Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-11-17

csssss should be wholly abandoned 1t affords great
facility for abuses, offers the temptation o. wen as the
and is one Of the principal obstruoons to The ecent
operation OF the conscript laws
general militia law is needful in the interest OF the
public defence The Constitution by vsstng the power
in Congress- imposes it the duty OF providing for or
gaDzing aring and discipinng the militia and for gov
ernng such part of them may be employed in the ser
vice Of the Confederate states The great diversity in
the legislation of the several States on this subject and the
absence OF any provision establishing an exact method Tor
calling the militia into Confederate service are sources
Of embarrassment which ought longer to be suffered
70 impede defensive measures
EMPLOYMENT OF SLAVES.
The employment of slaves for with the army
te nsters or cooks in the way of work upon ortfca
tons 10 the Government workshops, or in hospitals,
other similar duties authorized BY the act OF 18th
February last and provision was made Tor their impress
ment 70 number not exceeding twenty thousand, il 1t
should be found mpraccabe to obtain them by contract
with the owners The law contemplated the hiring only
the labor Of these slaves and imposed on the Govern
the liability pay for the value OF such might be
lost to the from casualties resulting from their EN-
p yent in the service This act has produced less re-
suit than anticipated and further provision is required
render it ecacous But my present purpose is to IN
ve your consideration to the propriey Of radical mod
! fcation In the theory OF the law.
Viewed merely as properly, and therefore as the sub.
ect of the service labor of the slave has
frequently claimed for short periods in the construc
ton of defensive works. The slave however, bears
other relation to the stae-that OF person The law Of
last February contempaes only the relation of the slave
to the master and limits the impressment to cera
term of service But for the purposes enumerated in the
instruction in the manner of encampng marching and
parking trains is Deedul that, in this limited
employment length of service adds greay to the value OF
the negros labor Hazard s also encountered in all the
positions to which the negroes can be assigned to service
with the army and the duties required OF them demand
| loyalty and zeal
In this aspect the relation of person predominates 80
far render it doubtful whether the private right Of
property consistently and benefcaly be continued,
and it won proper to acquire for the public service
the entire property tho labor of the slave and to
due compensation rather than to impress his labor
for short te and this the especially the effect
of the present law would vest his entire property in all
where the slave might be recatured after comPen
saon for his loss had been paid to the private owner
Whenever the entire property in the service of slave
thus acquired by the question presented
by what tenure he should be held Should he be retained
in seryude should his emancipation be held out to him
az reward for faithful service should it be granted at
once the promise of suca service and emancpated
what action should be taken to for the freedman
the permission of the State from which he drawn to
reside within limits after the close of his public service
The permission would doubtless be more readily accorded
as reward for past faithful service and double motive
for jealous discharge OF duty would thus be offered to
those employed by the Government-ttelr freedom and
the qualification Of The local attachment which is mar ked
characteristic of the negro and forms powerful in
| centive to his action,
charge after service faithfully rendered seems to pre-
erab!e to that Of granting immediate manumssion, or that
OF retaining him IN seryiude Ii this policy should re-
commend itself to the judgment of Congress il is ges
ed that in ADDITION to the duties heretofore performed by
the slave he might be Autobiography employed pioneer
and engineer aboer aud in that event. thst the number
should be augmented to forty thousand Beyond this limit
and these employ ments it does not to me desirable
under existing circumstance TO go. broad, moral dis
ion between the OF slaves soldiers IN the
defence of their homes and the Indictment OF the
to instruction against their masers The one is
UNSUITABLE il necessary the other niqultou and
worthy of civilized people, aud such is the judgment Of
all writers on public law well that expressed aud in
sisted by enemies in all WARS prior to that now
wsged against BY none have the practices of which
they guilty been denounced with greater severity
than by themselves the two with Great Britain in
ast and ia the present century, and the Declaration
OF pendence OF l76 when enumeration made OF
the wrongs which justified the revolt from Great Britain,
the climax of atrocty deemed to be reached only
when the English monarch denounced as having "er
| cited domestic instruction amongst U.s."
The subject s TO be viewed By u.s. therefore, solely in
the light of policy and social economy. When
garded must dissent from those who advise general
levy aud srmng of the slaves for the duty OF soldiers
Until our white population shall prove insufficient for the
armies we require sud ado d to keep 10 the field 10
employ soldier the negro, who has merely been trained
70 labor and aborer the white accustomed from
his youth the Of firearms would scarcely br deemed
wise or advantageous by any and this s the question
before U.S. But should tho alternative ever be presented
of suJugatn of the employment of the slave sol
der tbee reason to doubt what should then be
our dec son,
Whether our view embraces what would in extreme
case, be the Of misery enaed by the dominion OF
the enemy, t. be restricted solely 10 tue fare and
happiness of the negro population themse7es the result
be the The appalling decentralization, suffer
di aud death which have been caused by part
ally substituting the invaders system of police for the kind
relation previously subss.Hg between the master and
slave have been suite demonstration that external
Interference with our institution OF domestic slavery is
productive Of evil only If the subject involved other
than the right Of property the sacrifices
heretofore made by people have been such TO per-
ut no doubt Of their readiness TO surrender every posses
session in order TO secure their independence
But the social and political question, which is eTclu
sivey under the control Of the several States has far
wider and enduring Importance than that of pecu
mary interest In its manifold phases ii embraces tho
stability OF our republican institutions resting the
tus political equality Of all its citizens and includes the
fu 6meut of the task which has been happily begun,
that outstanding and improving the condition OF the
Africans who have by the will Of Providence, been placed
10 charge. Comparing tho results of expert
will those OF the experiments Of Others who have
borne similar relation he African race the people Of
the several States OF the Conederacy have abundant
be satisfied with the past and to the greatest
circumspecton 10 determining their course.
These considerations however rather applicable to
the improbable contingency OF our need Of TesortDg to this
element OF than to present condition. Ii
the recommendation sbo7emade the training Of forty
housand negroes for the service indicated shall meet your
appreciation, II is certain that this limited number
by lhrr pr paTatofy training IN intermediate duties would
form valuable force, la Of urgency
than threefpd their number suddenly called from field
labor while fresh levy could to certain extent, sup
ply their places 10 tbs special service for which they
| now employed
NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE.
The disposition Of this Government for peaceful sou
tramcnt has been often manifested and 10
we'll known to need new ASSURANCES But while it is true
that individuals and parties in the United States have ud
Gated desire TO substitute for force and BY nego