Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-08-13
BLooMsBURG, COLUMBIA COUNTY, PENNA, SATURDAY, AUG

| bOli turCc UollarS OF WnlcI monthly pay
might be in clothing"
! Without any other law on the subject
prior in date to the present session OF Con-
greSs, Except an imperfect provision in an
act oil lS02 the President ia his message
of December s 1853, announced, that "of
those who were slaves at the beginning Of
the rebellion, full one hundred thousand
are now i'll the United States military ser
vice, about one half of which number ac-
tuaIly bear arms in the ranks"
AT the present session, on the oath OF
February, an act alnendatory Of the con-
scrip'ion law Of 1868 was approved, the
twenty.fourth section of which provides
for the enrolment of colored persons be-
tween twenty and forty five years of age !;
that slaves ofloyal masters enrolled drawn
and mustered into the public service, shall
be free, and one hundred dollars for each
shall be paid to the master and that in
the slave States represented in Congress,
the loyal master of slave who volunteers
into the public service shall be paid sum
not exceeding three hundred dolIars, out
of the military commutatou fund.
BY the army appropriation bill, ap.
proved June Is, le64, it was further pro-
vided, 'that all persons ofcoor who havo
been or may be mustered into the military
service of the United States shall receive
the samesuuitorm, clothing, arms, equip
ments, camp equpagc, rations, medical
and hospital attendance, pay and emou.
ments, other than bounty, as other soldiers
of the regular or volunteer forces Of the
United Safes of like arm Of the service
from and after the first day of January
1864; and that every person Of color
who shall hereafter be mustered into the
service, shall receive such sums in bounty
as the President shall order in the different
States and parts Of the United States
not exceeding one hundred dollars each >
! his enactment is similar in terms to a
bill which passed the Senate in Marcl
last, upon the consideration of which i
was announced, that at least two hundred
thousand colored troops would be raised
Adding to this number the number statet
by the President to be in service in Dc
combor last, would make one quarter Of {
million of troops of this description.
The measures above mentioned woui
establish the following points in tho policy
of the Government; First. The employ
ment OF black troops generally, both slave
and free. Second. The equality Of black
troops with white as 10 compensation and
supplies; and Third, The payment to the
loyal master of slave of a bounty of one
hundred dollars when the slave is drafted
into the service, or of bounty not exceed
ing three hundred dollars, when he volun.
teels.
The practical results Of this policy are
to obtain all inferior quality of troops al
highest rate ofcxpence /; to impose upon
the TscaSury the support Of an enormou:
number Of undscipIined and ignorant ne.
groes; to recognize the principal of buy
ing negroes from their masters, whether
the public interests require it or not, and
to incur the risk of breaking down in the
the war because of the inefficiency of the
forces employed in its prosecution. Be.
sides, it is notorious that in pursuing this
policy, the negro women and children
must, to great extent, be thrown upon
the Government for support or be left tc
perish.
There has never been extensive objec
tion to the employment of negroes under
the act of S62,in those war employmentf
for which they are fitted as !aborers and
teamsters, and for camp service. In the
warm parts of the country especially they
could be thus usefully employed, and q
reasonable number doubtless might also
be employed for some sorts Of service in
navy. But TO employ an unwicldy mum.
Der of them at such prodigiOus expense, i;
most evident folly and wrong, and it will
be well if signal disaster docs not result
from it, We know no reason for this ex.
travagant, costly, and dangerous policy,
except desire of the majority in Congress
to establish Qf indeed their enactmenls
could accomplish such objecO the equality
Of the black and white races with each 9TH
er. But doubtless, the employment ol
blacks in the war is to be made the pretcxt
for extending 10 them the right OF suffrage
and also social positlon,a ,and 10 be followed
probably, by the organization of q consid
cradle body Of them into standing army
The immediate result Of this policy Of
negroism in the war has been to postpone