The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-03-27
THE GATE CITY.
KEoK u K:
FRIDAY, MARCH II.


comments In the bradforu AoVeTtsei on
the use Of Blacks in war, with reference |
10 our great struggle:
It is wonderful how game may De
spoilt, by people who haye their hearts IN
the business. Now here Is Congress, af
ter volunteering the loss of two hundred
thousand lives in hopes OF avoiding It,
consents to reply to rebellion in support
of African Slavery, by raising an African
army upon the rebels. Hard work and
much contest there was, to arrive at %
much Of what might have been supposed
the FIRST dictates of public honor and IN
dividuai goodsense. But even then, the
thing must be spoilt in the baking. like
the prophets uninviting opsration.--
Would not sensible men, or at oil events
men strong enough to put down the op,
posite, have looked around them and
seen how the same kind Of thing had
been done before AT all events to the
extent of avoiding unnecessarily mingling
their dish. with loatbed ingredients.
There were two great examples Tor
their use. The conduct of the English
in raising native troops in India, and
black regiments in the West Indian colo
MES. In both these cases there was the
jealousy of race and color. But the Eng
ish Parliament did not take into its spe-
cial care and keeping the putting forward
these jealouses in the way that should be
most damaging to the end designed. The
English Parliament is not the weakest
assembly in the world; it has very
tolerable notion of going the way to do
what it takes in hand.
1t was never part of the English policy
to raise troops to be commanded by officers
of Indian extraction. Not the son of q
Maharaiah was invited TO enter the Army
List As ensign in a Company's regiment.
There was distinct organization OF ma
tive officers, with the rank of native cap.
tain and lieutenant, beside what may be
called non ,conmissloncdi but they all rose
from the ranks. They held very respec-
table positions. 1t was etiquette TO ask
them to sit down; at least, he wss pig
that did not. Cousidcrate general officers
appointed the senior native officer one Of
Aleir aides-de-camp. His caste prevent
ed his joining in many OF the Offices of
an aide-decamp; but he enjoyed an otium
cum diJnitats in the Generals tent OF
ante. chamber. The native officers did !
great deal Of the duty of their regiments,
while the white were storing up health
under shelter, and they rode pony on
the march. They had good pensions,
and were understood to hive greatly re-
spected when their powers of service
Jailed. The great wonder was that they
did not yield to the temptation of taking
charge out of the white officers hands /;
but they did not. On examination, the
extent to which all the higher springs Of
discipline were in the hands of Europeans
would be found sufficient to account for it.
aAM the English ,0ere neoer sample
esA to parade the disabilities under
ich{cA their ladiaa Officers or troops aoere
to ia60f. Its very doubtful, or rather it
is not at all doubtful, whether the most
exalted of native officers had distinct an
thority to recommend to an English re-
cruit to keep step and not get in the way
of his neighbors. But nobody uas fool
ash enough to diiats upon the fact. Wis.
dom, it would seem, goes by longitude,
for the attitudes are mot very different.
In the black regiments in the West
Indian colonies, the samo good sense is
displayed. 1t was never intended that
they should be other than commanded
by men Of European birth, at least in the
present generation. Whether it 10 writ
ton in the book of fate that the descend
ant of some dark Othello Is 70 be gazet-
ted to Her or, His Majesty's commission
Of Ensign in th.- West Indian Regi-
nsens 10 among the secrets time will show.
But nStody is such goose ~ to talk
about it now; md still less If If it were the
moment for an important movement do.
pendant on such description q troops. {
No force OF white men can carry on
war in hot country, withon. At least an
equal force Of country muscle to help
The babes who pretend TO campaign in
the Southern States will find this out in
time; with the addition, that theirs was
the only side that admitted of the aid :
Lost battles must be theft teachers; mis-
fortunes i1tAe,only tonic for their case
Everybody knows who and what it must
come TO; 6ltgeo4 blood will be shed like
water first. The object Of thus dabbline
with the matter in America, .wss to play
into the hands OF tho correspondents who
are to cay TO US. "a coIored man il not Al.
lowed to be an officer therefore join
heartand band In selling his daughter to
prostitution
Of one thing let everybody be assured
that England 10 thoroughly sick Of the
attempts 70 involve her in common fool
cry. The rough handling the Lord May.
or has just received for undertaking C
patronixs the Fuxitiva HAsa IAw ia-1he
psrsco Of its rspstsds authoT, il the evi
dence of the day.
letter ssena ssOssaslenaa.b
So Washington. March 10.
That thers i another re-awaksnipr a
the loyal people a.hand cannot bsdoabt,
A1