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1863
Jan  lighting gas burner which has excited our great admiration. Mr. Corneilius has presented one to Mrs [[Lenicoln?]] & Mr. Stanton also. It is very ingenious & pretty. He also gave Father an apparatus for producing an electrical spark. which Father has taken with him to the club to night. The discussion of the bill for arming of the negros still continues to create great excitement in the House Mr. Wickliffe made a long speech yesterday, in which he said one man named Hunter had tried the experiment of raising a negro regiment but had failed. He asked if we were prepared to admit that we could not put down the rebellion without calling in the aid of the negro. He would not [[heckle?]] about the rank of Gen. Sambo or Gen. Hunter or Gen. Anybodyelse but this bill might enable Gen. Sambo to outrank Gen. Hunter.  To day Mr. Wright of Penn. spoke in favor of moderation & forbearance He said there was never greater need for a spirit of concession than at this time. No man knew when he went to bed at night whether when he arose in the morning the Government would be in existence. If measure obnoxious to a majority of the people of the country were passed the Government could not endure. In every point of view the negro bill was impolitic & uncalled for. Should it pass we should in all probability lose Maryland [[Ken.?]]
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1863
Feb.
& West Virginia besides running the risk of demoralizing the army now in the field. He had been told by officers of the army that if black soldiers were enlisted they would consider it a reflection upon the army & resign. The question of Interest before the Senate now is [[underlined]] "Emancipation in Missouri" That state has applied to Congress for pecuniary aide in freeing her negros. The Intelligencer is very indignant about the Porter Court Martial.--- Foreign Intervention still threatens us but Europe does not seem to regard favorably Pres. Davis' retaliatory proclamation denouncing death without mercy upon Gen. Butler & his officers & issued immediately after the Presidents Emancipation proclamation. Gen. Butler is to be reinstated in Command of the Gulf.

3rd. Tuesday 11h. A.M. Dr. [[Loney?]] came last night he is to lecture on Wednesday. Prof Hosford gave the last of his course last night. Prof Hosford saw Gen. Butler [[strikethrough]] last [[strikethrough] yesterday. It is said he is to take Stanton place as Secretary of War. The bill for raising 150,000 negro soldiers has been passed. It was proposed by Mr. Stevens & modified by Mr. Casey so as to exempt the states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia & Missouri from its operation & prevent negro officers from commanding white soldiers. Admiral Davis came in after lecture. Mr. [Welling?] was also here. He seems to think if we could have a great victory
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