plunged them, may we not, with much justice and propriety indemnify ourselves in part for the enormous costs of this causeless and unprovoked war? All loyal men agree that the rebellion must be crushed out. This can only be done by driving the leaders from the country and confiscating their estates. They must be reduced to poverty before their power in the South can be broken. Our interests and our safety demand the speedy passage of this bill. Leniency emboldens the traitors. They feel secure in their property, come what may. Those suspected of loyalty only suffer. Refuse to pass this bill, and you offer a premium to disloyalty and treason. The safety of a man's property in the South will impel him to side with our enemies. The rebels seize and appropriate the property of loyalists; we secure and protect the property of rebels. The passage of this measure is demanded as a just measure of retaliation. Hundreds of millions of property in the South, belonging to northern men, has been confiscated or destroyed. Other hundreds of millions of debts due our merchants and manufacturers, and of investments in railroad stocks and other southern securities, have been forfeited to the rebel government. Other millions, the property of loyal southern men, have been pillaged and destroyed.
"A State," says Vattel, "taking up arms in a just cause, has a double right against its enemy. A right of putting itself in possession of what belongs to it, and which the enemy withholds; and to this must be added the expenses incurred to this end, the charges of the war, and the reparation of damages." We must not give license to rebellion by the forbearance with which we treat the rebels. We must protect the interests of loyal citizens by charging the property of traitors with the expenses of the war.
Abolition; Wilmot's discountenance
of, 34, 165, 166, 174, 501; later at-
titude toward, 614-615, 616 (note), |
708-709. See also Confiscation.
Adams, Charles Francis; report of
Wilmot's partnership with, 376; |
takes Wilmot Proviso as keynote
of free-soil campaign, 1848, 314;
appointed Minister to England,
574.
Adams, John Quincy; Wilmot serves
on committee with, 49, 54; reluc-
tance to organize Smithsonian In-
stitution, 57; speech on Oregon
Joint Notice, 77.
Administration; early supported by
Wilmot, 158, 173, 253; the Proviso
arouses its hostility, 237-238, 350-
351, 424; devoted to slavery prop-
agandism, 162, 227, 323, 450-454,
457-462, 687; use of a controlled
press, 156, 157, 413 (note);
Pierce's denounced, 457, 460, 487-
488.
Admission to bar, 13.
Ad valorem duties, argument on,
656-657.
Albany Convention (1848), 301.
American party, 466, 490, 492, 496,
504, 513.
Archer, Senator William (Va.),
opposes Proviso and foresees dis-
union, 225-226.
Banner and Democrat, Wilmot's edi-
torial conduct of, 22 et seq.
Bar, admission to, 13; qualifications
for, 15.
See also Bench, Law,
Gere case, Langford case.
Bayly, Thos. H. (Va.), attacks Pro-
viso in House debate, 191.
Bench; Wilmot's election to, 437-
440; qualifications for, 439-442;
charge to first grand jury, 720-
726; bill to exclude judges from
activity in politics, 476-477; resig-
nation to run for governorship,
497; reappointment, 515; reëlec-
tion, 523-525; plot for removal,
515-526, 737-755; appointed to
Court of Claims, 628-629; service
thereon, 630-637.
Benton, Abridgement of the Debates,
Benton, Thomas H.; on slavery
propagandism as a test of demo-
cratic fealty, 299; on an "anti-
party," 417; Wilmot's tribute to,
435.
Berks County Harvest Home letter
(Buchanan's), 233; Wilmot's criti-
cism of, 293, 294; his anxiety over,
317; comment on in California
speech, 689.
Berrien, Senator John Macpherson
(Ga.); discussion of Wilmot Pro-
viso, 203-204; offers amendment
rejecting territorial accessions,
204; amendment defeated, 215.
Balance of slave and free States, 113, Bethany, Pa., David Wilmot's birth-
114, 117, 119-120, 390.
Ballot box, denunciation of frauds | Bible; in the public schools, 504-505;
Baltimore; Convention of 1848, 306,
310; Wilmot suggests military
route avoiding, 575; attitude to-
ward riots in, 580.
