Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-11-30
Snail. slaves be put sin the Army.fs

- !
The Pro.iaont in his latc mossage, recommends
to Congress that Forty ThOusand slavcs bsrut
in tho Confederate Army os engineers and 2io- +
ncers.', This question, no forrsec, is about to
asitatc tho pu5lic mind very deeply, and to'bo-
get, 90 fear, angry dissHFsion. 1t . . subject
unqucstianahly of grave import, and one one inTolr-
nr very weighty issues. But no man who is not
bind;d by prejudice aud party feeling, can Doubt
that the President before making this 81 ggsstion
TO Congress, must hare given it consideration
and been urged By grave and 9cighsg consdera-.
tions. But not only this: Mr. ALEyaSnEE, The
iudicious correspondent Of Che Savannah Repa1-
i;eop. r,a ncY,r spsaka atrandom, tells us that
this proposition las the sanction Of such man
as Gen. RoBEET e. LEE; The man Of NIL otLers
best capabie Of judging of Tie necc,:ities of the
Arny-and incapable Of doing anything from
Improper motives. These facts shcud induce
every ha sat man to give this sasatisna fair and
,iispassionalc consideration before he ee'den nnS
it ; this j. all we ask, hEd this we shaii endcavor
TO DO ourselves.
No7if ,hc safety Of the country depends upon
putting forty thousahd s!ayOs In tue Army as
engineers, pioneers, nd<laborors, no mon who is
: patriot can hesitate for am onsnt in giving his
consent to the measure. And Sho is most COM
p.lent to decide that question: ROBERT E. LEE,
or Newspaper; Editors and small politicians 'he
have never been to ":ho front Pr As to tho prs
pristy Of sending these, slayoS to Gen. LEE, II
he asks for them, tterc esn be no; doubt in the
mind of any man who is true to the;countiy.
But thoro is another part Of the proposition
by no sans 50 free from .dilitulty.. The Presi-
dent proposes that these forty thous. nd slaves be
bought, and that ct TIE end Of the war they shall
be emaneipated. Hero we are not ready to con-
cur with Mr.. DAVIS, as sreat-rsspect as we have
for his opinion. Tho necessity ferpntting slavos
in the Army is strictly military question, and
Gan. LEE is the proper judge. of al such qucs-
tiona; We trust VIC shall never bs guilty Of tie
weakness and arrogance of setting up the opinion
Of an Editor .ainst that Of this great Captain
in matters pertaining to war. But tine disposi-.
ton OF these sares after the war ia a moral ques
ton, and upon that nm Editor may be presumed
to have some Observation-Disclosures able to
drill "a an awkward squad"
/ We believe, then, that slavery, properly organ
ized, is the best condition for the African, and
| what G ed has ordered for h;s, hence we do not
| gee tho wisdom Of attempting to reward him, for
faithfulncEs by bestcuing upon him that which
Is not good for b;m. And yet thoreis . difaeulty
| here, we feel, and which no doubt Mr.. DAVIS
felt, when proposing cmsncipahoni difficulty
which every right-minded man .nust :ecl. After
those slaves shall have served faithfully incur
Army, and aided us in gaining ourihdepcndence,
lit would bo gross injustice ta send them back
into thur present condition of slarery. Would
It be just to one Of those slayes who had
served the country faithfully throue eh q Iors war
to erpa:-ia.c him, to dcny him q home among us,
to separate him from his wife and family, put him
upon tho auction block, sell him TO msrcilsss
spocula;or, and Danish him to parts unknown? Wo
envy not tho man whose soul dees not revolt at
such proposition. We SEQ then this subject
| is eneumbered with grave difficulties On both
sides; and-how are these difficulties to be adjust
ed2 We think there is medium course lying
between these extremes, a1l, with due Difference,
we will presume to sugge.tit. -
Let these forty thousand slaves he hired from
their masters at something asoss the market
price; let tho Government gire bdpd to pay s.
the ED of to war, in aold. Suoh slaYes az
are ret returned to their owners. At thecnd Of
the war, let every slave be returned 10 his mater,
and lot each State Government pass , Law that
snch slaves rs havo scrveI il tie ARMY, sHi
their wives and children, shall be hsnscforth,
and for the tern, Of their natural lives, attached
to the soil ON which they then msy livc-be made
heirlooms to the Freehold-and not liable for
debt. This will be bestowing upon tho slSye q
substantial good, for which he will thank ycu,
and of which God will approve. Not only so;
it rill prove as great blessing to the master as
the slave. 1t will remove tho only remaining
objection which honest ard enlightened Europe
ans Row urge against the institution; and it will
enhance immehsely tho valuo Of real estate, by
Introducing different mode OF cultivation.
When slaves ore fixed 10 tho sol, ,tho soil will be
worth taxing care Of. It will enhance theraluc
Of cach of the slaves; q slave not liable for debt
! is far more valuable than one that is. 1t will
elevate the neral character of the slave, and 70
again enhance his value. twill place him in s
position in which hu may receiFc the teachings
Of the Gospel, and bucome Christian, which he
will never be while allowed to have as many
wiTos as be may chance to have masters. 1t Mill
improve the tone and character Of the slave
holder; and bcfct strong link, in another gen
er4ti0r, tina; will bind master and slave together.
II will strengthen aud sivo pormanence to our
civil goyernmsnt. 1t will give an incentive to
honost industry to acquire property, vixen il is
known that this property must deFeond to on='s
children. In ! werd, we believe that such plan
would work beneicially forth country IN e Pc
cunisry, moral, and political point of view. We
should rejoice to see tho experiment made with
tAsse forty thousand engineers and pioneera,"
for wo havo strong confidence in the opinion that
if the experiment could once bo made, its advaa-
tasss would be manifest that that feature would
sooca ba cngrcf.sd upon the entire institution