The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-09-06
pected to unite together in seeking another

| pecIeu 10 unltc together In seeking another
country.
| Are they to be influenced by others and per-
suaded to go? Let us remember that those
who will have the greatest influence over them,
will not advise them to go. Frederick Doug
lass, and Others like him, are strongly opposed
to emigration. The free negoes, North and
South, have their homes, their churches, and
other local attractions dear to them. In
Charleston they own 81 ,561 $40 worth of prop
erty; in Philadelphia nearly as much. The
idea that they can be persuaded to give up ev-
erything, and seek new homes, in some far Off
wilderness, just to crafty men who are preju-
diced against them, is altogether visionary.
There may be colony founded in Central
America. Large numbers may be induced to
go there,-though that is doubtful But adj
NIT it; and then reflect that If we could per-
suade fifty thousand to go every year, the num-
Der remaining here would still be increasing,
instead of diminishing, and we may Judge
whether the whole project is not utterly i'm
practicable.
We may as well make up our minds, first as
last, that the negroes will remain in this country.
If we consider it an evil, it is one we have
brought upon ourselves. And as we cannot
escape it, the only wise course is to see if we
cannot change 1t into blessing.
There are those who fear that, IL liberated.
they would overrun the North. But all such
fears are idle. Emancipation would at once
stop all emigration to the North. The condi-
ton of the free negro is bad enough here; but
1t is far worse in the slave States. And vet
there are many more free negroes there, than
in the North. They regard the South as their
home. The climate is more congenial to them
than ours. And they will all be wanted there
to develop the wonderful resources that free
dom would quickly call into life,-resources
that have SO long been dormant under the
blighting curse of slavery. They are acclim-
ated. They can endure labor under South
ern sun. The planters of the British West
Indies, who are sending over to China for lab
orers, would be glad to receive them; but
there will be enough for them to do in this
country, and they will have no desire to go
anywhere else. We shall learn their value as
tdborers, when we recognize them as men-J
There are no prejudices that will not vanish,
when they block the way of profit. The path
of godliness is easy when it becomes the path
of gain.
CAN THE NEGROES FIGHT?
1t is a somewhat remarkable fact, that the
very men who, not long since, were terrified
at the danger of negro instructions, and
talked Of the savage ferocity of the negro
character, as exhibited in the Haytien Revolu
tion, are now opposed to arming the blacks, on
the ground that they are too mild, and timid.
and weak, to be of any service. The Havtien
Revolution, though it has been misrepresentcd
by prejudiced historians, puts beyond question
the capacity of the negro race for military
service. There has been little opportunity for
them to prove this, in this country, owing to
their condition, and the prejudice against them
The Regiment raised recently by Gen. Hun
ter, has been disbanded, because the Govern
ment refused to recognize or pay them. But
though they have always been met with some
thing of this spirit, their record, thoug brief,
has upon it no stain of dishonor.
In the Revolutionary war, the slaves were
excluded from the army, lest the employment
of portion Of them should make the Others
Observation-Disclosures for other reasons. Henry
Laurens, a distinguished member of Congress
from South Carolina, wrote TO Gen. Washing
ton, March 1G, 1779,-"Had we arms for three
thousand such black men as l could select in
Carolina, should have no doubt of success in
driving the British out of Georgia, and subdu-
ing East Florida, before the end of July.n-
Lieut.. Col. John Laurens, proposed this plan
to the South Carolina Legislature, without
success. He wrote to Washington, announc-
ing his failure; and Washington replied, July
10, 1882, Il must confess that am not at all
astonished at the failure of your plan. The
spirit of freedom, which at the commencement
of this contest would have sacrificed every
thing to the attainment of its object, has long
since subsidized, and every selfish passion has
taken its place. 1t is not the public, but pri-
vate interest, that influences the generality of
mankind; nor can the Americans any longer
boast an exception. Under these circumstan-
ces, it would rather have been surprising il
you had succeeded; nor will you, fear, have
better success in Georgia"
But though the Southern colonies, some of
which furnished more traitors than troops.
would not allow the slaves to be armed, WASH
ington himself disregarded the resolve of Con-
gress so far as it related to free negroes. He
wrote to the President of Congress, Dec. 3,
17I5, -"1t has been represented to me that
the free negroes who have served in this army,
are very much dissatisfied at being discarded
As it is to be apprehended that they may ask
employment in the ministerial army, | have
presumed to depart from the resolution re-
specting them, aud have given license for their
being enlisted"
Accordingly free negroes were enlisted in
several of the colonies, and served during the
war. As at Lexington and Bunker Hill, so in
subsequent battles, they stood side by side
with the white soldiers, equals in dangers and
honors. A battalion was sent from Connecti-
cut, of which honorable mention is made in
history. Aid Rhode Island furnished regi-
ment, which, as Gov. Sprague truly says, "was
pronounced by Washington equal IL not supe-
rior, to any in the service" Arnold, in his his
tory of Rhode Island, says,-'the newly-raised
HACK reuimant undpr Cnl Crnana d;e,;,