Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1865-02-28

away, and State and national bankruptcy would be
| added to the general ruin.
What would independence profit country thus
ruined and desolated by war, with no power to re-
scusltate its exhausted resources with the shame of
reputation and bankruptcy resting upon its faith
and credit and cursed with large. population of
IDLE and plundering free negroes? 1t certainly
would not be worth the noble blood that has been
Shed upon the fields of this revolution
Mr.. Speaker, now turn from this gloomy pictnre
| to contemplate q still darker one A pronostion
has been made to the slaves and it seems to be-
| rapidly gaining public favor. 1t fills my mind with
horror and despair. l was panied as we'll as sur
Pr'sed few days ago, on hearing that General Lee
n favored TINS proposition have always regarded
| him as great, good and wise man. but in this in
stance must think that his better Judgment has
been led into error by the madness and folly of the
times The proposition gives new hope and encour-
agement to our enemies, for they look upon 1t az
| the last effort of despair. We may speak to them
language OF stern defiance but we will confess to
them by this proposition that the strength of our
manhood is gone. No nation has ever vet won or
maintained Its liberty by the prowess of slaves.
Inns measure will be unjust and ungenerous to
the slave He has spent his life and labor in our
service and contributed to our comfort and wealth
and now he is to be forced into war IN which he
can win no fame, and secure no benefits to his DOS
terity he can never enjoy equality of rights with
the white man, aud be will never make GOOD SOL
d tSs h0n9r pride and love of country some of
Se ,eelngS "'ncn move the ie4TS Of the soi3isr
deeds OF yalor. The negro has no such noble i'm
pulses. BY nature he is tlmd, and seryitude has
made him coward, and no discipline will give him
the chlvalric courage of the soldier What induce.
ments do we offer to make him valiant and faithful
| Inc poor boon OF an imperfect freedom-to fight
Tor the perpetual serVtude of hrs kindred and 6is
race. ~
This measure will greatly deuoralize the slave
| population. Thousands are now prevented from es
Gaping to the enemy by the fear of being put in the
army. II we also Pnt them in the army, they will
seek every opportunity of escape. The woods and
sWamps Will be full of them, and they will live bv
Plllage and plumber They may band together with
deserterS and other desperadoes and keep the de-
ienceieSS women and children of the country in a
constant state OF apprehension and alarm and they
may perpetrate many midnight deeds of horror.
The CONSUMPTION of negroes will greatly democrat.
ize the army. Our free born and gallant soldiers
Will ieel themselves degraded by association with
negroes. Ihere is strong feeling of repugnance
In tnelr southern hearts, to negro eguality The
GOOD soldier is proud, and his spirit is wounded
oy Illumination He will submit cheerfully to
| hardshlps, prVations and the sternest discipline
but he is very sensitive upon points of personal
| honor.
Ii our army is not dernoralized by the addition of
negroes, 1t certainly will be weakened They can.
not be trusted On picket duty, they will be con-
| SIonI1 SSCdpluS u the enemy. line hlS
attacks Will always Seek the lines of defence guard
ed by negroes and in nine cases out of ten he will
| be successful in his assaults
| Ii TWO hundred thousand negroes are taken from
| the agricultural pursuits of the country how can
the army be fed2-hOw can the families of our SOL
ders lie supported I-how can general starvation be
| prevented! These are questions which l cannot
answer, and feel sure that the advocates of this
moustrOus proposition can give no satisfactory re-
| plies.
But, Mr.. Speaker, suppose all the objections which
L have made to this new war policy should p rove
groundless, and by the aid of negro soldiers We
| succeed IN winning our Independence what then
are the prospects before US? These negro soldiers
would return home with all the advantages of mill
tary training, accustomed TO the use of arms, en-
ured to hardships and dangers, and flushed with the
pride OF victory. They would demand equality in
the civil rights which they assisted in securing by
their blood and yalorl They would not be con-
tented and submissive while their wives, children
and kindred were in bondage We would have to
listen to their demands and crafty their natural
feelings by the liberation of their families, or we
could not live in peace security together The
Southern White man would never consent to negro
equality and the consequences would be, that either
the negro or the white would have TO leave the
country or be exterminaed. l will not pursue this
discussion further, as it is by no means q pleasant
theme. L regard it as the worst form of abolition
ever started in this country and if carried into ex-
dangers and terminate in national disorder and dis
grace.
Mr.. Speaker, cannot but be sad as contemplate
the gloomy condition of our country. Now indeed
is the winter of our discomfort" and l ardently
| long for the glorious summer" But cloud after
cloud is rising upon political horizon, and no
star OF hope CLEANS upon their dark and stormy
bosom. The land still reeks with the blood of the
brave, and
"Tho air is full of farewells to the dying,
And wailings for the dead"
There seems to be no statesman who can lift the
awful vail of the future and with wisdom iIumi-
nate its mysteries. Our only hope and confidence
is in Him who called light from primeval darkness
and order from chaos, and we lean for safety
only on that arm which guides the thunderbolt and
controls and cslms the tempest Let US heed the
teachings of His holy word, and seek after peace,
for this is the only remedy for all of country 8
evils the Ouy solution for all Of our national diti-
cultieS. We must hare peace This sentence
should be constantly in our thoughts in our con-
verSations and speeches, and il should be the chief
object of our Legislation. We should seek after
peace with honest, earnest and constant pur-
pose, and not mix it up with schemes Of ambition
: and power.
1t is said of the elder Cato that SO fully was he
impressed with the belief that the destruction Of
Carthage would alone ensure the greatness and go-
, | ry of Rome, that whenever he made q speech
, whether in the Senate, the Forum Commitia
whether ne discussed the questions OF finance, com
, merce, public morals or the petty municipal regu-
! lsuons of the city, he always concluded with thai
remarkable sentence, "DeLendG est Carthago.'
This was the stern patriotism of the stoical old Ro
man, and it was well suited to the. spirit Of hi
, semi barbarous age. This spirit made Rome the
mistress of the world, clothed her in the purple
robes Of carnage and conquest, and finally brought
\ her as victim to the shrine of her own barbarou
= policy. Her bloody history, the fragments of he
6 splendid literature, and the grandeur of her ruins
alone tell of her former greatness and her fall
THIS is the spirit of war, and such is its history
: But since the days of the Roman Censor a holie
8 dspepsation has been given to the world. Th
Gospel of Peace is the banner which has led tn
triumphal march of higher and purer civilization
It's trophies have been the wise and just laws, tn
profound Sciences the elegant literature the beau
tiful and the blessed charities which have con
= trbuted so much to the happiness of man, and tn
prosperity and true glory and greatness of moder
= | nations We must have peacel The ciViliZatio