The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-07-09

soldiers Dy the government. beDu you
the following letter Of Alexander Ham
ilton, 1.-The giant whose cold hand is
clasping our Union together to.day-in
order to show them how the fathers Of
the church regarded this question. II
will be found in the LIST Vol. Of Hamil-
toms Works, page 20:
HAMILTON 40 THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
HEADQUARTERS, March IA, 1873.
Dear Sir: Col. Laurens, who will have
the honor of delivering you this letter, is
on his way TO South Carolina, on pro-
ject which think, in the present situa-
ton of affairs there. is a very good one,
and deserves every kind Of support and
announcement. This is to raise three
or four batiaions OF negroes, with the
assistance Of the government Of that
State by contributions from the owners,
10 proportion 10 the number they possess.
He wishes to have this plan recommend
| ed by Congress to the State, and, as an
inducemeni, that they would engage TO
! take their battaliOns into Continental
| pay. Itseems TO me that an expedient Of
| this kind, in the present state OF South
ern affairs, is the most rational that can
be adopted, and promises very impor-
tant advantages. have not the least
doubt that, with proper management
the negroes will m Ike excellent soldiers.
1 II is a maxim with some great military
| Judges, that with sensible officers sol
diers can hardly be too stupid; aud, on
this principle, it is thought that the Rus
slams would make the best soldiers ia
the world under other officers than their
own. The King of Prussia is among
the number of those who maintain this
doctrine, and has a very emphatic say
ing upon the subject, which l do not
recOllect. | mention this because
have frequently heard 1t objected
to the scheme Of embodying me-
groes that they are too stupid K
make soldiers. This is so far from
appearing TO me valid objection, that
think their want of cultivation-for theil
natural faculties are as good as ourt--
Joined to that habit of subordinatior
which they acquire from life OF servi'
tude, will enable them sooner TO become
soldiers than our white inhabitants.
foresee that this project will have t.
combat much opposition from prgudic
and sslf-tntoreS The contempt we hav,
been taught to entertain for the blacks
makes US fancy many things hat are
founded neither in reason nor eA ,.srience
and an unwillingDess 10 part win prop
erty of so valuable kind, will furnish
thousand arguments to show the i'm
practicability or pernicious tendency 0
a scheme which requires such sacrifices
An essential part of the plan is to Civ
them their liberty with their swords
This will secure their fidelity and ami
mate their courage. Extraordinary ext
gencies demand extraordinary means.
With the truest respect and esteem,
am, Sir, your most obediebt SER v
ALEX. HAMILTON.
A Laurens bent upon raising negr
troops in South Carolina, and that, to-
, 10 eight that nation from whom, accord
, ing to Russell, they now profess the
willingness to receive Princel
The only questions with the patriots
South Carolinian, as they should be wit
b US, were, can the negroes be raised, an
!, will they Fight? The latter he had,
: seems, already decided in the afFirms
n tive. The prejudices, the selflshness an
l. toryism Of the contemplate little Stat
: decided the former In the negative. Pc
|. Hudson and Milliken's Bend should sa
Y isfy scepticism itself that the negro,
: will fight aud, In the States of Soul
il Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis
d ana and Arkansas, we could raise thr,
e hundred thousand Of them. We con-
n make raids into tho interior for theI
and thousands would of themselves flu
= their way to our camps, bore we cou
e establish camps of instruction and
n three months convert them sill into GOO
a soldiers. Their physical capacity
o excellent they are thoroughly a
Q climated - they know the countl
>, perfectly-they have the sympatt
n Of their color diffnsed as they al
d thIoughout the land, affording Il
,, means Of procuring ample intelligence
Q the foeman's movements, and thousaI
i advantages for operating Ia GGersc
r, We feel no intense sympathy for the N
i gro. We do not even know that he is n
It as well OFT in slavery as he would be $
D free. This, however, is an immateri
Al question. We do not care to discuss
is We have only one interrogatory to pr
10 pound to every measure relative to 4
., war--Willit help to crush the rebellion
ut II IL will, we are heart and soul fer
Three hundred thousand highly eilicie
d, allies, taken, too, from the product
l. corps of eur enemy, and put into t
tn field against him, win certainly ass
40 the Government in its great work. /
IN as have all tho whites and also all /
III blacks We can raise, Then hope will b
pit adieu to the Confederacy and the r
Id planet Of rebellion hasten to lite setti
l. in blood. A SOUTHERN LoYALIsr.
n, strnYsd, stolen, or skedaddIod.
"a Left tho State Of Tennessee on [
All ine4 In hfUbIv darnora1i.ad n,