February 3, 1863, The New York Herald
The bill to raise black soldiers and sailors for the United States service was modified in some important particulars before it passed the House today. The border State members had given warning that recruiting officers for that purpose would be shot by the citizens if they should attempt to raise negro recruits in Kentucky and Tennessee, and an amendment was adopted to receive no Africans from loyal slave States and districts specified in the emancipation proclamation, and prohibiting recruiting offices in the border States. This will curtail materially the enlistments of the character contemplated in the bill.
The closing debate was mainly of a partisan character. Mr. Stevens’ speech was very able. It was a resume of all the arguments that he and his colleagues have brought against the opposition throughout the two last sessions. In reference to black soldiers, he said there would be three hundred thousand two years’ men out of service at the end of June, and he judged that not fifty thousand white men could be raised to supply the deficiency by recruiting, and as conscription by force is out of the question we must call out the black men. He believed that a large number of the generals in our army were secessionist sympathizers, and those of them who had threatened to resign if negroes are enlisted ought to be tried and shot. His attack upon General McClellan, whom he accused of having disobeyed positive orders from General Scott, as well as from President Lincoln, was coldly received.
On the final vote several members paired off. On the republican side of Kellogg of Illinois, Horton and Harrison of Ohio, Granger of Michigan, Thomas of Massachusetts, and one other republican, voted nay. Several members who had promised to vote nay came over at the last moment, so that the relative majority was somewhat larger than was anticipated.