Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-12-18
From the Albany Argus and Atlas.
The Emancipation Question in Congress

Inc emancipation Question III Congress.
without waiting to receive the Message
/ OF the President or the report, of the Sec.
lretarles, without knowing what policy had
already been adopted by the Government,
and was now IN operation, the Radicals of
the two Houses of Congress- on the first
day OF the session, precipitated before
! both Chambers the question OF Emancipa.
ton. The process was as logical US the ut.
tempt itself was reasonable "Nher, A. ."
the resolutions generally ran, "Congress
has no power TO cmancipate slaves, resol-
veG that our Generals shall recruit them
into the army and declare them free -
4 The non Scqulter is as apparent as it would
be in fact If the proclamation for the ne
gro allies were sounded. They would no.
follow u the call
We are wearied with the pertinacity of
folly with which, the iaclious leaders of q
minority attempt to force the delusiye and
fatal policy upon the country. We shall
not argue the question of right, for they
heed not right; nor Of eXpediency, for
they are incapable of understanding it.
But If Congress distrusts the power of
the 100000 white soluiers in arms, in de,
fence OF the Constitution, and of the vast
Navy of the Federal Government, and
must needs Iecruit from the black popu-
latIon, why not commence at the North I?
Ii blacks are needed for soldiers, why not
marshal the free blacks to The rescue, in
stead of attempting this tardy and circuit
ous method of rallying slaves TO our stan
dard. There are 100000 free blacks in
the loyal States, and an army of $4,000
might easily be supplied from their mum.
bers. To get the same force Of able bod
led men from the slave population, we
would have to take within our lines, and
, support till the close of the war, eight
times the number, counting women, chill
dren, TIE decrepid and incapable. The
burden Of such population would be i'm.
mensely greater than that of any similar
number ci the most expensive troops we
now have, even Oh the most eXtrayagant
estimate.
What will it cost to sustain population
Of 2OO, 600 slaves during the war, ted with
daily rations as the "contrabands" of For.
tress Monroe now are? The elements Of
the calculation are to be found in the eX-
pertinent, and it is in the power of the
Government to give the results also. We
venture to say that there never was body
of men, outside Of the established slms
houses 50 unproductiye and waStof1 and
useless. as the labOyers at Fortress Mon
roe, and their large dependent families
We do not believe the people are rich
enough to support such body of pension
erS; or that the suffering citizens Of the
North will patiently abide the idea that
,yI, IL
bite: fate of hunger and cold, it is mani
Testing paternal indulgence aad bestowing
its liberal bountles upon the vagrant pops
ulat.on of the South, whom it has invited
INTO mleuesS. And then, when the negro
class has sucked his millions from the
Treasury. the master class is TO have its
turn. How many millions will this take,
and who but the Northern aborer will
have to pay them?
Will the Northern soldier stand, side bv
side, in the ranks with the black freed
men? Try it! Let the experiment be
made with the soldiers recruited from the
black population of the North, before we
rush into the experiment of general levy
OF troops at the South. The Northern
negro, if freedom is an advantage, is the
better educated, disciplined and self-reli-
ant. What would be the fate ofa brigade
OF blacks, otlicered by their own class, or
even 10y whites, and marching to battle {?
What would be their discipline, their tone,
their courage, and To what extent would
they elevate or depress the warllke sputi-
ment, aud esprit du corps OF the army?
We ask these questions, bat we seek no
answer. Every man can answer them.
The country has already answered them.
Not State has sent single black man to
the defence OF the country. The Govern
ment has asked 70. none, and will accept
none. 1t is mere trick of words. delu.
sion and falsehood, to talk about recruit
ing our armies from such a source. Re.
duced to its real meaning, the action of
Congress comes to this-an invitation TO
the slaves to desert their masters, with the
promise that the Gov yernment will support
and free them if they do. Behind this
invitation is the hidden Indictment to SER
vile nsurrection but the fanatics of Con.
gress have not yet resolved that supernal
folly and crime into words. They hope
that the quick ear of the negro will catch
the thought ere it is expressed in words,
and thas hc will hNsten to the lines of our
army and seek lis promised reward-with
the blood Of his master and mistress and
their children dripping from his knife
and those who have not toned up their
minds to this expectation, hope ut least
that the fear Of such impending horror
may drive the South into submission.
1t is but a new delnsijr. aaother Sc
quence in that 'ong line o! falaces, which,
undertaking the energies and the power of
our adversariGs has led us from one error
to another, in long career of disappoinls
ments and calamlties.
g6Elp Mrs. Phebe H. Brown The author
Of the hl mn commencing Il love to steal
awhile away" died on the 10th of Octc.
ber, at Henry, ILL.,, aged 7S. She has left
an enduring memorial in the single hymn
Rsag" A printer, whose talents were but
Indifferent, turned physician lie was as.
ked the reason of it. lie said Gin prin.
ting all the faults are exposed 10 the eye,
but in physic they are buried with the
patient and ole gets off more easily"