The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-06-09
ROBERT TOOMBS.
Letter from Ex-senator Robert
TOombs, of Georgia, TO Dear
Dudley,
WASHINGTON, Ga. March "a. 1865.

WASHINGTON Ga, March "a, 1865.
DEAR DUDLEY: Mr.. G. c. Clay, our late
Commissioner to Canada, who has been spend
ing about one m onth with US, leaves to NOR
opportunity of writing to you. Sillie will
give you all the local news. She and the chill
dren and Julia are in excellent health. She
wrote you last night by one of your captains
of Cobbis legion. One of your men OF the
same battalion called this morning and brought
the papers you sent me, which are the latest
We have from the North
have the most painful apprehensions for
the future, and they arise solely from my en-
tire conviction of the total incapacity of Mr.
Davis and consequently the utter failure of all
his petty schemes We have given him all the
men who would volunteer, allowed him all the
men he could catch at first from eighteen to
thirty-five, then mp to forty-fve, then all from
seventeen to fifty. And the army is smaller
TO- day and less efficient than on the day the
first conscript bill was passed. Now Congress
has given them all the negroes, and the result
will still be the same, superadded to the most
fatal consequences which have ever darkened
our prospects.
The negro first, is untitled for soldier.
Secondly, II l am wrong in that, he is unfit
for our soldier. If he is capable of making a
soldier, he ought to be and will be Yankee
soldier. If two thirds of the white free men
Gas Mr.. Davis says have inglor ously aban-
doned their flag and ran away from a standard
in which all the hopes of a true man are cen
tered superadded to every indignity inflicted
BY the Yankees upon the wives, children.
friends homes and property, do we expect that
the negro slaves will stand by it, What for /?
La the name of Heaven, what for2 Is their
liberty involved in our success? Yes: but
against them. Are their homes and property.
wives and children, and country and all that
men hold most dear to be ruined by Yankee
SUGGEST l think not. Have they keener
sense of honor, or more courageous hearts,
than their masters? If go. they ought to
change places. In my opinion, the worst ca
lamity that could befall US would be to gain
our Independence by the valor of our slaves,
instead OF our own. II we are conquered by
the fortunes OF war, we may save our honor
and leave the cause to our descendants, who
may be wiser and Drawer than we are, and may
avail themselves of the accidents of human af-
fairs. and yet win what we are ignomin-
iously throwing away. The day that the
army of Virginia allows a negro regi-
ment TO enter their lines as soldiers they will
be degraded, ruined and disgraced. Lee had
just as soon have negro as white man in his
army. So had West Point generally. Their
system is to make slaves of freemen it failed,
and the men ran away. Their remedy is to
make freemen of slaves. That will not get far
enough along to fail it is piece of imbecile
stupidity, as well as treachery 10 the cause,
well worthy of Davis and Lee, the base traitors
from Kentucky and Missouri &C., who have
no constituents to bear, to suffer or to be dis
graced by them. We have plenty of men in
the Southern Cont, deracy to whip two such
revolutions if Mr.. Davis did not keep them ont
of the bullet department. He has more men
on the payroll not in active field service than
he has muskets. And you may throw in the
negroes, and not increase the army But if
you put our negroes and white men into The
army together, you must and will put hem on
an equality: they must be uLder The same code
the came pay, allowances aud clothing. There
must be promotions tor valor, or there viii I've
10 morale among them. therefore it is sur
Render OF The entire slavery question.
The government is becoming a standing
credits are sqaandered among ofticiais, ard no.