The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1862-08-27
The Negro as IA War Elcment.

The Negro as "A War Eicment.
With strong propensity to ignore
this peculiarities of the negro charac'
ter, or rather with persistent deter
mination to assume that the negro is
exactly like the white man, or exactly
what the white man would be if placed
in his condition, the philanthropists
and indeed a large body of the Repub.
licans of the North, have resolved tc
make the negro An active element in
the war, and-some to greater and
some to a less extent--an implement
for putting down the rebellion, and
reducing the people of the insurgent
sections to the state iu which it i:
thought desirable for them to remain
That some use may be made of the he,
gro in war is possible; but in his case,
as in that of all materials, munitions
and implements, the question which
prudent governments will first settle
is its economy. VIII the given arti-
Gle cost less or more, in proportion to
to its efficiency, than some other? Is
it more or less safe to handle, or more
or less certain in its effects?
In the best equipped and conducted
wars, there are great uncertainties
The best men are selected for soldiers,
the best material and workmanship are
employed in the fabrication of implies
ments. If man is found constitu-
tionally weak or in8uperably timid, he
is discharged; if man or musket
proves defective, it is laid aside; if a
sword or bayonet is wanting in the
requisite temper, it is thrown away
We are rejecting wood in the construc-
ton of ships of war, and employing
iron. Why? Because we want only
things that will stand the hardships Of
the roughest work in which men Or
things can be employed. Because we
want torender the contingencies as few
as possible, and arrive as near to GER
tainty in the production of desirable
results as the nature Of the case will
admit. 1t was said of Carnot, by Ma
poleon, that he organized victory. -
Whether he did so or not, this is the
thing to be sought in all preparations
for war: to organize yictory-to have
the best men and the best things un>
der the best control, so that when a
given result ought to be, it may be
looked upon as, accomplished.
In proportion as the idea of the enc
aud object of the war has changed
in proportion as war commenced tt
restore the supremacy of the laws and
and the Constitution has come; in the
minds Of the party of the Administra'
tion, to bear the aspect Of a war tC
disturb the domestic relations of the
South--has the desire to use the ne.
gro in its operations increased II
strength and in urgency. With diff
ferent orders, it appears in different
phases. The Abolitionst demands q
proclamation Of universal emancipa
ton, under the idea that its effect viii
be to produce general rising of tn,
colored population, involving the Soutl
in the troubles Of servile war, anC
depriving the people of the power t.
wake further defense against the ar
mics of the Government. They
whose philanthropic sympathies do no
extend quite SO far, recommend tha
the negIoes be encouraged to leav,
their masters, and be organized int,
military bodies to serve against them
while others still. think that the homo
of being soldier is too high for ne
gro, and that the escaped slaves shoult
be formed into corps of laborers t,
accompany the army, handle the spad,
instead of the musket, fig bitches an,
throw up embankments. All agre,
that the colored brethren should b.
set to doing something for the saliva
y zion of the country and their own
should take part in the great work 0
human freedom now going on, and be
come co-laborefs in the vast enterprise
in which they and their posterity. a,
g well as we AMI ours, are 50 highly In
terestei; in short, should be in the en-
. ploy.of the Government, and shoall
have pay and rations at its expense
Opposition to'this, by the organs 0
the Republican party, has invariabl,
been put upoa the ground Of treasoaa'
s,ble feelingsof syrnplthy with III,
rebellion. Any doubts Of the human
ity Of exciting a servile insurrectior