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BY 8. W. MAS&X Aim CO.
SAVANNAH, MONDAY, JAN. H» «*&.
Import as t Letter from Colonel
Julian Allen to the N> T*
Chamber of Commerce*
The following important letter from
Colonel Julian Allen to the N. Y. Cham
ber of Commerce will be read with inter
est j
Boerox, Jan. 8, 1865*.
A. A. Low-, President of the Chamber of
Com merer. New York—
BtK Having read in the public
newspapers of yonr city the uncalled for
and out of plane debates of your eommit
ee, appointed by yon Under resolutions
kiudlv offered by Mr. Chittenden, and
unanimously Adopted by the Chamber
of Commerce, it becomes my duty to
make this communication.
Your committee seem to hare acted
coder a misunderstanding of the facts.—
They brought up matter not at all con
nected with those resolutions.
To the question— W ho I am and what
am ?
I was appointed to proceed to New
York by tne Mayor and Council of Ba-<
vannah for the purpose of negotiating an
cxchango of riee for a variety of provis
ions.
In the belief that the people of New
York would rather give the required pro
visions and not take the rice from the
suffering people of Savannah—they will
need it all—l expressed these views to
my friend, Hon. Albert G. Browne, Su
pervising Special Agent of the Treasury,
who concurred in live opinion. Mr.
Browne kindly gave me a letter of Intro
duction to you, which brought me be
fore the Chamber of Commerce by your
Invitation..
Now, Bit*, it is very painful to be pheed
by others' mistakes before the public in
the light I have been by certain persons
of yonr committee.
In the first place, the poor and suffer
ing people of Savannah, just delivered
from oppression and despotism of the
worst kind the people ever knew—by
General Sherman and his noble' army, do
not ask or beg for aid, and I disclaim
having asked or Pegged for them. I
merely m vie my statement, and yon, sir,
nobly acted with others of your mem -
bers. Although the Chanabpr ol Com
merce p isscd specific resolutions, a part
of your committee seem to ignore them
and enter entirely into another matter.
I have fulfilled nay obligations to the
citizens of New York, and hope to be
able by to-morrow to see the feelings of
Boston expressed.
I shall be in New York on Tuesday
end accept the steamer offered by the
War Department to carry the provisions
to Savannah, «nd despatch her at an
early day neaAweek, and trust you, sir,
will withdraw *y name from any fur
ther action connected with the resolu
tions off red by Mr. Crittenden.
I intend to give the citizens of New
York at Urge an opportunity to act in
the matter, but shall vot suspend my
action in buying and forwarding the re
quired provisions.
There is no question of the right of the
Chamber of Commerce acting indepen
dently of mv services, and if they see fit
to send their donation to (Jen. Geary for
distribution I cannot consistently have
any connection in such a preference. Al
though having the highest esteem and
considerrtion for Gen. Geary, it would be
a reflection upon the Mayor and authori
ties of Savannah, in whom I hare confi
dence, to advance any funds for the pur
chase of provisions, and to them alone I
an authorized to deliver by Gen. Shei
m.ui an I Mr. Browne. j
Your obedient servant,
• Juliax Allux.
Col Allen was to aidreaa the New
York merchants on the afternoon of the
lltix
| Frans,—The alarm of fire on Saturday
evening between 7 and A o’cloek, wt s
; caused by the burning of a lot of 100 e
cotton On Bay Lane, between Drayton and
Abercoru streets. Tho dare age was light,
confined to the destruction of
the cotton. The alarm about 2 o'clock
Sunday morning, was from flames issu
ing from the roof of the carpenter shop
of Mr. G. Butler, on Charlton street.
The loss is about $4,000 —insurance
SI,OOO. The soldiers assisted very ma
terially ia extinguishing the fires.
Ml'sOskj.—We have in our editorial
room ft complete file of Tun National
Fkre Masost, for 18S&-4, with the Jan
uary number for 18*55, which we shall be
happy to allow the examination of by any
of the fraternity. _ _
Latb Papecs.—We have a file of New
York. Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington papers, to Jan. 11th, which
any of our patrons can examine by call
ing at our office, 111 Bay street.
Thanks. —We are indebted to Captain
Atkins, of the steam 8- R. Spaulding,
Captain Baker, of the Neptune, Captain
King, Harbor Master ,at Hilton Head,
Captain Silas Spicer, Harbor Mastej
lure, Captain Beard, and Mr- E. S- Rid
dell of the Pulaski House, for important
favors, for which we return thanks.
Arrival at the Pulaski House, Dec.
