New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-11-13
THE PAY OF COLORED TROOPS

Gov. Andrews message to the Massachusetts,
Legislature reminds us that the Government
still ncglects ~ give coored soldiers their just
pay. Instead of thirteen dollars month,
clothing, &C., which their white comrades re-
ceive, they are allowed, by order OF the War
Department, but ten dollars month, and out
Of that have to pay for their own clothing.
There is no legal necessity and no legal nor
moral justification for this reduction. The
black troops are just as much United States
troops as any others; are regularly enlisted,
mustered in, organized No regiments, and ac-
cepted as volunteers, and as such they have the
rights which other troops have-no more and
no less They share the same and greater
pcriis. are threatened with death or Slavery If
captured, yet have fought cyerywhere-at Por'
Hudson, at Milliken's Bend, at James Island,
above all at FoRT WAGsER-with utmost fortl-
tude and hcroism. Why should they be insulted
by the tender of less than their legal pay'
The right Of these soldiers, says Gov. Andrew,
under the existing statutes, to the lawful pay
and allowances Of volunteers, ia demonstrably
clear. The President always had the legal
righ, 10 enlist blacks. In the laws authorizing
him to accept Volunteers he was never re-
s,ric,ed to whites. lie might have enlisted
blacks had he chosen, in the Regular Army.
The Governor shows from al examination OF the
statutes that the blacks were under no legal
disability whatever, except that by law now
obsolete the enrolment Of militia was restricted
to whites. There is no act of Congress dimin-
ishing the pay Of black soldiers, and the only
nc, which gives any color to the present course
Of the War Department is one which fixes al
ten dollars a month the pay of those persons OF
African descent whom the President Is auth
orized to employ for all purposeS-not specially
IA soldiers. To force from such law con-
struetion which harshly dicriminates against
the very men in whose behalf the law was
passed. is ine1cusabe. Gov. Andrew denounces
it with just indignation.
b., rcm.mbor with burning shame at tie men Of the
ssh Maschuse who held The night o. the advance that
terrible al, Of the eth Of July the a.aul, Fort W,s
ner-!ed by ths, salsn. young American Col RoBERr O.
SHAWL whose .po,,, life whose chvsrous Character snd
whose Acoic aih there 10 marble white enough to com
these msu, wearing the uniform OF the Ma
ouA army carrying tina, s Of The Union and tho cooI' OF
Ma.achu,et accepted sworn and mustered Into the voun
tee. service part = the contingent force OF our own Com
onweslih who have made .o their race ~ enduring
history sni have Tough, others could have better
fought ye. With burning shame dsiy remember that these
sllii 4, they sreare dened tho wages Of soldiers
and afo put with tie SO month clothing INCLUDED pre-
.ered os all manner Of unn.peeed unenl',ed persons Of
African ascent. Who employed under exceptional
.tute ia whatever service they BE- found competent
There Is no doubt that Massachusetts Will pay
her own oolored regiments in full, and no doubt
that the next Congress will pass law ex-
prcssly to pay all the colored regiments in full
during their whole term of service. But the
matter ought to be set right a, once, as 1t le-
gally can be, by the military authorities at
Washington. II is not creditable TO them nor
to the country that it was not rightly ordered
NJ the beginning