Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-02-04
SYNOPSIS OF THE SPEECH OF MR. GHoLsoN, OF
SvIRGINIA, on THE EMPLOYMENT OF SLAVES
AS SOLDIERS.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SPEkCH VI MIX uhOLoONi VI
VIRGINIA, on THE EMPLOYMENT OF SLAVES
AS SOLDIERS
(lN TEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEB. lsT)
Mr. Gholsou commenced by saying that there was no
disagreement the popriety Of usEg slaves in al "a.
pactes when by their labor you can relieve soldiers and
thus add our numbers but IL was proposed in high
quarters 20 90 further and arm them soldiers From
this he wholly diseented because he was con-
ynce1 il vas unwie and dangerous, de proceeded to
urge the following, OBJECTIONS, A..
great struggle the capacity and dey of negro troops
beosuss il % large invader Of slaves az proposed were
placed IN the array victory o. defeat IN mo gay o. pale
would necessarily depend TO some extent on their courage
and efficiency. lftEey pro brave and true they would
render great service they falteed or deserted they
might prove ruin If every soldier would carry his
sc and keep him by his side he would protect him from
the deception and fraud Of the enemy-but this would be
impossible and our SLAVES would be eepOscd 10 their cum
ming and DEVICES and he knew but little of the negro
character who beevs l&Gt hc would be able to resist
them Even ii you succeeded by training aud discipline
in giving courage to the slave, you could not inspire him
with constancy and fidelity Nature had made the shave
suitable for servants il certainly had not qualified them
for war All va ,nlsht fall prisoners into the hands
OF the enemy, woud not hesitate 20 take any pledges or
enter into any enga eements 10 procure their liberty lie
did not believe that il would be 10 trust thep SOL
diers The onemy would promise them freedom from their
masters and also exemption from war; and the experiment
in all probability would tim 0Fa 'TerFuHng service iaF
tlanl and not for us,
n The introduction of slaves INTO the army would DO
obnoxious TO largo portion oil our soldiers twond be
impossible he believed TO have an army composed oil black
and white, without finally placing them pretty much on
terms of equality. They would fight together II de-
eated thew would be prisoners together il victorious
they would rejoice together They would be subject TO
the same military lava, aud tried by the same courts
Would our soldiers agree 10 FnSi
Ill The plan proposed by hose high in authority is to
bera:e the slaves introduced into the army at the term
nation OF the war What is this but aboliti0nl Our
proposition wotA be-" Go fight for rs, and when the
war is oyer We will paae You free Our enemies say to
Them Come TO Us and Te will make you free now
H. hnn Esrla
for Heretofore we have declared that freedom to the slave
was curs0,-tha he was incapable Of selfgovernment-
that the only freedom he bad ever enjoyed that result
np from the restraint We ppOse=hbfy TQ inc denim.
Ion of the vices OF the barbarian We are now by our
conduct to declare that all these soelnnly proclaimed
convictions hypocrtical or else we are proposing
10 reward his services " curse and not blessnghat
instead Of giving him an egg, we desire to give him ser
pent
and that the slaves cAnedHnto the army have renamed
with us prefering fight for prospective freedom rather
than 90 the enemy and receive present freedom what
then o become of these freedmeni We surely will not
deny them home in the land they have defendedso
should havey large number of free scattered
the several States We shall have conceded that they are
worthy of freedom No state could deny TO their black
soldiers liberty 20 remain within Their hts no matter
what NAV be NE provisions Of their pre- " constitutions
on that subject What hall become @ their wives and
chdren Sh6l they renin slaves while their husbands
and fathers who have fought for our Liberties and their
homes are permitted 10 become wandering vagab0nds,
and finally die starvation having by their valor earned
TO then wives asd children and thus make our hack
populaonpart free and part lavef What then would be
the condition of country Who woeld consent TO live
in ~ What would become Of slavery What would be
the Character Of the returned negro deis made anhar
with the use Of fine arms, and taught oy us that freedom
was worth fighting fort In many sections OF the county
the tao laceg cOnll not continue together According
TO the ocnsus of 1890 the white population Of live OF the
counties comprising nv Congressional district WA l32
the black population 81 22sl allude 70 the cppnts of
Prince George Nottoway Amelia PONhatan and Cum
bcrand There would be yearly 600 male slaves, be-
tween the ages of IS and 4b u $50 20O00 slaves
were put into the army il w0nld require az will show
hereafter. al least half between those ages so that
from the five counties named there would be taken abOnt
3OOO male slaves Suppose only 2Vu OF tbs number are
returned after having fought as we'll and blaYey as the
friends of the scheme promise themselves we should then
haze somo 400 negro soldiers in each Of these countie
Va shall have taught iem already stated the Of
firearms and that liberty 10 worth lighting for They
will have learned the power oil communion and nave
their minds set mgsterng ana guns Nutuaiiy averse
10 labor they viii have become indosn, anu schleyors
ev will be without restraint and ready for all excuses
lore let the curtain drop Objections multiply as we adj
vance and can do but little more than snFsest them
" BY the CONSUMPTION OF slaves we shali surrender
every ground assumed BY the beginning OF the
We soemnv declared that necessity should induce us
to treat our own slavos "a prisoners oil war We now
propose 10 arm them soldiers We shall % bound by
every principle Of humanity to claim Tor them the rights
Of sodiofbat in case Of capture they shall be treated
prisoners This necessarily comedies corresponding
right the part OF enemy There WILING longer he
any contest with Beast Butler We SHAH nave placed
black and white soldiers on tho same footing.
v II will be confession of weakness, which viii pe:
rate 10 our disadvantage both at home AID among our
enemies. They win regard il as AM admission OF great
exhaustion and it viii enable them to advance more
readily in raising troops,
VI The qaestion Of supplies fOrour army and people
cannot be overlooked, We have difficulty In providing
for our army, without danger Of predicting scarcity
among the people Some sections produce snrplnh put