Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-11-09
The Negro Business at the South
What JeGDaviss says about Arm-
amg the slaves.

AMS inc ShhVeSs
From The Richmond Sentinel. Nov.l.l
| The proposition to extend the Conscript
law to the slaves will not fail to meet with
some opposition; but as far as we can judge
1t is daily increasing in popular favor, and
we believe will find favor with large ma
jority in the next Congress. The Mont
gomery appeal regards the proposition as
''unwise, ii not dangerous" The Appears
objections to the conscripti0n of negroes
are, that it involves a serious if not fatal
blow to the institution of slavery; that it
will be regarded by the enemy and the
world as an Indication that our resources
in men are exhausted; that our subsistence,
already heavily taxed, will be seriously de-
ranged. ~ ~ .t# as
Tile Mobile Tribune does not regard the
conscription Of negroes as necessary now;
| "the white men are sufficient for the emer-
gency;" but when the exigency arises The
| Tribune is prepared to make any sacrifice
independence will justify any sacrifice;
everything Is well spent that purchases
that boom" The Tribune says:
1.-THE question of using the slave for ser
vice in the army is by no means complex
one. 1t is as easy as an elementary arith-
metical problem, and its substance is simply
thus: The independence of the Confederacy
is paramount. Everything must be sacrificed
to that. All the negotiations, whether with
Abraham Lincoln or General Mcclellan,
will amount to nothing unless that shall be
attained. Less than that is cowardice. Less
than that is subjugation by the slow instru-
mentality of craft Less than that is putting
off the evil day to our pOsterity. Without
independence and with reconstruction, we
shall be subjugated finally just as much as
though Lincoln's army occupied every foot
of our country"
While we are by no means prepared to
say, "After us the Deluge," we see no ne
cessity for raising prospective difficulties.
Free negroes are now among us IN very
large numbers, and, in one State at least,
Louisiana, they are permitted to organize
military companies and to be drilled, and
have never given trouble from their ac-
quisitOn of military knowledge. After
the war the free negroes will be governed;
laws proper to their government and con-
troll will be required certainly, but not
more so than for the white man. AS to
any confessions of present exhaustion, we
do not see that it Is any more in the con-
scription of negroes than it was in the ex-
tension OF the Conscript law to embrace
persons of fifty years of age. SO far from
confessing our exhaustion, it is the earnest |
avowal OH the part of our people not to be |
exhausted, never to give up the contest as
long as there is man, white or black, to |
bear arms. Instead of weakness, it is the |
strongest assurance of using all our power |
and strength. To bring into service quar-
ter of million of men is no confession of
exhaustion, no sign of weakness. To pro-
claim our purpose to add the military |
strength of four millions of slaves to that |
of eight millions of whites has, we think,
rather the appearance of power than OF
weakness. AS to the effects of this propo-
A. ,h.sz hn hnrn
in mind that the production of supplies is
not our present difficulty, but their trans
portaton and distribution; that we have an
ample supply of provisions for the whole
country, if it was properly distributed.
Negroes now do not aid in the transpOrta-
tiOn of supplies, but when in the army,
they may be used to further that great
military end as well as to fight.
The objection that the negroes will give
trouble and become dangerous is refuted by
their docile and subordinate behavior dur
ing this war, when SO many of the whites
are from home, and when the enemy has
been pressing our armies at all points.
Never have the negroes been more easily
managed or exhibited more subordi-
nation or less sympathy for the Yam
KEGS than during the years of this war.
The many thousands who have gone off and
are now with the Yankees went because
thew were demoralized by the flight of so
many whites from the Yankees and be-
cause they were deceived by the promises
and driven off by the military power of the
enemy. This war has not failed to teach
the negro the lesson that his interests and
those of his master are identical-that his
only friend is the master, and that he can
find no peace with the Yankees. The suf-
fering Of those that are with the enemy has
been told over and talked over by those
who have remained, and the loss, though
heavy upon the master, has not been al
together thrown away upon the negroes.
1t is objected by some, that to give free
dom to the negro soldier is to acknowledge
hat freedom is boon, and hence that slav-
ery is wrong-that the strong argument
which this war is teaching the world, that
slavery is the God-app0inted institution for
he negro, will be weakened and refuted, II
freedom is given as the reward and price of
military service-that If negroes are re-
luired for the army they should beidrafted
IS slaves, treated as property, when lost in
service paid for, and after the war re-
,urned as slaves to their masters. But 1t
should be remembered that whether free
lom to the negro be really blessing or a
,urse. many negroes desire it, and are will
np to take it even from the Yankees. Free
lom is given to the negro soldier, not be-
ause we believe that slavery is wrong, but
because we must offer to the negroes in
ucements to fidelity, which he regards as
quail if not greater than those offered by
he enemy. The Yankees make the negro
rec at the North. We offer him freedom
/ home. Our correspondent, "A. B." be- 4
ewes the negro would desert from us to
he Yankees, and calls attention to the fact
hat the negro does not desert from the
yankee to us. The reasons given for this
" our correspondent are correct and prop
r. The Yankee negro at present fears us
nore than he does the dangers of the Yam
zee service; but, when once he sees negroes
n our army and understands that freedom
nd home in the Confederacy is the reward
4 service in our army; that here the field
Il labor is open to him, while it is closed in
he United States, we believe the tide of de-
ertion would set strongly in our favor.
We are not prepared to say that this meas
ire ia demanded by our present exhaustion.
We do not believe it Is. But the future
must be provided for, and 1t must be appa-
ent to every sensible man that the drain
Ipon the population Of the Confederate
states, which this war has made, must even
ually exhaust those States unless some
hing is done to supply this drain from 9TH
n sources than the white population. The
onscription law can not be extended to
my greater age, and its execution, howey-
n much improved, can not find the men to
nnply the losses so fast as the campaigns
,reate them. Shall we permit the enemy
o use the negroes against US, or shall we
make use of them for our defense?
Every man should weigh well this ques-
ion. and disconnect 1t altogether from the
..h.1ok &c eIoyoxxr ax,oo aif1a ff0n on6 Ofhor