St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-08-14

is, just as little doubt that We had refused
alliance to, the slave. The ,etribution of
our military error was terrible--was itpot
just?
The only criticism shall make to-day
upon the battle Of the Seven Pines is,
that it should not have been fought. 1t
was defence. We are here to attack,
md not to be attacked. We started from
Fortress Monroe for Richmond. We
should have gone there without tents, as
fast as marching and fighting could have
taken US there the negroes guiding US
by day-by night, bringing us intelligence
upon which our columns could safely
march and surely win victories. The slave
being our ally, the campaign 10 Virginia
had now been closed, and the heart of the
rebellion had nearly ceased to throb.-
How fares it with US, on the contrary !?
Who dare tell the truth Of the condition
OF this army?
have talked with many intelligent
men of co'or on this subject. The supe-
rior man of all is known as "Tom.'' 1
one day drew him out of his guarded ST.
lencc on this theme by saying:" I am
surprised, Tom, that the negroes in this
Peninsula don yht tor US. "
Il teckon you amt, MIR. W. You know
too much"
"Why don't they f, hit for us, Tom 2"
"They expected to, sir, and all the COL
ored men, from here to Texas, expected
to-"
why didn't they?"
"You know as we'll as l. We were
driven from your lines and camps, and
pretty plainly told that you didn't want
us; that you meant to carry on the war,
so as to leave us in slavery at the end Of
the war. So We left you to carry on the
war as you could, and pretty poor fist
you are making of it, too, Mr. w." said
Tom, warming into earnestness. t'The
North can't conquer the South, without
the help of the slaves. We men Of color,
who have communication with each other
thr ,us sh all the Slater the leading men;
/ mean k"oac his We know, too, that
if the war lasts, one party Or the other
party will give US our treedv,n.''
'Av hat is that you say-the siavebold-
crs free their slaves 7"
They certainly will do it, if they
can't whip you otherwise. You may
depend on that. My friends through the
.Soufh all tell me So" Our position, Mr..
w., is like that of San Domingo blacks
They put their aid in the market, between
the whites and the mulattocs-put it for
sale. The price WIS their freedom.< We
mean to sell ourselves for freedom ,ce
hope to gtou Northern men. If your pol
iticians and Generals kick us away, We
will try to make our market with the reb-
els. But you had better bargain with us
had better free u; and arm U.s. How long
would this war last if we We we're freed
by act of Congress and, the Presidents S
Proclamat;on-hoth of them ratified in
General Orders by the Commanders of all
the Union armies Of the South Why,
the rebel armies would melt away in week:
Every officer and every private who had
any, interest Of any kind in plantation,
or village even. would run straig ght home
toprotect it from imagined injury. Con-
slider us armed there's no use Of talking,
Mr. W. The revolution at the South is
accomplished, and the Union is saved
and you can't sare 1t miMtout the social
reDoiution. And, mark my words, Mr.. W
the attempt to save it without doing us
justice will end in your own political sla-
very, and your ruin, and in this England
will be the principal agent. There are
colored men in Washington who know the
value Of the dinncr-table talk of great
men, and Jeff Davis, and Kcitt, and Floyd
have always made much of the jealousy
in England Of the manufacturers Of your
North. You have got to have US, Mr.. W..
Our climate will kill your troops. save in
December, January, February, and March.
The South is wilderness. You are ig-
norant of it, and can be ambushcd every
day. And it is 50 big that if with half
a million men you overrun it, it would
take million men t. occupy it. And
then, what sort Of Union will you have
saved, in which the people of thirteen
States refuse to take political action, and
have but to raise their fingers to set them
loose upon you, and drive you Northward.
You had better take US, Mr.. w. Indeed,
you have got to take us. For, It you rish
TO Lack out of this ,uar you a0on't be per-
n,itted to do 1t. You have got to conquer
or be conquered. know the shareholders.
They ept into this var for power, and if
you don't whip them in Virginia and
South Carolina, they will whip you in Penn.
sylvania and New York, and then recon-
struct the Union, with themselves at the
top and You at the bottom You white
men Of the North will 80 into slavery, un-