Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-08-01
F"F nc EHYH'
MAR POLICY WlTH 9l.AVES

lor MEsSRS. EDIT0ay There Ii ore Suhiect to
which the attention or our Government should
be addressed, and n policy pursued which
should be made Il system and an invariable
rule of action. We nIrlm the removal of all
male negroes from any part of the country
which We find it necessary or desirable To
abandon-and the retention of them always
within our own lines. Heretofore the action
uf our government, as evidenced by the acI ION
al our Generals, has been 10 leave this Species
Of property 10 the control Of It's owIcra--the
gov ycrnnlenL has taken steps with regard
10 1t. Whilst it has been strict and eager to
move or destroy cotton, sugar OF tobacco, ol:
any other private property which might fur
nish aid and comfort 10 the enemy-it has en-
tirely overlooked this species oil private pro.
perty which has, in fact, furnished mole aid To
he rncmy, and, at the :ame iiInr, mare active
injury To ourselves, than all the other causes
combined. They have been for the enemy
laborers to dis entrcnchments, to build
bridges, to throw up earthwnrkS, tn con-
Struct railroads, to make canals, TO act
as spies and intormers upon our actions !;
to serve as guides through our country TO
scouting and other parties. whereby the coun-
try has been occupied and held ; and rs pilclS
TO their gunboats, whereby our weak and rIn-
defended points have been made known and
aSSaicd. At the same time tue negro has
been demoralized, depravcd, and, We fear. rcil-
dered utterly worthless. Their owners have
been deprived OF their services MIR, and. in
most cases where they have been stolen, they
are lost to them forever; this is a loss TO the
whole country which can never he re
placed. Hereafter let our policy he clangcd
let it be "A settled rule that, when the
army retires, or gives mp lis occupation
of any part ofthe country, that the male slaves
shall also be withdrawn; or, at ali events, let
a call be made upon their owners to transfer
them temporarily to the Government Where
the owners are absent let the male servants
be certainly removed. In any such case let
an inventory of these slaves be taken, with
the names Of owners; let the supply oil meat,
which was put up for them, be brought with
them and let the Government at once en-
ploy them ON public works. II need be, LET
US constitute Il Bureau OF the Interior, whose
duty, it shall he amongst other things, TO find
employment for these slaves. Ifthcre are mol
public works enough to employ them, let them
he hired put TO the State tinytrnmrnts. I q la.
employed on State works, and in all cases ac-
counts kept of their work. But is there not
enough work for them to do? Have We not
forts and earthwo works to construct, mines to
dig, canals to construct, roads to make, bridges
and buildings to erect, stone u query and
rivers to clear Of distractions! There Are
numerous works in the Coulederacy which
lnight be undertaken and finished by popu-
lation which is now engaged i'll doing similar
work for our enemies, to our great injury
ii we have not the works, let Us find theln-
let lis begin thenl-and let these laborcrs, who
are sufficient in numbers, and physically able
To level mountains and to wall in the Confcdc-
racy, be employed in one " more Of these
grand and gigantic schemes OF Gsrlnne:-s
which shall rebound to the interest MD glory
Of the Confederacy, now and Ill all fT-
ture time. Thus will we put stop 10
these vile schemes oil robbery and emaii-
cipation now bring Matched by our enemies
destroy at one blow those regiments and
brigadts ol black soldiers which they design
tu organize, and turn louSe upon US with the
most heliSh purposes. Thus wiIl We throw
upon their own soldiers the drndgcry OF dig
ging their own earthworks and entrcncll-
ments; thus will we deprive them of the sur
csL means Of haraSsnlg and annoying us, by
the employment Of our own negroes rs scouts
aud guides; thus will we remove from them
these laborers whom they are now employ
ing, in our own fields, in the cultivation of
cotton and grain; thus will we be protecting
our own most valuable property, dlscharglng
the highest duty Of masters-by shielding our
dependents from contamination, injury and
wrong, and, at the same time, make Of them
our Instruments Of future power and great
ness to our infant nation, by employing them
IN the construction Of her public works.
Where the gangs of slaves thus employed
are sufficiently large to need guard7nr
should other causes make it necessary-that
guard should be furnished from the militia
of the State in which they are thus engaged:
We call The attention of Government and Of
Congress to. this subject, and hope some stern
and positive system will regulate different
! policy, in the future, to that. which mas
marked the past: ~
-. i.t% WATcHblAS.