Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1863-03-03
WHO SHALL HAVE THE SERVICES OF
THE NEGROES.

Shall we have the benefit of the negroe's
services in behalf Of the Union, or shall til
rebels have the exclusive privilege of his
services against the Union? This is the
practical question which is involved 10 the
proposition for enlisting and arming negro
soldiers. The negro We have in the coun-
try. We can't abolish him. lie IS a
fixed fact. He will remain while the pres
ent contest continues spite Of all we can
do. He has arms strong enough to bear
a mu ket or handle a cannon, legs able t.
make marches, and brain sufficient to ena.
Die him to use his physical abilities in the
art and practice of fighting. Bodily, the
main difference between him and the white
man, is only skin deep, and the color Of
the arms does not delract from its power,
MOI Of the hand from It's skill in the man
agement OF weapons. We have the ne
gro then, able-bodied and healthful, with a
capacity of infinite use upon one side or
the other in the present struggle; and the
question now is which party is 10 have
the advantage of bis arms, hands, legs, &c
in the prosecution of the fight. If we
don't use him The rebels will TEey are
doing this all the tlne The prejudice
against Cuffy does not 60 to the extent
Of lettering them from making him use
full wherever they can. That feeling is
confined exclusively to the breast of GER
tain Union men. Shall the rebels enjoy
monopoly of Cnffy's services and abilities
"But the rebels don't as a general thing,
put muskets into the hands of their negro
slaves-they use them in furnishing the
supplies, wiiiie they do the fighting them
selves" A good reason why the rebels
don't arm their slaves is that they are 10y
al men; but don't they employ their en-
ergies in the mode in which they can be
made most useful? That mode with them
is in working upon their plantation, and
providing the means wherewith the rebel
armies are sustained. If a more ser,icea-
BILE way of employing them existed. who
can doubt that the rebels would avail
themselves of ii Now The useful way in
which we can employ the negro is in help
ing to fight our battles. The people of
the North can't very well put him upon
their farms while they 90 to the wars
insurmountable obstacles preyent-and
now shall they follow the example of their
enemies in using him in the most useful
way they can, or, because he is black,
shall they refuse to receive any assistance
from him? 1t is very simple PROPOSE
ton. if negroes can be used to better adj
vantage in putting down the rebellion in
some other way than by making soldiers
of them, by all mans let that method be
adopted. But if the most advantageous
method is by using thsm as soldiers, then
we say, let that course be pursued. We
do not entertain sufficient respect for the
rebellion to be very particular about the
means used for its suppression. Even if
it should hurt the feelings Of the rebels to
fight against negroes, we should not feel
ike sacrificing victory on that account
We are now using saltpetre, blunderbusses,
bavonets. bomb shells and many other
things which are not particularly nice in
themselves, nor very pleasant to meet with
all to put down the rebellion--and If in
addition we could employ few negroes
70 help on the wo:k, we would not be
disposed to draw nice distinctions between
them and other means We DO not believe
the rebellion particle too good to be
put down by negroes Missouri Demo