New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-29

service TO the Rebel cause, need we wonder
that our colorcd troops have suffered death in
its most horrible forms when they were entitled
by the laws of war to life and protection
The difficulty is that the Government does
not make determined effort 10 set matters
right. II would have been easier year ago
than it is now, and made then would have
obyiated some of tho existing obstacles TO
general exchange Of prisoners. There were
some cases in which the murder Of negro pris-
oners was perfectly well authenticated-at
Millikens Bend, for instance, and near Muir
freesboro. But since the Government fell back
on the plea that the facts were not brought to
its notice officially; since, in word, it showed
desire to postpone, and not desire to meet
the issue, the nsolence and cruelty of the Rebels
have ever since remained unchecked.
Unhappily, we are too much in the habit oil
treating this as q question of profit or loss to
the Government, and not as one into which the
rights Of the negro enter. When Congress
passed q law for the enrolment Of persons OF
African descent, and provided that the bounty
by law due to the person drafted should be paid
to the person who claimed to be the owner OF a
drafted slave, it did an act as mpolitio as it was
unjust. That law was declaration that the
claims Of the STAKEHOLDER were more respected
than the rights Of tho negro; and the value OF
the support which it obtained from Border. State
Shareholders was nothing compared with the
alienation Of the negro who, not being slave,
had a mind to enlist. For an estimate Of the
extent to which the support of the Border States
was conciliatod, let the present attitude and
condition of Kentucky be considered. Her
two-thirds dsloyal hostility shows that The OBJ
icct of this robbery was not attained; but it
would not be easy to get the statistics which
should demonstrate the positive loss of recruits
incurred in the attempt to secure it,
The question Of the pay of colored troops is one
which touches closely on all sides of the enlist
mcnt business, and is one which both Congress
and the military authorities have to settle.
Thousands of men were enlisted on the promise
by authorized agents of the War Department
that they should be paid "a other soldiers were
pau. pl'iiil'' ms bttia hA'rA'4i' nv rN
ate in full possession OF all the facts, has voted
down bill which completely repaired the injnS-
tice, and passed bill which leaves the subject
in the discretion of the Secretary hitherto and
still responsible for the existing breach oil faith
That bill-W hich, bad as il is, would be better
than nothing, because it equalizes pay for the
future-sleeps in some Committee oftho House.
with no prospect of early action or amendment
If there is anybody in the House who really
cares TO have these men paid, and who desires
TO promote enlistmeHts among their comrades,
he may do q twO-foli service by urging forward
this bill and by amending ii so as to pay wages
past due. And since the House has once voted
Tor better policy in the matter Of negro troops,
here Ia an opportunity to show that it was IN
earnest i'm passing that resolution.