Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-16

where Are the Men 10 Come srsm.
The Hon. THAD. STEVENS, Chairman of the
Ways and Means and recognized leader of the
Administration party on the floor of the House,
stated in his place last week in closing the debate
on the negro soldier bill that You could not
raise in the whole Norh-fftyth thousand men by
voluntary enlistment; and to enforce CONSUMPTION
is out Of the question" This was one argument
used by him to obtain support for his BILL He
further stated, and we quote from the Congress
ional Globe:
1t is said that we have already so large an
army that we have no need of more soldiers. and
that this will cause "A needless expense. Ii will
require some three or four months TO raise one
hundred and fifty thousand. By this time, about
June. the time OF the two years men of New
York. and of the nine months men. will expire.
They trH take from the army. think. at least
three hundred thousand men. HoU you 10 sup
ply di~ir place ercept by coiored soldiers2
Hence. il we are To continue This war. we must
call in the aid Of Africans, slaves AS well as free
men.
But gentlemen speak boastfully of the power
of the white men of the North, and that wehave
a million men iE the field, and need no other aid
Sir, have as high an opinion of the valor OF
Northern men as any man can have: but instead
of having million, / do not belieoe ice hau.
half that number o. efectice soldiers.
Here we have the authoritative statement that
the Federal strength to day is only 100000; that
in three months-the period at the end of which
GREELEY wants to make the best attainable
peace'-300, 600 will drop out of service; that
white men can be neither induced nor forced to
supply their places and that the negro is the
only hope. In this view of the case, as pre-
scented by Mr.. STEVENS. people will anxiously
inquire, where are the men TO come from to sup
port the 200 900 men we will have left in the field
at the end of ninety days? Many sincerely and
confidently look toward the negro, but when we
remember that if every able bodied colored man
in the free States were to be impressed immedi-
ately the yield would not exceed $4,000. The
N. Y. Times is evidently not very sangune as to
the men, but has more hopes as to the officers.
1t says:
OFFICERS TO BE HAD FOR AN AFRICAN ARMY
| Thew ashington correspondent 9th ribune says
that cit is the positive opinion of Senators, who
Judge from the grel number of written applica
tons made to themselves, that an African army
100, 900 strong could be differed ,cah ichife men
on forfniqhfs notice." We do not doubt it.
There has never been the slightest difficulty in
getting any number of officers for any service.
Unless we are misinformed. We have in the army
now tlrice as MANY officers are required, upon
the usual basis, BY the number of men under
their commands The high pay, the comparative
comfort. and the general attractions of the posi-
ton. combine to make il perfectly easy to get
officers in any quantity. The real question 10 be
answered is, can zoe oct the men, Where can ,ce
| recruit an Al rican army 1000 strong? We
must ,cad 10 see chat progress is made ia this e.
fort before can pronounce Conclusive judgment
as 10 its iciSdOm.