I thought it well that this institute of Virginia’s son should help to redeem Virginia. It has been voted down; and now the question is presented, whether the Senate will recognize a new Slave State. True, Slavery will be for a short term only, for twenty-one years, if you please, but that is a long time for Slavery. I cannot consent to admit a new State with such a curse for twenty-one years. How little slavery it takes to make a Slave State is illustrated by Delaware, with less than eighteen hundred slaves, sending two Senators of Slavery to this Chamber. Shall we welcome two more from a State newly created by ourselves? Never, Sir, by my vote; and as the Senate sees fit to discard the effort I have made, I deem it my duty to vote against the bill. The bill was passed,--Yeas 23, Nays 17,--Mr. Sumner voting in the negative. WAR POWERS OF CONGRESS: CONFISCATION AND LIBERATION. SPEECH IN THE SENATE, ON THE HOUSE BILL FOR THE CONFISCATION OF PROPERTY AND THE LIBERATION OF SLAVES BELONGING TO REBELS, JUNE 27, 1862. This speech is a supplement to that of May 19th, on the “Rights of Sovereignty and Rights of War.” Its occasion is explained in the Introduction to the latter speech.[82] * * * * * The New York _Independent_ published it at length, and thus characterized it:-- “It is the most complete presentation of the question that can be found within the same compass, and, like all Mr. Sumner’s speeches, is distinguished for accuracy of statement, learning, and sound principle. It is a defence of the present position of our Government, as defined by Act of Congress, to which every citizen owes obedience. In efficacy, that Act will go with our armies, as they advance, and will clear up the perplexities of our Generals, and clear their minds of certain political superstitions by which they have been hampered and hindered, to the great injury of our military operations. Let the people of Massachusetts, in particular, exult, as they observe, in regard to this, as well as most other leading measures of Congress, how the views of their great Senator became, step by step, the recognized and settled policy of the Government; and let them thank God that the good old Bay State has such a representative, and furnishes such a leader in this great extremity.”