, 1863-08-11


enlistment Of much larger proportion Of ne.
groes than is called for By the draft. Most of
the freedmen can be made to understand, By
o ptorer appeal, tlla: only By proving their
mar hocd as soldiele-op]y through baptism
Of blood-can they o},'sfa In this generation,
such d change IN pnt1ic opinion as VII insure
to thtir race respect hnC decent Treatment, In
its sccisl relations with whites.
It hos been found in practice that It Il easy,
BIZ iud.cicus treatment, to create among tbe:e
people state Of public opinion such that
evefy able, bodied man among them who re-
fuses 10 enter the pnblic service, when re-
qui.ed, Is tabcoed by his fellows as meal,
despicable fellow. Such means as these the
Commission recommend, before rcsortfug to
coerciye measures; both because thsy will
more etfectually I'LL the ranks, and because
they will promote, aud coercion will ratard.
the exodus from rebeldom Of freedmen there
held as slaycf.
The Commiesion especially recommend, ~
policy demanded alike by humanity and ex.
pediency. that to Ill colo:cd soldiers of the
United States there be extended, as prisoners
Of war, and under al other circumstances. the
E5me protection as to white troops, aud that
pains be taken to make this widely and Off
cially known.
vn-GESERAL RESULTS.
The problem In the solution Of which the
Con'Mlksiou have been called to MD Is IT
tnFera'1vc considerations Of humanity, II ill.,
wolves great questions Of Christian cirIliza.
lion tnd of statctmauEh'p. But most urgent
at the present moment are Its relations with
tAe na1ioLa1 struggle in which we nre en-
gaEed, end with the is:uc cf that struggle for
good or cyl.
Proposing bereaf1er to embody In more
1naih1ely considered report the more COM
p}ex oad djft1cu,t inquIllcs Of general char
acter above suggested, the Commission dis
niks these for the present with single brief
remark
Tie observation of the Commission, in the
Eectlons OF country visited By them, together
n1cst experience among freedmen, justify the
conclusion that the African race, as found
among US, lacks no essential aptitude for civ
5lizatfon. In general way, the negro yields
duties, not with alac1ity only. but with eri-
dent pride ard fucrcsse Of selfresrcct, His
personal rights rs freeman once Recognized
In law and assured IN practice, there Is little
leasou 10 doubt that he will become useful
member CT the great industrial family of ma
bondage, be will somewhere find, and will
maintain, his own appropriate social position.
The Commission revert to the question In
its relation to the existing insurrectton. Its
Importance in 1bat c01;utction can hardly be
over estimated. II the s1ares Of the South
but Itself to blame II the war is not speedily
and triainphaa,ly closed. Scarcely any other
question, therefore, is more Intimately con-
nected with tue future destiny, prosperous or
dccadent, of this nation.
But, in point ct fact, It admits Of no reason
able doubt that the Southern slaves, as body,
do desire release from bondage, from forced
and often excessive labor, from arbitrary and
often inhnman punishment. Their masters
have sought to inspire them With dread of
yankee AbolHioofsts !" but while doubt
less asscntipE, rs the hs1it Of tie slave is, to
these dennnciations Of Northern Emancipa-
ticniets, I'll facts pro7c that these men, 2a q
general rule. sec through the Aimsy prc:ense,
and are willing to risk severe puniehmrnt,
some times Death itself, whenever they have
good reason to hope that, i'll dcserting their
masters, they viii lind In rs justand Sincere
friends, able and willing to put them In
condition in which they may enjoy the results
ofthelr cwn iabo..
But we. by on: policy toward these people,
may encourage, or we may discourage, that
hope. The point On which they are peculi-
ally eensttiye and chiefly need ASSURANCE is,
a. to thc absolute aad tK-oyocable certainty
Of their freedom. We cannot expect this un-
tutorcd race to understand the abstract pro-
petition, that great nation, after having
sc1ennly declared, through Its Chief Magis.
fratc, TINT 900 OU0 Of its Inhabitants shall be
forever free, cauuct, without utter deg1ada-
tlon in the eyes Of the civilized world, rcpn-
date that declarution. and resign these mil
lions to slavery. They must have rnore tan
gible proof If the reality ana unchnngeable
character Of their emancipation. They must
feel themselves treated US frsemen, before
they csn fully reallzc the f1ct that they are,
and will forever temafu such.