Bank of the United States, Wilmot's
opposition to, 44-45, 267-268.
cited as authority for slavery, 193-
195.
Bigler, Governor William; opposed
by Wilmot on Kansas-Nebraska
question, 464.
Bingham, Kingsley S. (Mich.); Wil-
mot's messmate in Washington,
250; confers with him before the
Lincoln campaign, 527.
Birthplace of David Wilmot, 2-5.
Blaine, James G.; Twenty Years in
Congress, 129, 182-183, 225 (note),
227.
Blair, F. P.; letter to Martin Van
Buren concerning Wilmot, 435-
436.
Bradford county; Wilmot opposes
division of, 29; becomes demo-
cratic leader of, 29.
Bradford Reporter. See Goodrich,
E. O.
Breckinridge, Senator John C.; de-
mands withdrawal of Federal
troops from seceded States, 574;
expelled from Senate for dis-
loyalty, 584.
Bright, Senator Jesse D. (Ind.);
arraigned for treason by Wilmot,
585-589; expelled, 590.
Brinkerhoff, Jacob (Ohio), claims
to authorship of Proviso, 121, 125-
126, 128, 129, 133, 134-136, 183;
criticized by M. M. Quaife, 136;
internal evidence adverse to, 136,
138; minimized by himself, 139,
188-189.
Brockenbrough, Wm. H. (Fla.), at-
tacks Wilmot Proviso in House
debate, 196-197.
Brodhead, Richard (Pa.), attacks
Wilmot Proviso in House debate,
185; Wilmot's rejoinder, 688.
Brown, William J. (Ind.); candi-
Proviso, 234; Evening Post's satire
thereon, 237; determines to crush
Wilmot, 237-238, 265, 307; re-
ceives Plitt's report of Wilmot's
"tottering popularity," 240; attacks
Wilmot's friend, Piollet, 240-242;
seeks to alienate Piollet, 243, 244,
325, 411-412; denounced by Wil-
mot on the floor, 261-262; fear
of Wilmot's influence, 263, 412-
413; partly foiled in Pennsyl-
vania State convention of 1848,
308-310; tactics in controlling con-
ventions, 308 (note); Wilmot's
declaration of fight to the finish,
318-319; characterization of Bu-
chanan's presidential aspirations,
376; comment on same, 435; Bu-
chanan's prospect for presidency
in 1856, 473; his election, 494, 527
(note); he finds no pleasure in
it, 494.
Buffalo convention (1848), 313.
Bullock, Darius; appointed to fill
Wilmot's place on Bench tempo-
rarily, 497; refuses to run against
him, 524-525.
Butler, Benjamin F.; drafts free-
soil platform of 1848, 314; re-
moved by Polk for support of
Butler, Senator Andrew P. (S. C.);
speech on Wilmot Proviso, 208-
209, 213-214.
date for Speaker of Thirty-first | Cabinet; Wilmot's invitation to
Congress, 358 et seq.; correspon-
dence with Wilmot, 360-365.
Buchanan, James; at first a free-
soiler, 236; Wilmot's distrust of,
42; defeats Woodward's nomina-
tion to Supreme Court, 42, 262;
Polk's comment thereon, 42
(note); Polk's rising suspicion,
145, 238, 241, 262; Buchanan's hos-
tility to Wilmot's adherents, 145,
153, 240-242; Wilmot's letter to
him, 153; he repudiates the Pro-
viso in a bid for the presidency
(1847), 233, 415; letter to Samuel
L. Gouverneur repudiating the
enter Lincoln's, 543-552.
Calhoun, John C.; agency in annexa-
tion of Texas, 118; speech on the
Wilmot Proviso, 207-208; rallies
the South in opposition, 231, 263-
264, 379, 383, 760; condemned by
Polk, 231; anxiety over free-soil
movement in New York (1848),
302-303; opposes Clay's scheme of
compromise (1850), 390.
