The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-11-19
JeT Davis, 0plnIoa OF slarerr
NJ De - WhIg. ~. 10.

There never has been public Ques
ton of the enrolment of negro soldiers
Although some unwise individuals hay,
broached it In the press, the question i
not at this time before the country.
The proposal made in the President
Message, IN so far as it IS practical snC
lntelligible, Is to double the number o
slaves already authorized by law 70 bt
impressed for teamsters, laborers, etc.
and TO employ them in the additional
work Of pioneers and engineer labo
rers. If the Message had confined it
self to this, and not invited consider
alton to the propriety of a radical mod
itication IL the theory of the law there
would have been but little to be said
The practical business of the employ
ment of additional slave labor about
the army would have been treated on
It's own merits, aud neither Congress
nor the country would have been at al
| agitated on tie subject
i As It's Mr. Davis has chosen to open
up questions both deep and dangerous,
which, if Congress do not close them up
peremptorily may gravely disquiet our
| people and compromise our cause. 1t
Is truly astonishing and almost incred-
| lille, that now IN the fourth year of our
/ independence, and of terrible war
waged to vindicate that independence
after breaking up the old federal
| Union because We would not suffer the
Washington Congress to interfere with
our State institutions-the President Of
the Confederate States should ''invite"
oh Il - Il .
project for emancipating slaves by the
Confederate authorities, and should at
the same time speak of this emancipa-
| ton as "a reward for faithful service,
| as boon aud a blessing, something
which would place these negroes in a
better position than before Mr.. Davis
thus intimates his opinion, first that
laws of Congress, or the action of the
Confederate Executive, can liberate
slaves; and second, that slavery is so
dire and hideous an evil as to make es-
cape from its horrors reward and
boon even to an old worn out negro at
the end of term of faithful service" "
Many worthy Virginians have long
been OF opinion it is true, that it were
better for the State if slavery were
abolished and the slaves sold OFF 70 the
cotton States. It is certain that but for
the stupid insolence of abolition phil
anthropy, sHch change would actually
have beenmade in the industrial system
Of Virginia. Possibly, also, hereafter,
when the war shall be over, and all
pretence Of coercion and pressure shall
be removed, the citizens of this State
may, if they think right-for their own
benefit, and not as boon to negroes
make arrangements tor the gradual
removal Of their slaves farther south.
This may one day come to be s practi
cal question; but tits no question now,
and, above all, it IS no question for nr.
Davis, either now or in the future We
warn him and the Confederate autho-
rites to mind their own business; we
Invite their consideration to their
own business; and their most pressing
business now is 10 execute and enforce
thc military laws they already have, to
use the powers WhereWith they are al
ready intrusted ia order to keep the
ranks of the army filled up with white
men and free citizens, who ought to
need no stimulus TO faithful service,
and whose single and sufficient reward
will be the glorious independence OF
their native land.
We have been accustomed to think
In this Southern country that the best
friends Of the negroes were their own
masters; aud that we were bound 10
withstand the cruel philanthropy Of
Yankee statesmanship, not only by
constitutional principle aud State pride,
but also by our duty towards those
creatures who grew up under our care
The sad destiny of those slaves whom
Yankees have stolen, or otherwise Glib
Grated, has satisfied us still more
clearly that common humanity re-
quired US to stand between our negro
population and the tender mercies,
which are cruel, of their false and per |
fidous Northern friends. Most Southern |
men, too, had battered Themselves that |
il was a blessing to the used-up and |
wOrnOu negro, at the end Of his faith !
full service, 10 have a kind master 70 |
take care of him But now the Presi |
don't of the Confederate States opens |
quite smother view of the matter Ac- |
cording To bis message, it is rich re- |
ward for faithful service TO turn p ne |
gro wild Slavery, then, in the eyes Of |
Mr Davis, keeps the negro cut Of some
thing which he has the capacity to en-
Joy it depresses him below the level /
10 which nature has given him powers |
70 attain, IL hindeTs the development /
Of his faculties for good it forbids his
pursuit of happiness. If the Gaze be
50, then slavery Is originally, radically, /
iHcurably wrong aud sinful, and the
sum Of al barbaristn This is what
Seward and Sumner say; and this Is
what Mr. Davis says after them They |
invoke the federal Congress TO discour-
age and discountenance slavery in the
Territories; be invites the Confederate
Congress to consider the expediency Of
beginning to abolish it in the States.
TINS va. never do The slightest
given TO those unWhole>
sons notions may produce worse effects
than can be at once perceived. Not
only our invading enemies, but those
foreign nations which are watching our
struggle with keen interest win be
greatly struck BY the suggestion Of the
Message, and will look On curio1sly to
sec how Congress and the country will
deal with ito see whether there was
any real principle in our resistance 20
federal usurpation-<tO judge whether
our zeal for State rights, and our theory
Of the justice and beneicence Of sla-
very were nothing but a dishonest
sham, ali the while, and whether the
Northern people and ourselves are not
IN fact, after all our fghting, one homo
yeneous peopie-one ia our principles,
or want Of principles-one IN our pO
itical and social theories--one in our
tricky ways--all slippery Yankees TO
yether
Whatever respect for the confederacy
has been impressed on the mind Of
Europeans Dations--whateVer desire
l9H exists amongst the best Of their
people to see Us recognized By the
FOrld, and 70 ggs our forms of civil
alton fair play and open field 70 deyel-
,p what good may be in it--all such
ceilings would be eztinguished a. once
the theories Of the Message should 1
low be entertained II
Ocn Ex-PREslDKsrs-A CUmors FAcT.
III is a rsrAarkable fact that all our
urviving ex Prssidents--fd9ling Fill
nore, poor Pierce and poor old Buchan-