The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-08-06

The Negro.

hen Gen. b. h. Butler quotes the Declare
tlon of Independence, as in any sense applica-
bic to the contrabands " who have fled IN such
numbers to his protection, there is certainly
great hope that the real trouble at the bottom
of this great Rebellion is compelling attention.
And at present, while the problem, What shall
VIC do with the negro? is forcing itself more
and more upon our notice there is scarcely any
need to arouse the sympathies of any body at
the North by discussing the matter at all as u
moral or political question. Many who have,
from commercial or partisan motives, heretofore
upheld and defended chattel slavery, are begin
ming to exhibit some little tolerance Of those who
suggest that military necessity may arise in
the progress of the war that will demand the
vigorous and active treatment of this vexed
Slavery question.
This military necessity is becoming every day
more evident That Slaves are of infinite ser
vice to the South in this war, is nearly 6 as
plain as Il pike staff" To illustrate. AS we
stated the other day, one in every three of the
adult white male population of Louisiana is I'M
der arms. Something like this proportion of
white males in every seeded State, with the
exception, possibly of Tennessee, are enlisted
for the war. 1t is impossible that they could
do this, and yet take care Of their plantations
and produce corn and cotton as usual, unless
they had Slaves to do the work at home, while
the masters were swelling the ranks of the
Rebel army. 1t is tolerably plain from this,
that the field work at the South, having been
heretofore nearly all performed by Slave labor,
now suffers compare lively little by the war,
the Slaves remaining at home to do it as usual.
The proposition is also tolerably plain one,
that whatever shall assail the South in this
point, Will str Ike at very strong support upon
which the Rebellion relies.
But combining the view more Immediately to
Virginia, it is still apparent that Rebellion has
an important element Of strength in the slave
population of the Old Dominion 1t is idle to
discourse about the danger of servile nstruc-
tons there, as the military force present is of
itself a complete protection against it, The
Slaves, instead of weakening in any way the
enemy, are doing,-whether by compulsion or
otherwise, is Of little moment,-thc work of
the campaign. The entronchments which have
been the chic; cause of the disasters to our arms
have been I'm oubtedly the fruit of their labor
directed by the skill of competent engineers
They are the hewers Of wood and the drawers
of water for the gentlemen, and even for the
{ vi, RI, l.x,o
against the Government; and it is by no means
certain that they have not in some instances
the force of the Rebels in the hour
of conflict
1t is evident from these facts, that the Negro
must be taken into account in dealing with this
and that the time is not far distant
when the Government must adopt some policy
that shall solve the negro problem in such I.
way as to reduce the strength Of the enemies
Of the Republic How this end is to be reached
is not yet plain, as no method has been pro-
posed that is not liable to grave objections--
The mind that shall furnish solution of this
problem. which shall not offend the humanity
of the North, and Of the civilized world, and
which SHALL ut tho same time. not violate the
Constitutional rights of any devoted friend of
the Government, indicating, as we believe it
will, the path through which this Nation must
go to reach sold, prosperous and enduring
peace, will confer the greatest of blessings upon
this Country and this age, and achieve, as he
will deserve, an imperishable renown.