porter, of Ind., A. H. Rice, of Mass., Stratton, of N. J., and Train, of Mass.

Mr. Porter, of Ind., now moved¹ a reconsideration; which narrowly escaped defeat, on a motion by Mr. Holman that it do lie on the table: Yeas 69; Nays 73. The reconsideration prevailed: Yeas 84; Nays 64: and the bill was recommitted, with instructions to report a substitute already proposed by Mr. P., which prevailed — Yeas 84; Nays 66: and Mr. Eliot again reported² a bill emancipating the slaves of certain specified classes of prominent Rebels, and also of all persons who shall continue in armed rebellion sixty days after the President shall have issued his proclamation requiring them to desist therefrom. The bill thus modified passed the House: Yeas 82; Nays 54.

The House Confiscation bill aforesaid was taken up in the Senate;³ and, after debate, so amended,⁴ on motion of Mr. Clark, of N. H., as to recombine Emancipation therewith; when it was passed: Yeas 23; Nays 13. The House non-concurred⁵ in this action: Yeas 8; Nays 124; where-upon, the Senate insisted, and asked a committee of conference; which was granted; and the Committee⁶ reported a bill which was in substance Mr. Clark's, providing for both Confiscation and Emancipation. Its purport is that all slaves of persons who shall give aid or comfort to the Rebellion, who shall take refuge within the lines of the army; all slaves captured from such persons, or deserted by them, and coming under the control of the Government; and all slaves of such persons found or being within any place occupied by Rebel forces, and afterward occupied by the forces of the United States--shall be deemed captives of war, and shall be for ever free, and not again held as slaves; that fugitive slaves shall not be surrendered to persons who have given aid and comfort to the Rebellion; that no person engaged in the military or naval service shall surrender fugitive slaves, on pain of being dismissed from the service; that the President may employ persons of African descent for the suppression of the Rebellion, and organize and use them in such manner as he may judge best for the public welfare.

This bill passed the House by the decisive majority of 82 Yeas to 42 Nays; also the Senate, by 27 Yeas to 12 Nays; and, being approved by the President,⁷, became the law of the land.

President Lincoln having recommended, in his first Annual Message,⁸ the establishment of Diplomatic intercourse with the republics of Hayti and Liberia, Mr. Sumner reported⁹ to the Senate, from its Committee on Foreign Relations, a bill for that purpose; which in due time was taken up,¹⁰ supported by its author, opposed¹¹ by Mr. G. Davis, of Ky., who proclaimed his disgust at the continued “introduction ”