Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-03-13
Negro Soldiers.

ject, prepared by John e. Hamilton, Esq.
author Of the History of the Republic
was read by tho Clerk of the House OF
Representatives, and produced much eff.
feet. 1t was intended to be used as part
Of speech
Mr. Roscoe Conkling.-I ask the gentle
man from Massachusetts to yield to me
that may be heard upon the regular Or
der for few moments.
Mr.. Thomas of Massachusetts.-I will
hear what the gentleman desires.
Mr.. Roscoe Conkling--I do not wish
to participate in this discussion l mean
to abstain from it. l have in my poses-
sion, however, statement which l think
will be of interest to the House and to
the public; u statement of the views Of
Alexander Hamilton, furnished me by his
son and if there be no objection | will
send it to the Clerks desk to be rea /,
with brief extracts from the writings of
him whose views it expresses.
No objection being made, the statement
was read as follows:
GA distinguished gentleman from Ken
lucky referred day before yesterday in
general terms to the "Federalist,' - sta'i 70
that nothing on the subject be was dis
cussing is to be found in that commentary
that is, nothing favoring the views of
the advocates of the emancipation Of
slaves in thei. employment as soldiers -
1t may be replied that nothing is to be
found in that valuable commentary in op-
position to their views. But the allusion
must be regarded as wholly irrelevant.
The Federalist" was addressed = to the
people of the State of New York. to
promote their adoption of the Constitu-
tion as submitted to them by the Federal
Convention, and did not dcviatc from
that purpose But it is not to be inferred
therefrom that the authors Of that work
were advocates of eternal slavery, nor
adversaries Of the means of the slaves
protecting their freedom when attained.
Such an inference would be entirely at
war with the character and history of the
authors of that work, and with the tenn
per of the public mind antecedent to, coe-
val with, and for years subsequent to, the
American Revolution. Happily this deep
ly interesting matter is not left to infer
encc. A member from Ohio, Mr.. Hue
ms, in his carefully prepared staten mt,
quoted the opini,n of Mr.. Madison, the
representative at that time of Virginia
then the fullest slayeholding State of the
United States, directly in favor Of the
employment OF the negro slaves as soldiers
Another of the writers of that treatise,
Mr.. Jay, was VIGOROUSLY tie friend OF the
enfranchisement of the negroes; nor does
the confirmation of these views stop here
A soldier who rode by the side of Wash
ington in most Of the battles of the revo-
luton, who mounted the rampant at York
town, and by its capture, freed Virginia
from the foot of a foreign foe, and whose
figure is conspicuous in the painting in
this Capitol representing the surrender of
CORVALLIS; legislator who served in
the Congress Of the Confederation a
statesman who was y member of WASH
ington's cabinet statesman to whom
the last letter which Washington wrote
was addressed; a statesman in whose hon
or Jefferson, when the strife Of party con-
troversy between them had ceased, placed
his bust in his library at Monticello; this
soldier, legislator aud statesman has left
record of his views at different periods
of his life, all i. concert with each other.
His name is Alexander Hamilton.
On the l4th of March, l179, Georgia
having been reduced to suhjection by the
British, and South Carolina being threat
ened with invasion, Colsnel Laurens, to
succor his native State, proposing to raise
a regiment Of negro soldiers, asked Ham
ilton tboth them aids to Washington) to
introduce his views to Jay, at that time
President of Congress. These views are
presented in a letter to jay;
.HEADQuARrERs, March II, l779.
Dear Sir :--Coloncl Laurens, who will
have the honor Of delivering you this let
ter, is on his way to South Carolina on a
project which think, in the present situ-
alton of affairs there, is very good one
and deserves every kind of support and
encouragement. This is to raise two,
three, or four battaions Of negroes, with
the assistance of the government OF that
State, by contributions from the owners,
in proportion to the number they possess.
If you should think proper to enter upon
the subject with him, he will give you IA
detail Of his plan. He wishes to have it
recommended to Congress by the State
and, as an inducement, that they would
engage to take their 5attaiions into conti-
mental pay.
1t appears to me that an cxpelen, OF
this kind in the present state OF South
ern affairs, is the most rational that can
be adopted. and promises very important
advantages. Indeed, hardly see how a
sufficient force can be collected in that
quarter without it, ami the enemy's oper'
ations there are growing infinitely serl
Gus and formidable have not the least
doubt that the negroes will make very cx
cellent soldiers, with proper management
and | will venture to pronounce, that they
cannot be put into better hands than thos'
of Mr.. Laurens. He has all the zeal
intelligence, enterprise, and every othe
qualification requisite to succeed in sucl
: an undertaking. 1t is maxim will
some great military judges, that with sen
sibe officers, soldiers can hardly be to-
stupid and, on this principle, it i
thought that the Russians would max
the best soldiers in the world it the
were under other officers than their owr