Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-10-07


rrnNrspAY MORNING, OCT. s. 1864.
The q snersl Order for tho revocation. OF de-
s;,s will be found in -thia Issue OF the Fin
opirst" This stop has bsen taken by the
government to AL up the army. IL Is ne0.'
sary and proper; and if this ordsri' promptly
aotor,ed. tho increase of the army Will 10
.nssdv and rapid. We should hs' 70 'oS ~
..ep, taken to promptly enforce the isS =; "
G"ns,.,a fo, the employment Of negroes ID
the army as sssmsters, 90. mo "a" u I =
sress On this subject is plain, anu '"'"s "
g. m, % far enough, yet. BY promptly en-
foro;nc its provisions, many soldiers will &c
"A 10 their oomuand and the aTlny very
o,.atlv strengthened. The details sh'"io
Com. forward promptly; their services are
greatly needed, and if they are speedily COZ
i.c.ed and sent to the front there viii 10 ~
danger ut Richmond, and the condition q the
country present tho most encouraging sspee''
I, ia useless to seek to concea! that more H'cn
ara greatly wanted. Tho President las e~-
nhstioa,ly announced the ,tlrtling fact that
tvo.tbirds Of tho army are absent ffem Tie
..,h. Thsre would be no nssd Of reinforce
msnts but for this most disgracefus straggine
and dsssrtine. But as the fact exists and
this evil must 30 repaired, the details are
called upon to do service. How ling their
ssrxi,cs will be required cannot now b said'
INIT sixty or ninety days will terminate the
active operations If the oampaagn' anu 'hen
details may bs resumed. But, at Present, al
ava rss3ed snd gil must come forward
Those that delay or shirk will be hunted down
snd permanently sent to the army
The law Of Congress authorizing tho en-
n,oymsus of negroes, if fnlly BARRED out,
would give ten thousand men to the Army Of
Northern Virginia. The slaves and Tree me-
sr.ss can be impressed just as any other pro"
ne,sc, End the law provides for their support
srd clothirg, and pays the owner soldiers
wages.
Tn, law 5f February 18th makos all "niaie
FREQ negroes" with certain e1osptionsl "6e'
,wesn tho oass of l5 and 50 years." hsbls to
nsrform such duties within the army. OF Ii
connection With the. military dsfenoes CT the
country in tho way Of work upon tortifsa'
,ions, or in government works, Co. as the 30
crstary of War may, from time to time, pre-
s,ribe, and provides them rationa. clothing snd
compensation. The Secretary Of War is also
authorized to employ for similar duty twenty
thousand male negro slaves, and their owners
ara guaranteed against escape or death
The Secretary ia authorized to impress
tbe slaves when no csnnot hire them !;
and General Orders No. 52-Maroh ii, $50
directed the enrolment Of the fres negroes
and their assignment to the performance Of the
duties mentioned in the act. Also the enl-
nloyutsnt and impres6ment of slaves Was or-
dsr.d BY the same General Orders, and the
nrov;sioos Of General Orders No. 1873, oi the
24.h October, 1868, pointed out as governing
in this matter. Has this law and General
O,dsr been enforced?
The General Orders No. l35-Oosober "a,
ls5a-says mo improvements shall be
made of slaves employed in domestic and
family service exclusively, nor upon farms CT
n]antations where there are not more than
three slaves Of the ago specified, and not 'nore
than five Der cent Of the population Of tllves
shall bs impressed in any county at the sAno
time. unless the necessity ia very great, nnd
after consultation with this Department Or tho
Governor of the State in which tho impress
,,.nt ia 70 be made" Here is the law end
.h. General Order. Have they bssn enforced
r. tbey have not been executed, no longer
delav should bs allowed. We call upon The
authorities to enforce this law Immediately.
The question Of making soldiers Of negroes,
of regularly enlisting them and fighting them
for their safety as well as our own must have
presented itself to every reascting mind. Ba-
,auss the Yankees have not been able to make
soldiers out of their drafted negroes, it does
not follow that We cannot train our slaves to
make very efficient soldiers. We believe that
they can DO, by drill and discipline, moulded
into steady and reliable soldiers The
propristy of employing negroes as soldiers. We
shall not at present discuss; but whenever the
subjupation Of Virginia or the employment of
h,r slaves as soldiers are alternative PROPOSE
tons, then certainly We are for making them
soldiers, and giving freedom to those Negroes
that escape the casualties of battle
We should be glad to see the Confederate
Congress provide for tho purchase Of two hun
dred and fifty thousand negroes, present them
With their freedom and the privilege Of re-
naming in the States, and orm, equip,
drill and fight them. We believe that
the negroes, identified with u.s. By inter-
est and fighting for their freedom he:e'
would be- faithful and reliable soldiers, and,
under officers Wbc would drill then, could
be deponaed o. for much of tho ordinary
service, and even for the hardest hshting'
Il ia not necessary now to discuss this mat
tor, and may never become 60, but neither
negroes nor slavery will be permitted to Etant
in the way CT the SUCCESS of Cur cause. Ting
var is for national Independence On Our 6,de.
and for the subjogstion of white ana The
emancipation of negroes on the sldo Q! The
enemy. If NO fail the negroes are ncminslly
fro. and their masters really slaves. We
must, therefore, succeed. Other States may
decide for themselves but Virginia, otter e1-
hausting Ter whites, will fight her blacks
through to the last man. She will be irse at
all costs.
One Of the campaign documents in tho o.
8. Presidential election is before us. contain
ing Linooln's reasons against "the war policy
urged by the friends Of Gen. Mcclellan" as
wall as justifying the employment Of negroes.
vs. extrsst:
.aSir.n ssid the President, "the slightest
,-,.1 =, - or;thmetie will nro7e tn my