The Placer herald., 1862-07-12

OF the hOuse Those gentlemen dare not let
this inidnation 60 to the country; they shrink
from til exposure which truthful reply to
such an hquiry would make. The resolution of
Mr.. Cox SO asked for the number of negroes
employers teamsters in the army, and at what
wages; 1t this was equally Objectionable, for it
would hie illustrated the Tact that negroes by
the hun4ds arc receiving better pay as drivers
than ourbwn white sons and brothers are for
pering hcir lives in the defense of the Union
and the bnstitutiOn.
Havinbeen thus deprived of obtaining official
informath upon these questions. | am obliged
to gatherny statistics from such sources as can.
| shall nike no statement that have not receiv-
ed from spectacle and responsible parties, and
none which, did not conceive to be rather under
than over te true estimate.
The Government is to-day issuing rations to
about two thousand negroes in this District
alone, that ost over twenty cents per ration
S40O per d. in violation of law, is being paid
for this punose. The Government is hiring in
the Dstrici several hundred negroes. some as
teamsters ad some for other purposes, to the
exclusion white laborers, thousands of whom
together W h their wives and children, in our
large citesare suffering for want of employ
ment. l spak adviscdly when say that the
Republicanoarty are already paying, of tax
gathered mney. in this District alone. over
three hunded thousand dolms per annum TO
buy, clothe feed and eXalt, the African race.
Thus for thnegro. you eXpend more in single
year than yu appropriate to the gover ernment
and protection of all the people in all the Or
ganized Territories Of the United States. The
negro is male superior. in your legslatio on. to
the pioneer white men that settle the great West
and, amid h,rdships and dangers. lay the ioun-
dations of ,ew commonwealths; the hardest
and noblest men of our common country.
So the people are taxed more yearly Tor the
benefit of tn black race in this District alone
than it cOststo maintain the burdens of State
governmentsin either Iowa, Michigan, MinnesO
to- Wisconsin. Maine. New Hampshire, Vermont
Connecticut Rhode Island, New Jersey. Della
ware. or Mar land.
But it is MT in this District alone that you re-
quire the peo)le to pay tribute to the idol OF
your affections Wherever you find our army
with one or two honorable exceptions, yon will
find that hundreds of rations are being issued
daily to unemployed negroes who rendezvous in
and around the camps; wherever the army is
they are employed in various capacities at good
wa ges, and to the utter exclusion of white labor
that now languishcs in irksome idleness through
out our country. | state. therefore, and think
truthfnlly that the Government is already pay
S. 100000 per day for the support and employ
ment of negroes paying it, too. out of money,
raised through the toll deprivatiOns and taxa
tian of our own kith and kin.
In my district Mr. Chair rman my constituents
are selling corn at eight cents II bushcl in order
to support their families and maintain the honor
and integrity of our Government. Shall money
thus raised and for such pu pose be diverted to
the entertainment Of the African? Will my peo-
pie, will the people enywherc, endorse the party
md the ADMINISTRATION that thus seeks the eleva
ton of the negro oven ut the cost OF ruin in
their own race.
One might suppose that your ardor in the
care and protection of the negro would stop and
cool here; but no. you go still further. Having
made him your equal as a civilian, you now
seek to places him on the slme level with Amer
lean slilo,s and soldiers. First came the order
of the Secretary of the Navy, Wr. Wellcs as
follows
NAVY DEPARTMENT. April 30th S62
SIR The approach of the hot and sickly sea-
son upon the southern coast of the U nited States
renders it imperative that every precaution
should be used by the officers commanding YES
sells to continue the excellent sanitary condition
Of their crews. The large number of persons
known as ''contr abands" focking to the protec-
ton of The United States flag, affords an oppor-
tunity to provide in every department of ship,
especially for boats crews, acclimated labor
The flag officers are required to obtain the SER
vices of these persons Tor the country by enlist
ing them freely in the Navy, with their consent,
rating them as boys, at eight, nine or ten dollars
per month. and one ration. Let monthly re-
TURN be made of the number Of this class of per-
sons employed on each vessel under your COM
mand. l am respectfully, your obedient servant,
GIDEON WELLES
Under the plea of the approach of the sickly
season, Mr.. Welles issued this order; under The
same plea the negro may be called into any SER
vice 10 the South through the sickly season. but
the terrible effect it may have upon our army
and navy was no. thought of by any Republican
until very recently.
Having made this progressive step in our Ma.
w, (as my colleague from the Bureau district
Mr.. Low ejoy] would call it, it remains to be
emula:ed in our army. Not long does it await
an imitator, Gen. d. NJ. Hunter, commando ng
the military department OF South Carolina,
Geor gia and Florida, issues an order to enroll
companies regiments and brigades OF negroes
in the military service If the United States
Thus, in less than two years after the acces-
sion to power Of the Republican party. the negro
is made as far rs possible, the equal of the
white man as civilian, a sailor and soldier
Nay, more thon this, the Constitution is violated
that white men may be bereit of guaranteed
rights White men are stripped Of the armor of
American citizenship in order that the negro
NAV be clothed therein. All this has been done
against the earnest protest of all conservative
men, The propositions and amendments to bills
money for the suppression of re-
bellion, which provided that no moneys should
be diverted either to the freeing, the support or
the enlist ment Of negroes, have been invariably
voted down by the Republican party in this
House.
Worse than this even, Gen. Hunter in lis zeal
for the negro, withdraws the protection of his
army from the loyal citizens OF Jacksonville,
Florida in order to perfect his great negro board
ing house and African military academy at the
mouth of the Savannah river. This is undoubt-
edly in harmony with his brilliant discovery that
African slavery and martial law are incompati-
BILE. Common minds have heretofore considered
martial law and slavery, either for whites or
blacks, among the most concOrdant institutions
upon earth. This procamatory commander, who
vies in prolundity with the immortal Gen. Phelps.
undoubtedly considers martial law the very
ewel casket OF American liberty.
My mind, Mr.. Chairman, revolts at the idea of
the citizen soldiery Of my country to
tho level of the negro. Sir the American vol
unteer has always heen our reliance in peace and
our vindication in war. l am opposed to the
toualzation in the ranks Of citizens and slaves.
Gil ch pfOrfC for the no Uroos Of tho