The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-19
THE REBELS IN COUNCIL.

aDolEGs
THE REBELs IN COUNCIL.
The Employment OF slaves and
Free Negroes.
On February I, the House discussed
the bill reported from the Committee on
Military affairs, to increase the efficiency
of the army by the employment Of free
negroes and slaves under certain circum-
stances.
An unsuccessful attempt TO 20 into Sc :
cTet session was made, the pending ques
ton being upon an amendment offs-ed
by Mr. Baldwin, of Virginia, to add 70
| the first section the words: "And no free
negro engaged in the production of food
and forage shall be taken under this
act"
Mr.. BsrksdAle, of Mississippi, said that
IL was no harm to say that we needed
troops, and it was the duty of Congress
| to place men in the army, and fill up those
serried ranks now so calamity maintain
| ing our cause in the field. The Chair
man of the Military Committee had in
| formed the House that the. proposed meas
ure would bring forty thousand troops in
to the field-more than had been engaged
in any great bsttle-without materially
diminishing our resources and yet we
were met at the threshold by question
relative to exchange. Suppose these
free negroes were taken prisoners; the
free negro is NOT an useful ingredient of
our sQciety. He was astonished, 3 few
days ago, at the assertion of the gentle
man from Virginia (Mr. Baldwin, that
this class was an useful one in his State.
He would leave it to the gentleman's COL
leagues TO answer that; but would ssY
that, according to his observation, the
free negro was blot upon our scutcheon,
aud pernicious TO our slave population
Neither were they engaged in agriculiu-
raj pursuits.
The amendment of the gentleman
from Virginia proposed to make a most
unjust discrimination against the poorer
white classes. He says to free negro,
you shall not bear the burdens of this
war-while he goes to the dwelling of
the humble white citizen and says to
him-you must take your place IN the
army. 1t was contrary TO the usages of
Government to regard negro as 3 citi-
zen, and yet the gentleman proposed to
discriminate between them and the
poorer white classes.
Mr.. Baldwln-Does- the gentleman
wish TO place the negroes and whites on
an equality?
Mr.. Barksdale said that he was in ia
vor of the bill just as it came from the
committee. He would employ negroes
in mental service in the srmy, and thus
increase its efficiency by placing able
bodied white men, row performing those
services, in tho ranks.
Mr.. Atkins, of Tennessee, called Che
question; which was ordered, and Mr..
Bsldwin's amendment was rejected.
Mr.. Wright, of Texas, said he would
like to vote for the bill, but ccnstitu.
tional difficulty presented itself to bis
mind. He would inquire of the Chair
man of the Military Committee if the
proposition TO pay negroes eleven dollars
per month was not unconstitutional?
Mr. Miles thought the objection not a
very subtle one. When the Constitution
provided that no private property should
be taken without just compensation to
the owner, it did not deprive Congress
of the privilege Of fixing The compeBss-
ton. It did not make il obligatory that
it should be fixed by jury. If Congress
determined to employ negroes in mental
operations in the army, it was perfectly
competent TO determine the compensa-
ton to be paid to the owner. While we
were paying soldiers but eleven dollars
per month, he thought the compensation
ample for the services of negroes.
Mr.. Smith, of Alabama, moved to
strike out the first section of the bill.
It was proposed to put into the fOrtifca-
tons and in the army, in the capacity of
teamsters, free Negroes class who
were inimical TO our cause.-Many of
them could read, write and draw, and
being introduced into the Notifications,
and becoming acquainted with their de-
tails, had only TO communicate them to
the enemy. So with regard to tesmsters
They might by carrying devices, clog
the movements of the whole army.
Mr.. Elliott, of Kentucky-Does the
inimical to our clause than slaves?
Mr. Smith had never heard that free ne
groes had done anything good to our cause.
he was willing to pass the second sec
ton. which provides for the employment
of slaves, but opposed the free negro fea-
ture in toto.
Mr.. Chambliss, of Virgins, said that
he represented district that was over
whelmed with free negroes, and since the
departure of the slaves they were the
only laborers that could be procured.
There were m any dependent females, who
had no other means of procuring sub
sistence or fuel. There was, however, a
clause in the bill which authorized the
President to exempt such free negroes as
the interests of the country might re-
quire; and he was willing to trust to the
Justice of the Executive in this respect,
and should vote for the bill. He was
quite as willing to trust free negroes in
the army as slaves, however much we
might be attached TO the latter class. He
hoped the section would not be stricken
ont. Il YVES his intention to vote for
every measure to increase the army, and
be invoked the House TO stand boldly up
TO its responsibility. If our cause failed,
this Congress would be handed down to
posterity with contempt, because it re-
fused to make use Of the measures within
its reach.
Mr.. Smiths amendment was lost
Various other amendments were pro-
posed, seine of which were adopted and
Others rejected, and the bill finally
passed.
DRUGGED WITH CHLoRoFORM.-An i'm
preston is gaining ground here, and ii
prevails to a great extent in sporting
circles, that Heensn was treacherously
dFugged, either by one of his own friends