17, 1864,—John Parrabee, South Caro
ling ; Gen. Beauregard, C. S. A.; Capt.
Chisholm, C. S. A-; Capt. F. A. Strong,
Macon, Ga.; Capt: M. K. Treamur,Ma
con, Ga. ; Dr. Alexander G. Yerdier, S.
C. Assessor; Oapi W B. Davidson,
Augusta, Ga.; Lieut. Hi Ia Weste, Au
gusta, Ga.; D. P. McNeil, Army of
Northern Yirginta ; Wm, Clark, Hospi
tal No. 2 ; RohfTAfdrich, Gen. Young s
Staff ; W. Huggfiis, Virginia.
“ Nbrv*.”—An important article, with
the above caption, from the Charleston
Weekly Mercury, of the 12th, is crowd
ed out to-day, but will appear to-mor
row.
—
Scm=CßrsETts rx the City will confer a
favor if they will call or send to the office,
111 Bay street, for their papers, for one
or two days, till our arrangements for
delivering them are perfected. We shall
within that time have facilities for deliver
ing papers anywhere in the city.
igrWe call attention to the advertise
ment of a lost diamond pin. The owner
is especially anxious to recover It, on ac
count of associations which make it par
ticularly valuable.
SuBSCRrBKRS who wish to send the Sa
vannah Dally Herald North, are assured
that their orders will be promptly at
tended to. Wo charge nothing, for
wrapping the papers and delivering them
at the Pest Office, and vre take till pains
to forward by every mail. Orders can be
be left far any number of issues, at the
current rales.
Ot*. House.r— I This old favorite res
taurant of Savannah, on Bay Street, near
the comer of Whitaker Street, is now
open by Messrs. House, Wells & 00., all
anny boys, who have served their time
faithfully and received an honorable dis
charge. They have a good biil of fare,
excellent cooks, attentive waiters, and
Hue accommodations.
Naval.— Captain Scott, of the Sonoma
lias been relieved and ordered to the
command of tho iron-clad Passaic, off
Charleston.
FftgElWlf or COLORED gOfiWERS*
FAMILIES.
nTTERESTUTG DEBATE IN THE
XT. 8, SENATE. (
In the United States Senate, oh the
sth. an interesting debate occurred; OU
Mr. Wilson’s re solution to make free the
families of slaves who enlist in the armies
•f the United States:
The question was upon the reference to
the Judiciary Committee moved by Mr.
Davlg.
Mr. Wilson hoped the resolution would
be passed to-day. He had received let
ters from officers in the army engaged in
recruiting service, and they all indorsed
and approved the measure. He did not
wish to detain the Senate by discussing
the proposition.' If Senators would re
fer to The Globe of last session they
would fiud it was debated for hours. He
hoped now for action.
Mr. Doolittle—l am in favor of the
motion .o refer the resolution to the Com
mittee on the Judiciary . My reasons are
very simple and very clear. ” The Senate
has already passed a proposition to
amend the Constitution of the United
States and put an end to this Slavery
question in all forms by an amendment
oi the fundamental law of the land. 5
which is above Congress, above the Su
preme Court, and above the President: a
change, which when once established, no
phange of Presidents, no change in the
Supreme Court, and no change in the
legislation of Congress, can affect at all.
That measure which passed the Senate
at the last session is now pending in the
House of Representatives, and as I am
informed, and I believe the journals ot
the House show it, next Monday is fixed
for the day upon.which the House will
act. Os course Ido do not know what
may bo the decision of the House; but I
have strong hopes, and I think good rea
sons to believe that the House of Repre
sentatives will adopt that proposition. It
will at once, if adopted by the House, be
submitted to the Legislatures of the sev -
eral States and passed upon undoubtedly
during the present Winter, before the
adjournment of these legislatures in the
Spring, and this vexed question—the
whole of it—will be disposed ot and put
outside of Congress—outside of its power
to control and there will be an end to
the agitation of the question. At the
last session of Congress, some of the
members of the Democratic party were
disposed to resist the adoption of this
constitutional amendment. I have good
reasons to believe that some of them at
least will favbr it now, for when Jeffor-.
son Davis himself with his cabinet an 1
the press at Richmond recommend the
abandonment oi the institution of Sla
very in the Southern Confederacy, why
should the Democratic party in the
Northern States have any reason to hold
on to it any longer. Sir, they will have
no reason for it and no excuse for it; and
I believe the proposition will triumph.
