St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-02-26

Of their old masters q. wsro those tw'
thousand who dug the canal for Us .
Vicksburg.s Them. the President show
no confidence in the enlistment Of coloret
soldiers.4 As usual, he hcsitates ane
counts probabilities. "Will the army arm, . .
the Potomac mutiny ?" is the question
allow do the hundreds Of useless officers
now hanging around Washington, visit
ing friends in distant States or smoking
cigars and drinking champagne on the
Rappahannock feel about permitting black
men to fight for the Republic ?" This il
the question with the President ,..-.. ....
lie said to, Western Representative
lately: :...,, -. g..
"But, if I loose as many white men
from the army Of Virginia as I can enlis,
black men, will it payr'>
So, this McClellanized mob has already
overawed the Government, and the only
hope for the nation is in disbar ding it.
find that serious, thoughtful men, init.
mately acquainted with the workings OF
the machinery. here, are very anxious ia
be rid Of this army but how is it. to be
disposed Of? =: ~ :.>'t :
Congress dare not grapple With it, but
meanly> throws the responsibility On the
President, leaving it optional with him
whether OF not we are to accept the mil.
lions Of stout arms, willing to fight for our
freedom if they can secure their own, OF
whether the North is to continue to pour
out her best blood Of the Caucasian race
to leave q country for negroes. Our sons
and brothers may lie butckered by the
thousands, by the balls and bayonets Of
traitors. They may rot and die by thou.
sands in hospitals, but black mans life
IS too precious to be risked under the en-.
emy's guns. Why? Simply because he
represents the properly of rebels IL
On the same principle the Con6scation
Act is dead letter.. I have heard it e.
timated here that not one million Of prop.
erty has been disposed of under that act.
The clause which limits it to the lifetime
Of the present proprietor renders 1t void
for who will purchase life interest in al
estate at a time when war makes life trib
~ uncertain !? The lands of Virginia reb
els in this vicinity would long since have
been disposed of, bringing large rovenu.
to the Government. and furnishing mean.
for prosecuting the war, but the fences
are all gone, outhousess destroyed ane
dwellings, injured, if lot burned. VIII.
will buy and improve them, knowing tina
tomorrow some claimant may come in a
heir and be ready to prove the death o
him who was proprietor Of the estate a
the time of the passage Of the act? So
open rebels continue to hold their proper
ty in this city, and even though they hav,
fed and joined the Coufederacy, thei
agents collect rent and transmit it t,
them:
l. An open rebel came here from Rlcl,
mond, sold two houses which he ownet
here, got eight thousand dollars III gol,
for them, and returned to Richmond viii
the money, less than two weeks ago. +
Secession is at premium, here in tn
Capital, and when committees wait upoi
the President to urge strong measures, b.
tells them story. A delegation waite.
on HIN some time ago, on important bust
ness, and be told them four anecdotes!
Western Senator visited him on oticia
business and reciprocsted by telling an an
ecdote the President had lot before heard
After he rose to leave, Mr.. Liscoln re
marked: "Wait moment I want you Il
give me the notes of that story!" TIL
notes were gwen, carefully taken dow
and fled away on his desk. .
Alas! Our President fairly represent
our people. Without concentration, with
out any comprehensive plan, We STUMBLE
on, getting deeper and deeper into tn
miro. Could he be brouy hit to organize
arm and equip the negroes, as PERMITTED
by laws Of Congress, the crushing Of til
rebellion would be sure thing, and eve,
Mcclellan and the Democratic part,
would fail to place us side by side will
the slave, under the heel of jeff: Davis
but he will not do it unless he is force
by an outside pressure from the North
Why do our people sleep as their libertie
are slipping from their grasp. Why d
not they hold public meetings, discuss
, netition beseieo the White House Wit