The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-03-05

for the nation, he was afforded an Cpport,
nifty to make tha blow tell. Are we wise
purer, more patriotic than the men WI
guided our national bark safely through i
fist stormy voyage, that we should ,efu.
the aid OF the same instrumen talities
which they resorted ! They were strivir
to create a nation the African could hel
them, and they called him to their STANDARD
We are trying to preserve . nation !; ii
black man can help us, why shall we no
avail ourselves Of bis help sA '''
Mr.. Speaker, no one can doubt, who wi
take the trouble to inform himself. that Ger
j Washington regarded the employment O
,colored troops expedient and right. BY hi
side stood Mr.. Madison, entertaining III
same views. and believing, as Washingtc
did. that military service should confc
freedom on the slave who might render. i,
That such were Mr.. Madison views W
have most emphatic evidence in the follow
ing letter, written by him to Joseph Jones
on November, 20. f7so. a'n h.'H.-.s'. !
I. Yours Of the 18th came yesterday. I am glad to
find the legislature persist in their Pesolntion to
crut their line of the army fer the though, wit
out deciding on the expediency Of the. mode unde
their e9nsderaton would Il not be as veil to libe.
selves, as TO make them Instruments for enlistln
white soldiers? 1t wouid certainly be more conso
pant with the principles OF liberty, which ought new
er he lost sight Of In contest for liberty and wit
white officers and 4 majority Of white soldiers, n
imaginable danger could be feared from thems elves
thnra rf~ fvl~ 1,,lA el,a aAo
the example on those who should remain In bondag
/ experience having shown that freed man mmedi
! former fellow slaves,-Ma olson Papers, p. 5S.
/ Are the gentlemen on the other side
of the House afraid to endorse
the views of Mr.. Madison? Are they pre-
pared to denounce him as fanatic. and a.
having been false to his, country and untrue
to his race? The time was when they de
lighted to claim him as one Of the brightcs
lights Of their party. but suppose ifhe
now were living he would receive his full
share of the bitter denunciations which
they have INDUCED in toward those who
are now trying to carry out the policy which
he advocated. Sir, let us be content to go
straight forward to our duty while Madison
and Washington point the way.
The gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. Cox in
his remarks on last Friday, referred to an
other case of no little interest. | mean the
case of Colonel Laurens. The facts in this
case furnish lus with the views of Congress
in 1870 in relation to the employment ol
colured troops. At that time the British
had overrun the States of South Carolinia
and Georgia. Very many Of the citizens Of
those States sympath'zed with the British
crown aud many Shareholders then, as
now, seemed to regard the safety of their
slave property" as of more importance
than the success Of our struggle for indie
pendence. These things made it difficult to
raise white troops within those States snfi-
cient to meet the demands of the Govern
ment Union the facts being represented
to Congress, that body passed a resolution.
of which the following is part: +a'e
"Reso1red, That IL be recommended to the States
think the same expedient, to take measures immed-
lately for raising three thousand able bodied ne
groes. ~ asE& s
That the said negroes be formed into separate
corps, battalions according to the arrangements
adopted for the main army, to be commanded by
white commissioned and non commission ed oncers.'
In order to give effect to this action, Con-
gress, on the same day, passed the follow
ing preamble and resolution
Whereas, John Laurens, ESQ, who has heretofore
acted as aid-de-camp to the comman der-in-chie Is
desirous Of repairing to, South Carolina With de-
sign assist in the defense Of the Southern States
"Rssofred, That cnmmission Of lieutenant col
onel be granted to the said John Loursns Esq"
In pursuance Of this action Of Congress, a
commission was issued to Colonel Laurens,
and ne entered upon his mission with great
zeal. He labored faithfully with the ar-
thorities of South Carolina. and urged upon
them the pressing necessity of carrying out
the purpose Of Congress. His efforts failed
to accomplish any good result. He advised
Washington Of his inability to do anything
in South Carolina but expressed his deter
mination to proceed to Georgia and see
whether there was not patriotism enough in
that State to enable him to effect some more
favorable result in regard to his important
mission. His efforts all proved fruitless.-
Why was this so? Why dill not those
States respond to the known desires Of a
large proportion Of the true patriots within
their own limits? The gentleman from
Ohio (Ar. Cox undertook to answer these
questions, and ! qlote his language, as fol
lows:
"What became Of this prcjecti The bis.
torian tells us that it eucountered at once
that stronge, deep seated feeling nnrtured
from earliest infancy among that people
which was ready to decide, with instructive
promptness, against measure of so threat.
ening an aspect, and so offensive to tha,
republican pride which .disdains to commit
their defense to servile bands, or share with
a color to which the idea of inferiority is in
separately connected, the profession of arms
and that approximation of condition which
must exist between the regular soldiers and
the militia man"
AT this point in the gentleman's speech
asked him to yield to we for : moment tha,
| might give him the true cause Of the fail
ure Of Col. Laureps' mission. The gentle
man declined to yield, and il was wise in
him to do SO; for the facts which propos
ed to furnish in explanation Of that failure