Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-23

the Northern States, or to European pow
ers, from entering the States; and by the
most rigid provisions, they are seized and
put into prison should they enter it. these
were her rights under the' Union OF the
United States, recognized and protected
by the government of the United States,
and acouiesced in by all foreign nations.
And, now, here, it is proposed that the
government of the Confederate States, not
only has the right to seize our slaves and
to make them soldiers, but to emanclpate
them in South Carolina, and compel us to
rive them ga home" among u.s. We con-
fess that our Indignation at such Preten-
sions is so great, that we are at loss 10
know how to treat them. 10 argue against
them is disqualification. They are as
monstrous as they are insulting.
The pretext for this policy is, that we
want soldiers in our armies. This pretext
lis set up by the Enquire, in the face OF the
fact disclosed by the President of the Con
federate States, that two-thirds OF our SOL
diers, now in the army, are absentees-trom
its ranks. The Enquirer is devout up
holder of President Davis and the Admin
istration. 1t does not arraign the govern
ment for such state of things. 1t passes
over the gross acknowledgement which has
produced them, and cries out, that ne
groes are wanted to fill the ranks OF our
armies. The President refutes the asser-
ton. They are pot wanted. The treemen
of the country are not dependent on slaves
for their defence. There are twice as
many at home as are in the field. Why
are they not in the service? In our opin-
ion, it is the fault of the government, and
can be rectifed. But if it is the fault of
the people, can slaves supply the place Of
two-thirds Of the people, to give the Con-
tolerate States independence and liberty?
1t is vain TO attempt to blink the truth
The freemen of the Confederate States
must work out their own redemption, or
they must be the slaves of their own
slaves. The craftsmanship, which looks to
any other source for success, is contempti-
bic charlatanry. Ii is worse-it is treach-
erv to our cause ITSELF Assert the right in
the Confederate government to emancipate
slaves and it is all stone dead.
OF the two-thirds of the freemen of the
Confederate States, who are absent from
the army, there are two hundred thousand
who have, by the direct action and per-
mission of the government, been exempt
ed from service in the field. These alone,
placed in the field, are sufficient to give
success to our arms. They constitute a
! portion of our enrolled soldiery, belonging
to distinct military. organizations and COM
! mands. The residence OF every man of
them is known and they are amenable to
! military discipline and seizure. Congress
has passed a law, taking from the govern
ment the power to continue these exempts:
Why are they not put into the army 3
! The ground on which they were exempted
from service in, the field was, that their
labor was more important to the Confed-:
eracy at home to provide for the country
and the army, than in the field.
Admit that for this reason, the govern.
ment was right in exempting from service
in the feld-it conclusively proves, that
orr slaves ought not TO be distracted from
! this occupation. If for the last year, not
only all our slaves, but two hundred thous-
and of cur soldiers, were necessary, by
their labor, to make food for the country
-dOeS IL nOt lolioW, lllaC IL you Withdraw
the two hundred thousand soldiers from
this occupation-the slaves ought not to
be withdrawn also? The labor Of every
slave in the Confederacy will be required
to give us food, and thus to save our cause.
They have been, and must continue to be-
vastly more useful to us as laborers, than
they could be as soldiers. But we feel, in
presenting these reasons of espe<ziency, tina,
we, in some sort, degrade the right. We
deny that the government of the Confed
crate States has the power by the Consti
tuition of the Confederate States, to con
scribe our slaves into our armies, or to EN-
ancipate them.-CAar. Nervury.