Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1864-11-30
The Negro Question.

HE negro Question.
The rebel Secretary of War, James A.
Sedden, in his annual report dated the
Sd inst, thus discusses the question of
the employment of slaves in the rebel
armies.
With view to the increase of our
armies in the field the policy has been
suggested, and has attracted some public
attention, of enlisting our negroes slaves as
soldiers. No compunction could be felt
SO using them, for deeply as the whites of
the South are interested in repelling the
invasion and forever iberating themselves
from the association or thraldom of our
enemies, the negroes of the South are
even more vitality concerned. With the
whites it is a question of nationality, of
honor, and property with the negroes,
it is dread issues in no distant future, it is
the question of their existance as race.
The friendship OF a people so selfish, cruel
and remorseless as our foes, would be TO
the unhappy negro more fatal than to us
their enmlty In contact with them, un-
der their freedom before the law, which,
in operation on an inferior race, is but a
License to greed and oppression. Exposed
to all the vices, without the providence of
the civilized man, they must soon, in the
language of Il leader among their pro-
fesscd friends, ''be trampled out as a
sickly exotic" or wither away amid the
blighted influence of dcbauchery, pauper-
ism, crime ahd disease.
They have besides the houses they
value, the families they love and the mas
tcrs they respect and depend on, 10 de-
fend and protect against the savagry and
devastation of the enemy. No fear is en-
tertaincd of their fidelity, for the feelings
of the great mass of the negroes have
been conclusively manif sted TO be with
their protectors and masters. Neither is
it doubted that under the leadership of
those whites 10 whom they have habitua-
ted and in whom they have confidence,
the would exhibit more steadfastness and
courage than they will ever attain as SOL
dicrs of the enemy. If any added in
centive were required from the supposed
love of freedom natural to man, it might
be readily afforded by the assurance of
emancipation TO all who conducted them
selves with fidelity and courage during the
war. For any such action it would of
of course require the concurring leglsla-
ton of each State. from the slave popu-
lation of which the negro troops had
been drawn; because the States belong
exclusively the determination of the re-
lations which their colorcd population, or
any part of them, shall hold.
1t is not doubted, however, should it
be deemed expedient SO to employ and re-
ward slaves enlisted as soldiers. that the
necessary legislation would be recorded,
for there is no sacrifice of property or
minor interests which would not be made
by either our States or people to assure
final separation from our hateful foes and
the achievement of our liberty and indie
pendence. While it is encouraging to
know that this resource for further and
future efforts is ut our command, my own
judgment does not yet either perceive the
necessity or approve the policy of en-
ploying slaves in the higher duties of
soldiers; they are confessedy inferior in
all respects to our white citizens to the
qualification of the soldier, and l have
thought we have within the military age
as large proportion of our whole popu-
lation as will be required, or can advan-
tageously be employed in active military
operations If, then, the negro be en-
ployed in the war, the inferior is pretera-
bic to the superior agent for the work
In such war as this, waged against foes
bent with malignant persistence on our
destruction, and for all that man holds
pricelcss-thc most vital work Is that OF
a soldier, and for it wisdom and duty re-
auire the most fitting workmen. The su-
perior instrumentalities should be pre-
ferred. 1t will not do, in my opinion, to
risk our safety on the negro, while the
white man may be called on the sacred
duty of defense. For the present it seems
best to leave the subordinate labors OF
society to the negro, and to impose its
highest, as now existing, on the superior
class.
~" hope you will be able to support