We, By our misconduct, n13 gtTe color aud
force to the Misrepresentation OF slarehold-
CTS touching our ultimate intentions toward
the negro race. We mag cause doubts in the
minds Of this crs1arca people whether, in
flying from Ills they know. they may not en-
counter worse ills by tile change.
Every aggression, every act of injustice
committed b. Northern man agalnss uuof.
Tending fugitives from despotisul, every In
suit offered W The base prejudice Of our race
to q colored nu,a, because Of his African de-
scent, is not only a breach Of humanity, an
o1Iense against civilization, but 1t Is also III
net which gives cid and comfort to the enemy.
the cnemy's country. So Ear as its influence
there extends, the effect is to deter the slare
from leaving his master, therefore, TO secure
to that master hread-producer; and, bT the
salGe act, to deIrire the Union Of o colored
soldier, aud compel the Government, By coz
sc1fptlcn. to withdraw labortr from North
eSn farm.
The practical effect, therefore, of abuse and
ip5nTy 70 colored people In these days is not
alone to disgrace the authors Of such acts,
but to compel conscription, and to dcnude
the North, already ecant Of working hands,
to her, Thousands Of fields owned BY white
men may remain untitled thousands Of hea1tha
owned hy white men may be made dcsoiate,
all as the direct result Of the ll-treatment Of
the colored race.
srch spirit is not reasonable in the usual
rs those oftreason ITSELF It becomes, there
fore, III a military point Of vlcw. of the high
est Importance. that all wanton acts Of ag-
greesion, by sold1crs OF oy civilians. whether
against refugees or against free negroes here.
tLfore settled in the North should b prompt-
y and resolutely reprcssed; and the penalties
Of the law, in every such caee, vigorously en-
forced. -Aprudent regard for our own safety
and welfare, If no higher motive prompt, de-
mands the takipg Of such precaution.
We have imposed upon ourselves an addi-
tionsl obligation to see justice and humanity
exercised towards these people. in accepting
their services Is soldiers. It would be a de-
gree of baseness Of which We hope our coun--
try is incapable, TO treat with contumelY the
offenders Of the Union, the men who shall
lave confronted death on the battlefield, side
by side with the brarest Of our OWL race, in
struggle in which the stake Is the existence in
peace and in their integrity Of these Ualted
Slater.
We are unjust to our enemies if we deny
that this struggle has been bard fought one,
4 people with M element of standardization
in their society, giving birth to habits Of yio-
Ience and Ct laTiess daring. arc, In some re-
specte, we'll prepared for war. Add to this,
that our task Is the more aE3uous, BECAUSE, to
qutll the rebellion, We have Lad to become
the invaders. Under these circumstances,
can we overlook the fact, that several hun
drcd Thousand able bodied men, detached
from The labor ranks Of the enemy, and incor-
pora'ed in the Army Of the North, mar essen
Tally ibluence the decision Of the issues
There is IN additional reason why consfd-
e1ab1e portion Of the Union armies should be
H,ade up Of persons Of African descent The
Transformation Of the Slave Society Of the
South into Free Society, no longer properly
question, has become necessity OF our na-
1ional existence. Rejecting men hare alrea-
dy reached the conclusion, and the mass Of
our people are attaining to 1t, day BY day,
that the sole condition Of permanent peace
en- this continent is the eradication of negro
slavery. But the history Of the world fur
n;shes no example Of IN enslayed race which
won Its freedom without e1ertion Of It's OWN.
That the indiscriminate ma5sacrcs of SER
vile inku.rection hare been spared us, as ad-
dition to the horrors Of civil war is due, it
would seem, rather TO that absence Of re-
yenge and h1oodtllirstinees which character
III 80 1.,n1 I.