Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-07-30
African Meditation and Segro Intervention.

The following from the N. Y. Tribune
correspondent, who writes from the Seven
Pines, va, July 7th, seems to fairly repre-
sent the great neutral element which mus
very soon be called into action-for either
the North Or South; it shows that the nc
groes exactly understand what they are
about, and that their part is to be no small
one:
CONVERSATION WITH SLAVE.
| have talked with many intelligent
men Of color on ibis subject The super
Tor man Of all is known as tom" / one
day drew him out of his guarded silence
Of this theme by saying 81 am surprised
Tom, that tbe negroes in this peninsula
don't fight for Us"
q reckon you ANT Mr.. w. You knew
too much"
"Why don't they fight for US Tomp
"They expected 10 Sir, and all the col
ored men, from here to Texas, expected
to-
"Why didn't theyl"
"You know as well as I. We were driy-
en- from your lines and camp, and pretty
plainly told that you didn't want anything
to do with US that you meant to carry on
the war, SO as to leave US ii slavery At the
end ofthe war. So we left You 10 carry
on the war as you could. and pretty poor
fist you are making Of it, too Mr.. W., !"
said Tom, warming into earnestness, Tho
North can't conquer the South, without
the help Of the slaves. We mea Of color
who have communication with each other
through all the States, (the leading men |
mean) know this. We know, too, that if
the war lasts one party OF the other party
will give US our freedom"
"Whatis that you say--the Shareholders
free their slayesg
"They certainly viii do it, i they can't
whip you Otherwise. You may dere}d on
that. My friends through the South all
tell me &c. Our position Ar. w., is ike
that q the San D mngo blacks. They PIT
their aid in the market, between the whites
aud the mulattoes-put it for sale. The
prices we're their freedom. We mean to
sell ourselves for freedom-we hope to
Northern men. If your politicians and
generals kick US assay, We VIII try to make
our mark It with the rebsIs. Bat you had
better bargain with us-Aad better free ne
and arm US. How long would this war
last if We were freed by act Of Congress
and the Presidents pFoeamation-both Of
them ratified in general orders by the com
manders of all the Union arni.s in the
Southl Why the rebel armies would melt
away in a week. Every officer and every
private who had any interest at all in a
plantation, or village even, would run
straight home TO protect it against mag
insa injury. Consider us armed; there's
no use talking, Mr. w. The revolution at
the South IS accomplished, and the Union
is saved, and you can't save It without the
social revelation. Aud mark my words
Mr. W., the attempt to save it without
doing us justice viii end in your own po-
litical slavery, aud your ruin, and 10 tins
England viii be the principal agent. There
are eolored men in Washington who know
the value Of the dinuertablc talk Of great
men. aud JetE. Davis and Keitt, and Floyd
have alwayB made much ofthe jealousy IN
England Of the manufacturers Of your
North. You have cot to have US, Mr.. w.
Our cl mate win kill your troops, save IN
December, January, February, and March.
The South is wilderness You are ignor-
ant Of it, and can be ambushed every day.
And it is so big that if with half NIL
lion Of men you oyerrun II, 1t would take a
million men to OCCUPY it. And, then,
what sort Of Union will YOU have saved,
in which the people Of the thirteen States
refuse to take political action, and have
but to raise their fingers to their slaves to
lei them loose upon you, and drive you
northward. You bad batter take US, Mr..
w. Indeed, you have got to take US. Foi
If you wish TO back out OF TINS war you
won't be permitted to do it. You have
DOT to conquer or DO conquered. | know
The shareholders. They went into this
war for power, and if YOU don't whip
them in Virginia and South Oaroina,t they
wiIi whip Won in Pennsylvania and New
York: and then reconstruct the Cnlon,
with themselves IT the top and you ct the
bottom. You white men at the North
will 90 into slavery, unless You take us
black men at the Seth out Of slavery
and. Mr.. w, You have not a great 1@al o
time left in which to decide what you Will
dor
Tenn speaks the sentiments Of bis race
Statesmen and soldiers will heed them.
How PRovIDExcE PAYS VOLUNTEERS