The mountain Democrat., 1863-09-12
AaS1sana @Sasxal Ths1ss' &s8TO
RnlasNSnemt Earee.

There has been some iaFces Of the -hrst |
wSler enacted during the progress Of this |
war, but there have been none 90 utterly
absurd and ridiclous-n 50 destitute oI
the slightest resnlt-Ns the mission OF Ad.
iu,ant Gen. Thomas for the enlistment "f
negro soldiers in the Southwest. We
have been amused at the venrable prattle
of his printed record, and have labored
hard to ascertain from il that he ever pro-
cured the enlistment Of n single negro SOL
dicr. Ii does not eESSe>= So:
words that he did, but we are charitable
enough to suppose that he got few, for i
could not be otherwise lie organized
twenty regiments-Ihat is, he appointed
white officers for that number Of Tegi-
ments, all of whom are doubtless clanOr.
onS at the present moment for their pay.
lie gave them carte blanche to enlist their
recruits from the African immigration To
our lines, and Succ, eded so well that there
are now nearly privates enough to cook
the otEecr>' viettialS. q
Without fear of contradiction, We assert
that Adiniant General Thomas repr, sen
tationS regarding Lne CnnsrnoC AZ a Gdrge
neg ~ military fMce are simple bush aud
nonsense. lie cannm designate aS his
handiwolk single regiment of negroes
on the Mississippi river, and from Cairo
10 VIksburg he cannot show five hundred
able. bodied black soldiers Kn0wi < the
facts, we speak thus confidently. lie fail
ed to arouse the slightest disposition "n
the part the negroes to become sOldic'S,
and the majority Of these who were arm
I'd and uniformed were compelled To il like
cattle; and their military duties, both
past and prospective, are confined TO that
species OF drill " hiCh is best developed in
the use ofthe frying.pan and curry comb,
In no instance during his trip did the an.
cient apostle Of negrOism witness the act.
ual enlistment Of negro soldier, and We
will confidently assert that so far as his
personal knowledge Of the fact goes, he is
entirely ignorant of the existence Of such
thing liz gab6led and goS>iPed his
way up and down the river, and may have
drludcd his own feeble intellect into the
bell, { that he left an army ofnrgrO soldiers
behind him, but he never was more mis-
taken in his life.
The COMPLETE failure which marked his
attempt to organize negro amy WAS not
more decisive, however. than the ruin
which befrIl his other scheme for the cul
iivation Of sixty rlanla,inS by runaway
negroes. These plantations, abandoned
hy their OWnera. were seized by his order
and placed in the hands 0i Northern men,
who stipulated TO employ the negroes in
the cultivation Of ca ton. The result Was
such ms anybody but blessed old ,lOtard
like the Adjutant General would have an.
liclpated. The negroes refused to work,
because they were not allowed to he whip,
ped. They stole everything their new
masters poSSeSScd, and to cap the climax,
the gucrrillas swept the experimental
plantations SO clean that. exc pt in few
instances >,nethcr negrOrS nr planters have
been heard any thing Of since. 1t was
wise thing to set up Snch ma'k for ran.
Sncking gurrrilla~. lfit was to be the last
pircs Of mi chief they ever did, they would
pay their particular respects to such an
enterprise.
II anything was needed to stamp the
whole affair with nndeniablc ah.ur'litv;
the action Of General Grant in >u>pcnLinG
;he A'JHtant Generals much vaunte
Commissioners from duty would furnish
the convincing proof. II was necessary
Of course that so great work should Lt
left in the haniS Of COnmiS>ion."-
The entire uselcsSnrSS either Of the work
or the Commission was probably the cause
Of their very pei empt"ry susPensi"n.-
They are among the things that were,
and with them passed away the remnle>t
sembancc of all excuse for l1"g perpciu
ating the farce Of negro enlistment in the
Southwest May We hope that wc have
heard the last rf this extensive aud vide.
spread lie - ChIcsXn Times.