Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-09-09
EMPLOYMENT OF NEGROES IN
... THE ARMY.

This subject has been for sometime dis
oussed through the press of the country,
and some of them have come to wild con-
clusioEs. Negroes could be made useful
in the army in many ways, teamsters- and
cooks, for instance; but when they cannot
be spared to work on our Notifications, with.
out impressment, how are they 10 be pro-
cured, except by the we'll paid officers, and
those who own them? TIE Mississippian
(uow published at Meridian) is quite con-
elusive in late article; it says, We must
either employ (arw) the negroes ourselves,
or the enemy will employ them against US
they are no longer negative characters,
but subjects of volition as other people
they must be taught it is their duty, as we'll
as the white mans to defend their homes
With arms, if needs be. There are 100000
able bodied men among them, who Lincoln
proposes to free and arm against US, 5O,0O0
already in the ranks; he must be checsmp
ted, and if nothing else will do-if the ne
groes cannot be made effective and trust.
worthy any other way, ''let thembe declared
free, placed in the ranks, and told to fight
for their homes and country" This would
show that although slavery is Que of the
principles we started out to fight for, yet it
falls far short of being the chief one-it
would prove to our own soldiers, three
fourths of whom never owned negro, that
it is not s:the rich mans war, and poor
mans fight" but q war for the most sacred
of all principles, the right to govern our
selves 1t would at once remove all the
odium which attaches to US on account of
slavery, and bring US speedyrecognition, and
if necessary, intervention. Let not slavery
prove barrier to our independence. If it
is found in the way-if it proves an insur-
mountable obstacle to the achievement of
our liberty and separate natioPality, away
with it Let it perish We must make
up our minds to one solemn duty, the first
duty of the patriot, and that is, to save our
selves from the rapacious North, wHATEv.
Err THE COST"
The Nississippian seems rather despond
ing, or we would rather have seen differ
ent course recommended The negroes
laust always be our 'hewers Of wood, and
drawers of water" and as such should be
pressed into service, but never do we wish
to see them with arms in their hands for
our defeDce-if we cannot bring out the
rich to support the war with their persons
and property, let it go-bus we trust when
i, is seen the great necessity is on US, our
whole white force will be brought into ac-
tion-tEe resources of the country made to
support the families Of the absent soldiers
trafhckipg and specula,iug in the necessa-
ries of life suppressed entirely, the exemp-
tion acts Observation-Disclosures expressly
done away with; aud the "rspacity' now
exercised among ourselves once rut down,
we need no provision against the "rapacioue
North," by the sacrifice Of our institutions.
The poor soldier is not jealous of the rich
man; God forbid, he only asks to share
with him his dangers, and not to sell his
large crops to the spectators who extort
from their families the miserable pittauce
allowed by Government in worthless cur.
rency We dissent from the opinions of
the Aississippian, whatever its conclusions
may be; but we think a lesson is afforded
to certain quarters, that may be appreciated.
EDITORIAL ITEMS.