The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-12
From the MY. Commercial Advertiser.
Tho AN tafneut of Slaves

A remarkable aud indeed very impor-
tant letter has been published by Judge
Bond, of Mary and, addressed to Secre-
tary Stanton. Il relates TO the enlist
ment of persons of color within the lin.
its Of States which are exempted from
the operation of the Presidents procla-
nation Of freedom. The Judge sets out
by observing that in Mary land the free
il nearly equal in numbers TO the slave
population, their respective aggregates
having been, in 1860, $4,000 and 81, 900
II enlistments are to be confined 70 the
former class, the city of Baltimore and
the nearly free aud loyal counties Of the
North and West will suffer materially 10
being deprived Of the laboring force ne
cessary Tor their welfare, il not exist
ence. Al the same time, in the lower
slayeholding countless msj ,rity Of whose
white inhabitants are az heart disloyal,
the value of slave property would very
largely appreciate--a result which il is
impossible TO suppose Congress had in
view ben il passed the enlistment act
OF last year. The present course OF Gen.
Blrneyi IN enlistng free persons of color
onlyi Is thus calculated TO "put money in
the purse" of the plantation interest at
the expense OF those who are now and
always have been loyal TO the govern
ment and devoted to the Union.
Judge Bond having thus cleared the
ground, proceeds to give his own views
on this topic. We quite a portion of his
| remaiks:--
The act gives the President power TO
employ all persons of African descent TO
put down the rebellion; not all free per-
sons Those persons therefore of Afri-
can descent held to servitude in this
State are clearly within the words of the
act, and that their relation" is not, aud
was not intended by Congress TO be a
bar to their military service is plain from
analogous statutes respecting the enlist
ment of white persons.
The fundamental idea of all the laws
on the statute book respecting this mat.
ter, is that military service Is the equal
duty OF all persons who enjoy the pro-
lection OF, or owe obedience TO the laws
the servant as well as the master. Hence
Congress allows the enlistment of minors
who, by law and natural right, owe ser =
vice to the parent, and no cOmpensation
is made TO the father for the lost service
of his boy, between the ages of eigb cen
and twenty-one. Yet the law of Mary
land recognizes this obligation to service
on the part of the child, and enforces il
chen refused
Again, the law of Maryland establishes
the relation OF master and apprentice.
Without the statute such relation could
not exist Ii is the mere creature of law
Yet the act of Congress does not exempt
the indentured youth from service, nor
does it provide a compensation for the
master. Higher and above, paramount
TO all such relations, is the Claim of the
country for military service, aud all such
ties and obligations, whether by force OF
law or by contract, are supposed By
Congress to be made or enjoined in full
view of the well-known duty Of military
service.
Slavery, he maintains, is simply thl
creature Of la'0, precisely as is the re-
lationship between master and his ap
prenioe. The state constitution ex,
pressly says as much, and the law deals
with It the same way, without regard e
the different values between services I,
be rendered tor llfs and for term o
ears only. The Judge draws the fol
lowing parallel between the two cases -
II man cruelty beats his appreciate,
the la dissolves the relAti nship.
Ii man cruelty beats his negro III,
law dissolyes tnat relationship also, and
the negro is free.
III man brings party owing servio'
into this State, intending to sell him q
some one out of the State, the act of As
sembly manumits the party, and annu
the Obllgaii ID TO service; aud as the Law
of Mary land views the matter, so the &C
of Congress views 1t as an obligation q
service TO which the military duty OF th
person owing service is paramount.
The law OF Maryland never loses sigh
of the fact that the party owing seryic
is a person. The law of Congress re-
CARDS him, likewise, as person, and tina
he owes military service.
Judge Bond combats the proposal of
leading STAKEHOLDER, that the gOvernmen
should allow a bounty by way Of com
pensation TO the owner who is thus dc
prived of his property, terming it parta
and uDius "rhe government" he adds
} makes no such allowance TO q poo
, father whose son is enlisted, nor to
{ mechanic whose apprentice is drafted.
} But if bounlies are TO be paid, he hope
. they will be only TO those who are know
J TO be loyal, not 10 men who have renom
2 mated members Of Congress who las
. session cast their 70 IS solid agaiL
: conf ensaied emancipation.
He accordingly rec mmends that
proolamati N be issued, stating explloil
e liz that the act Of Congress autnoriz IS III
J. enlistment of all classes of persons {
q African descent aud inviting free negI
and slave 10 the defence OF their commo
) country "Ihe United States ol inns II
; service Of every Nan competent phys
70 cally for military service, aud OOngre
p has authonz d the President 10 asse
J. that rignt paramount TO every State la
= as well as personal interest; for militar
u service is the equal duty OF all who OF
Joy tho protection Of or owe obedienl
J, 20 tho laws, the seryant no less than u
y master"
- UyIoE TmUAuH IN NEVADA "A de-
- patch received IN Washington from Ac
Il ing Governor Clemons Of Nevada 20
e. tina aupQpqa of III