The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-08-15
Colored Soldiers.

; Chicago Tribune that Is new and
forcible. So long as the Govern.
ment refuses to accept the services
oi colored soldiers, every white man
who eplists or is drafted goes into
tho soar ds a substitute for a negro.
For there are million men, strong,
able bodied, healthy, hardy, accus.
toned to hard work, who con en-
dure fatigue, who are accustomed
to the heat and the ma!arias Of the
South, and these men can be had
for the asking. They are willing
and eager to fight. = They will ask
no bounty and bo satisfied with their
rations, and will fight like heroes
against tho Southern rebels. But
these men are not accepted, because
their ekin is darker than that Of the
men who are now in the army
Thoy arc able to fight, ready to
fight, but are not allowed to fight,
and 30 to fill the places that they
would fill in tho ranks, white men
must be taken as their substitutes.
Surely il would seem that the charge
of the anti negro party that the
"nigger was getting TO be better than
a white man" was correct. Now
we esteem q negro no better than a
white man and would not grant
him especial exemption from the
dangers of war at the expense Of
the latter. We would have him
share the lsbors and the casualties
OF war with the lnen whom wo of
the North have already put into the
field, and il anybody is to be shot
down from our ranks, we have no
such partiality as would make sure
provision that the victim be q white
man and not negro.
Nor do we SEQ ia what respect
copper color ls more available than
yellow, brown Or black. In other
words, why are Indians accepted in
the Union army, negroes excluded9
Is there any more civilization among
the former than the latter? Are they
better able to bear the hardships Of
war? Are they any more the true
friends of the Government? Have
they, during the war, shown so
great a desire 10 befriend and as-
sst tho Federal army as have the
dcepised and IT jected slavesl Have
they so much at stake es the blacks!
and il not, by what possible reaeon.
, ing can it DC shown that they will
! fight better? Or, failiugto establish
"A case against the negro upon any
OF these grounds, must We come
down to the plain acknowledgment,
that in this day Of our need a vas,
army oI capable and earneet soldier'
is refused, simply from a blind def
erence to an antiquated prejudice?
Tho very men, both in the army
; and ont, who oppose most vehement
ly, the employment Of nogroes as
soldiers, are the ones who proclaim
this "a war for the sake Of the mig
, ger" Why then, in Heaven,
name, not make tho negro fight fol
, himself and not leave aH the work
, to be done by white men2 There i;
/ no need to aek the question whether
. they will fight. History answers
: this question most satisfactorily
The black soldiers OF Rhode Islanc
have left record which will stimu
= late the vslor OF the regiment which
Gov. Sprague has now called int
\ the field.
: As fitting document to be use(
=, in connection with this subject, tn,
> following proclamation OF Genera
Jackson to the free blacks of Louis
lana, during the war of 1912, will b,
n read with interest at this time:
r -[Ceveland Leader.
u HSApauARrERs 7rH MILITARY DisrRicT,
u MoBILE, September 81, 1874.
u To THE FREE CoLoRED lNHABITANT
= OF LOUISIANA:
o Through O mistaken policy yol
!, have been heretofore deprived of
!, participation in the glorious strug
/ gle for national rights in Which ou
IT country lie engaged. This No loDge
o shall exist.
Il AS sons OF freedom, you are nov
G. called upon to defend our moa ines
o timable blessings. As Americans
,e your country looks with cenfidenc
to her adopted children for valorou
a. support, as a faithful return for th
,. advantages enjoyed under her mil,
and annita hla Oouernmant An faith