California; Schenck moves its sur-
render, 333; Polk's anxiety for its
organization, 339-340; bills for
that purpose, 340 et seq., 380 et
seq.; situation at opening of Tay-
lor's administration, 378 et seq.;
adopts constitution prohibiting
slavery, 378; President Taylor's
message thereon, 381; application
of Wilmot Proviso fought by
South, 382 et seq.; admitted as
free State under compromises of
1850, 402, 406; Wilmot's efforts
to expedite action, 409;
speeches on, 680-699, 700-719.
Cameron, Simon; supports Wilmot
Proviso in Senate by instructions
of State legislature, 218; aids
Buchanan in attack on Wilmot,
241, 242; works with Buchanan
against Polk, 262 (note); sharp
practice against Wilmot's candi-
dacy for Senate (1855), 466-468;
a candidate against Lincoln, 539,
541; offered a cabinet position,
546-552; defeats Wilmot for sen-
atorship, 552; enters Lincoln's cab-
inet, 571; reënters Senate, 629.
Campaigns; Pennsylvania State
(1835), 16; (1841), 29; (1847),
247; district (1838), 21; con-
gressional, 37 et seq., 142 et seq.,
273 et seq., 423 et seq.; National
(1844), 32, 33, 43; free-soil
(1848), 316-329; anti-Nebraska
(1854), 464-465; first republican
(1855), 471-472; Fremont (1856),
478 et seq.; for governorship
(1857), 495 et seq.; for reëlection
to Bench (1858), 523-526; for Lin-
coln (1860), 528-542.
Canals of Pennsylvania; Wilmot's
interest in, 18, 28, 31, 32; becomes
assistant superintendent of Tioga
line, 29.
Carr, Mary; David Wilmot's step-
mother, 5-6.
Cass, Lewis; opposes Wilmot Pro-
viso in the Senate, 209, 217; re-
pudiates it in Nicholson letter,
233; on the floor of the Senate,
397-398; nominated at Baltimore
(1848), 310-311; Wilmot's attitude
toward his candidacy, 316-317;
McClelland's mission to Wilmot in
Cass's behalf, 325; Lincoln's sat-
ire on Cass's Proviso policy, 398-
399.
Channing, Edward, History of the
United States, 128, 129.
Characteristics, an estimate of Wil-
mot's, 638-642.
Chase, E. B.; aids Cameron against
Wilmot, 467, 468; libels Wilmot,
474, 475, 747; his abject apology,
476, 747-748; renews his abuse,
748.
Chase, Salmon P.; Wilmot's mess-
mate in Washington, 407; forecast
of political effects of Wilmot Pro-
viso, 182; eulogy of Herkimer
convention, 292; comment on Na-
tional conventions of 1848, 311;
Wilmot's letter to him on free-
soil campaign of 1848, 321-322;
vision of the ultimate triumph of
the Wilmot Proviso, 400; appeal
to nation against repeal of Mis-
souri compromise, 446; letter
from Russell Errett, in Fremont
campaign, 493; serves with Wil-
mot on Peace Conference (1861),
561.
Chicago Convention (1860), 528-
541; Wilmot temporary chairman
of, 528-531; his anxiety to make
it representative, 531-537; his im-
portant influence in nominating
Lincoln, 538-541; Wilmot Pro-
viso in platform of, 537-538;
Greeley's comment on the plat-
form, 555.
Chipman, John S. (Mich.), attacks
Wilmot Proviso in the House,
184.
Church; Wilmot prominent in incor-
porating the Episcopal at To-
wanda, 30.
Civil and Diplomatic appropriations,
Wilmot's ballot against, 253, 433.
Civil War, Wilmot's support of, 579,
580, 581, 595-601, 623-627.
Claims, Court of; Wilmot resists
creation of, 627-628; appointed to,
628-629; service on, 630-637.
Clay, Henry; reëntry into public
life, 386-387; anxiety over the
Proviso question, 387; seeks a
comprehensive scheme of settle-
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