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![handle is hein.slavery/deslvifnat0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
THE DEATH OF SLAVERY--THE LIFE OF THE NATION.
SPEECH
OF
HON. HENRY WILSON,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
Delivered in the Senate, May 1, 1862,
ON THE BILL TO CONFISCATE THE PROPERTY AND FREE THE
SLAVES OF REBELS.
The Senate having resumed the consideration of the bill (S. No. 151) to
confiscate the property and free the slaves of rebels-
Mr. WILSOX, Of Massachusetts, moved to strike out the sixth section of
the amendment of the Senator from; Vermont, and, in lieu of it, to insert:
Ssc. 6. And be it furteenaetere That in any State or part thereof in which the inhabitants
huve by the President been heretofore declared in a state of insurrection, the President is here-
by authorized and required, for the speedy and more effectual suppression of said insurrection,
within thirty days after the passage of this act, by proclamation to fix and appoint a day when
all persons holden to service or labor in any such State or part thereof, whose service or labor
is by the law or custom of said State due to one who, after the passage of this act, shall levy
war or participate in insurrection against the United States, or give aid to the same, shall be free
and discharged from such claim to labor or service ; and thereupon said person shall be for-
ever free and discharged from said labor or service, any law o-custom of said State to the coO-
trary notwithstanding.
Mr. WILSON said:
Mr. PRESIDEnT: The Senator from Vermont, [Mr. COLLAMEt,] in
submitting this amendment to the original bill, proposes to authorize the
President of the United States, if in his judgment it shall be necessary for
the more speedy suppression of this insurrection, to appoint a day when
all persons held to service or labor in any State whose inhabitants he has de-
clared by proclamation to be in a state of insurrection, shall be declared free.
That honorable Senator, in the course of his speech, said that it seemed to
be the chief object of some of the supporters of the original bill to carry that
provision of the bill emancipating the slaves of rebels; and yesterday the
Senator from Virginia [Mr. CARLILE] alluded to and endorsed that declara-
tion. Now, sir, I am free to confess here, that it is with me the chief ob-
jeet of solicitude. I care something for the confiscation of the property of
the leading rebels; but I do not wish to touch the property of the masses
of the people. I think the distinction is a just one-that the leaders should
be punished, and that the masses of the people should feel that they will
be forgiven and protected if they return to their loyalty.
I do not expect that'we shall realize any large amount of property by
any confiscation bill that we shall pass. After the conflict, when the din
of battle has ceased, the humane and kindly and charitable feelings of the
country and of the world will require us to deal gently with the masses of
the people who are engaged in this rebellion. It will be pleaded that wives
and children will suffer for the crimes of husbands and fathers ; and such](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.slavery/deslvifnat0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)