, 1862-08-08

T. M1l1fary and Human View
Of the Question.
d LETTER FROM 4LbXAKDER H4u1trnr
10 JUDGE jay,

HEADQUARTERS, March II, IT'D,
NDBAR SIR: Colonel Leurens, who viii hav,
the honor OF delivering you this letter. IA ~
h1s say to South Carolina, On project which
Ihfnk In the present Rftuadon Of affairs there
1s avery good one, and deserves every Kind oi
support aud encouragement. This Is to rsfse
tWo, taree, or four battal1ons of negroes, with
lne assistance Of the government Of that State
~ conu19utions from the owners in proDor.
Gon. 70 the number they possess. Il you
faot .3th 5nlak n9 proper to enter upon the sub
plan.. he wishes to naYe il Recommended ian H . he
congress to the State and, Is an Inducemenf
that they would engage to taka the{r hstt.1.
Ions 4 into continental pay. '~>>~
.appeafs 10 me, that an e4pedlent Of this
kind, In the present state Of Southern AFFAIR."
is the:most rational that can be adonted ana
promises very Important advantages. Indeed.
hardly see how sufficient force can be eo5.
lected IN that quarter without it: and the en-
emy's operations there are gro wing infinitely
serious end formidable. I have not the least
doubt, that the negroes viii make yerq excel
lent soldiers with proper management: and T
will venture to pronounce, that they cannot
be put in better hands than those Of Nj Tsa-
rens. He has all the zeal, intelligence, enter
prise, and every other qualification, reqaisita
to succeed in such an undertaking. It is q
maxim with some great military Judges, that.
| with sensible officers, soldiers can hardly be
too stupid; aud. on this principle, itls thought
that the Russians would make The best sol.
d1ers in the world, II they Weresunder other
ofhcers than their OWL The King Of Prussi,
| Is among the number who maintain this doc
trine, and has very emphatic saying on the
occasion, which do not exactly recol1cct. I
mention this because have frequently heard
! it Objected to the scheme Of embodying ne
! groes, that they are too stupid to make sol
! diers. This is 80 far from appearing TO me 9
valid objection, that think their want Of cul-
tiyation (for their natural facuities are as good
| as our, Joined to that habit OF subordina.iou
Th1ch they aeauire from . life Of serVitude.
will enable them sooner to become soldiers
than our white inhabitants. Let officers be
| men Of Sense and sentiment, and the uearer
the soldiers approach to machines perhaps the
better:
81 foresee that this project will have to
combat much opposition from, prejudice and
| self-'ntercst. The contempt we nave been
taught to entertain for the blacks, makes US
| fancy many things that are founded neither in
reason nor experience; and an unwiIlingness
to part With property Of SO valuable Kind,
Will furnish thousand arguments to shoH;
the lmpfacticabiity, OF parnicious tendency,
Of q scheme which requires such sacrifices.
But It s1shold be considered, that il zoe do 7,ol
f"aee use e them in tdis Way, the enemy
teract the temptations they will hold out, will
be to offer them ourselves. An essential par1
OF the plan is, to give them their freedom
with their swords. This will secure thei,
fidelity, animate their courage, and, believe
will have good influence upon those who re
main, by opening q door to their emsucipa
tion.
"This circumstance, confess, has no smal
weight in inducing me to wish the SUCCESS 0
the project; for the dictates Of humanity ant
true policy equally interests me in favor O
1hiE unfortunate class Of men,