pted in the way of confiscation, nothing will
be accomplished. If nothing is confiscated, you array against you
all who wish in a civil war merely to preserve their property and
to remain quiet. This is always a large class in every community.
If rebellion will secure their property from rebels and not endanger
it to the government, they are rebels. Those whose position or
character have secured them offices among the rebels can only be
conquered by force. Is it not, therefore, possible to frame a bill
which will punish the prominent actors in the rebellion, proclaim
amnesty to the great mass of citizens in the seceding states, and
separate them from their leader? This, in my judgment, can be done
by confining confiscation to classes of persons. The amendment I
propose embraces five classes of persons."

The confiscation act was more useful as a declaration of policy
than as an act to be enforced. It was denounced by the Confederates
and by timid men in the north, but the beneficial results it aimed
at were accomplished, not by law, but by the proclamation of the
President and by the armed forces of the United States.

The several acts providing for enrolling and calling out the national
forces gave rise to much debate, partly upon sectional lines. The
policy of drafting from the militia of the several states, the
employment of substitutes and the payment of bounties, were contested
and defended. I insisted that if a special fund for hiring
substitutes was raised, it ought to be by a tax upon all wealthy
citizens, and not confined to the man who was drafted. These and
numerous questions of a similar character occupied much time, and
created much feeling. It is now hardly worth while, in view of
the results of the war, to revive old controversies. It is sufficient
to say that all the laws passed to organize the national forces
and call out the militia of the several states in case of emergency
contributed to the success of the Union armies. I do not recall
any example in history where a peaceful nation, ignorant of military
discipline, becoming divided into hostile sections, developed such
military power, courage and endurance as did the United States and
Confederate States in our Civil War. Vast armies were raised by
voluntary enlistments, great battles were fought with fearful losses
on both sides, and neither yielded until the Confederates had
exhausted all their resources and surrendered to the Union