New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-11
COLORRD TROOPS.

Outrages and lndctensiDlo CLAIMS. vi us t~o
leading organs in this city, that which Is openly
so is rather more cautious i'll defending its worst
iniquities; the other, which cloaks Its sympathy
with an occasional alfectation Of loyalty, scru-
pies not to defend treason in theory ss well as
in practice, and TO base its half-cOncealed advo-
cacy of the Rebel cause on arguments which
imply the business of treason itself. Such Is
the position assumed yesterday by Tho World,
touching the question Of the rights Of negro
soldiers.
The World says:
awe dsmsnd that The soubernsr should recognize our
h, dvcs him Of hs property In slsve. because We put
arms In his hands
That concession hs viii make II without quarter
on both side, should be tho result Nor hare asy right 10
ask that eo~es"ios Of him"
We arc fighting 10 maintain and perpetuate
the Union, against the authority Of which cor
tain States have revolted. There are, or were,
in those States about Twelve Millions Of people.
of whom Four Millions were held in Slavery
under State laws. Those Four Millions are
known TO the Constitution only as persons,
capable of committing crime, amcnabo to pun
shment, owing allegiance to the Union, pun
ishsble for treason. Like other citizens, they
legally owe military service to tho Government.
They are for the most part loyal, and show
themselves cheerfully and generously ready
to don the uniform of the Republic. But
tn. World AYERS that because the Eight
Millions of Southerners have proved traitors,
the -Four Millions are bound also to be trnitors;
and that if ono Of tho -Four Millions enlsts into
our service he may rightfully be hanged or
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT by his msstor-but by the
military power now in Rebellion against the
Government! More briefly stated, The HorlT'
proposition il that the Rebel authorities have q
right to hang negro slave who Is loyal to the
Union because he is loyal to the Union. Does
so monstrous. so infamous proposition as that
require to be controversial Our answer Is
simply that no man can hold or advocate such
an opinion without being traitor in heart aud
in speech.
But let us see how far the proposition, duly
applied, will carry us. The Rebels claim abso-
Lutte, unconditional obedience to their uSurped
authority. and punish disobedence by death.
They hang not only negro slaves but white men.
They take citizens of North Carolina whom they
find in our ranks, serving under our flag, and
hang them for their loyalty 10 the Union, just
a. they hang negroes. viii The World justify
this also The Rebel argument is that North
Carolina il now a part OF the Confedcracy-at
least Of the insurgent territory which we have
recognized as ligerent-therefore they hang
North Carolinians for treason to the Confedoracy.
But they have VIGOROUSLY in their armies thou
sands of citizens of Missouri, Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Maryland-nay, even sttizens OF New
York and Connecticut, which never were nor
for moment pretended to he parts Of the Con-
fcderacy. On their theory. we have the right
to hang such citizens, when captured in arms
against the Union, irrespective of belligeSnt
rights granted to the Rebellion. Does The
World admit or deny that We hayel five have,
then Buckner and Peinberton, and the thou
sands Of captured Missourians should have beon
hanged. If We have not, then the last shallow
pretense for banging negroes is dissipated.
Which horn of tho dilemma does The World
choose
OF course the fatal and traitorous fallacy|
underlying the whole Copperhcad argument is
that to concede to the Rebels the right to treat
negroes or white men al traitors comedies the
whole question Of Rebellion. recognizes their
independence, and admits the existence of al
Conicderscy to which il is possible that citizens
owing loyalty TO the Union should commit
treason, and be punishable therefor. II assumes.
moreover that the negroes in arms are or were
slaves. Whether they are or not makes no diff
ference with the Rebels. But The Worh says:
" Negroes, the inhabitants Of tho Tree States, we
have the right TO ask him to respect equally
with white men, and he will do it," Will he
What is the authority for the statement JEFF
ferson Davis says he will not, and in fact he has
not. Who knows how many free blacks were
murdered OF Fort Pillow Who knows whether
they were not all citizens Of Free States The
original order of Davis in December, lo62, made
no distinction between free and slave, and none
has been made in practice. The Hortds argu-
mont jusfifes the Fort Piliop massacre! Is sin
famous" harsh word to apply to i'll
And yet, having argued in one column that
negro slaves owe allegiance wholly to their
masters, and may be murdered il they refuse it,
The World, in its next column, charges the
slaves with being Rebels TO the Union because
they have not abandoned their masters, and
taken up arms in body on our side Again
forgetting consistency in its wickedness, it says