When it triumphs here in Congress I
have not the least doubt that it will re
ceive the sanction of three-fourths of the
States. And when that is done this great
question, which like sin has brought into
our paradise death, with all our volun
teers covering the land with blood and
ashes, will be finally settled by the su
preme wisdom of the American people,
expressed in a constitutional form by an
amendment.of the Constitution. I there
fore hope that my honorable friend will
allow tlie question to go before the Judi
ciary. There are those who seriously
doubt whether you have the power to
pass this measure as it is proposed ; but
no one doubts the constitutionality of
amending the Constitution.
Mr. Wilson—l cannot consent to have
this resolution referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary. The Senator from
Wisconsin tells us there is an amend
ment to the Constitution pending, and
that he has strong hopes it will pass the
House of Representatives on Monday
next. I had hoped that that measure
would pass the House. I have more
doubt ot it now. Whether it passes or
not, the Senator from Wisconsin knows,
and we all know that it cannot and will
not become part of the Constitution for
many months; foi two years at least—it
, may be three or four—but certainly not
within the next eighteen mouths. The
acts are these: Trie Gotigrew #f the
United States at its kst session decide*
that a man who should eeffifit hi the
army of the United States should be free
bv the fiat of the Government of the
United States. If any ofe doubts the
constitutionality of that law let him test
jt now. Sir, the wives sod ebftdre* ,j*f
the men we have made free ace held m
slaves. We were told fro* army officers
I at the last session of Congress how they
| were treated in Missouri. The sects were
presented to the Senate and they shock
ed the sense of humanity of every ©ae
who heard or read wh« wag going on
there. The wrongs that have been per
petrated on the wives and children of
our colored soldiers in. the past year
would shock the htmthnitv and appeal to
the justice of the people if told to them.
Os the power to pass such a resolution I
do not entertain a* doubt The most
eminent lawyers of this country have
so said We may have to pay for these
slaves—probably we shall—but as to our
right to do it, there can be no question/
and I think that at this time we ought
cot to hesitate a moment. We road al
ready of what Is taking place in the
rebel States, and what Jeff. Da via pro
poses to do. They propose to give free
dom to the slaves, and to give them an
interest in lands. They who commenced
the rebellion for the Bake of making Bta
very eternal, are now talking about ma
king slaves free, and they will fight the
battles of the rebellion. Mr. Wilson con
tinued his remarks in a similar strain.
After which, Mr. S iulsbury said, when
this question comes up for bold ami
manly discuasi'm in tho Senate of tho,
TThlted States, I hope it will be discussed
in a spirit of charity, with no v bitterness
on either side: I would like the advo
cates of this measure to present argu
ments to the Senate of the United States.
Ido not wish to hear speeches on the
evils of Slavery or the wickednesa of
Slavely. I wish to meet this question in
this light. Have we the power, have wo
the authority under the Constitution of
the United States to pass a bill of tbit
kind! Has tho Congress the United
States authority to enter within the Ihnst*
of the respective States and declare that
any person who is held in Slavery under
the Constitution and the laws of any
particular State shall be free ? Has the
doctrine of military necessity gone sn
far that when we were in a state of war
whatever the Congress of the United
States shall decree is constitutionally de
creed ? I ask the honorable Senator
from Massachusetts, the Chairman of the
Military Committee,- who has introduced
the bill, when he comes to present Ida
reasons to the American people and the
Congress ot -the United Stab s why this
bill should be passed, to point ns out the
authority to pass H. There are some
questions which in law are settled; there
are some questions which, as Constitu
tional questions, have been 1> tig
and I shall maintain the doctrine, when
this question shall come up for discus
sion In the Senate—that not only have
you the right to free tiie wives and
children or negroes who volunteer ia
our army, if they are from States where
Slavery is recognized, but you cannot
give freedom to the negro volunteer him
self, if he is a slave There is no princi
ple more cieariy recognized in interna
tional law than this, that if a slave b®
captured from his lawful owner by ooe
belligerent, and afterwards comes hack
into the possession of the other bellige
rent, that he reverts to his original owner.
Mr. Sumxbr— -There was a call only a
few days ago for 300,000 more troops
The country needs them, and it is tho
duty of Congress to help supply the*. —
To this end there must bo no difficulty*
impediment or embarrassment in tha
way. All those must bo remembered#
but this is nf*L all. There must bs en
couragement of every kind ; and suoh if
the character of tiie present proposition
there can be no delay. The country
cannot await the slow action of a consti
tutional amendment. Congress mu:4.
art to the extent of its power, and any
abdication of its pow er on this question
will be injurious to the public Interests.
Ail must confess the humanity of the
proposition for enfranchising the fai
lles of. or lored persons who have bsrae
arms for their country. AD must c*J *
fess the hardship of continuing them »
