The Portland daily press., 1865-01-09
Aiming the Slaves.


The rebels and their journals have approach
ed this subject with extreme caution and
reluctance. They know what the world
would think if they made any proposition to
arm the negroes and send them to the field to
fight against the Federal troops who are now
engaged in suppressing a rebellion whichswas
got up for the express purpose of extending
the area of slavery, and Strengthening the
letters that bind the negroes. The sueJecs
has been discussed in earnestness ana the hrsI
step taken which was costly ana painful one
to the rebels.
The proposition has met with opposition,
Int some of the leading spirits of the Confed-
eracy who more clearly see the weakness of
the rebellion than others, recommend and
advocate 1t. We are quite sure these leaders
would not advocate such measure unless
they viewed their cause as q hopeless one.
They have waded into the turbid stream so
far that it is, in their opinion, more safe to
pass over than to return back. 1t is indeed
hard and like the drawing Of teeth, to arm
the negroes and attempt to induce them to
fight their friends of the North who are now
engaged in war which must bring them tree
dom. 9 ~ s
In our view of the case, it is a most singular
experiment and fraught with much danger to
the owners of these human chattels as their
laws consider them. Sure we are that moth
ing short of desperation could drive them into
the adoption of such measure. 1t seems to
us they are troubled with madness that
usually precedes destruction. Such work
is Numerically opposed 10 all the rules and
regulations they have heretofore adopted for
the government of the negroes, aud thus to
turn their back upon all previous proceedings,
to eat their own words and to give the lie to
all their professions and doctrines heretofore
assumed and advocated, is descending lower
into the valley of humiliation than we suppos-
ed such proud oligarchy could ever reach.
Even JEFF Davis himself has gravely dis
eussed the momentous question, and a great
X err than he, in the estimation Of an intelligent
portion of the rebels, Gen. Lee, has openly
recommended the measure. But we will do
the bogus President the justice to say that he
was not fully convinced that rebel affairs had
come to such an extreme pass. And the
question naturally arises here, whether Gen
Leeis not the better judge of the present sta
tus of the rebellion. That Davis is man o.
intellect all will concede, but then with all his
intellectual powers he possesses a strong will
Besides all this, heis proud, defiant and jeal
GUS of the power which he has some reason tc
fear is stealing from him to his ablest general
No doubt, in addition to these causes, the
recent defeats of his army and the capture Of
important places by the Federal forces have
soured his mind aid made him feel bitter and
remorseiul. 7qh taA
There is good deal OF human nature in
the elements OF his composition, notwithstand-
ing he has been placed upon an elevation
where the eyes of the world are upon him.
Recently he has been found fault with, by
those who he supposed were his friends.
When a man begins to go down hill there are
always enoughto give him a kick and hurry
him down the descent. And JEFF Davis lis
not free from such kind of assistance.
The Richmond Enquirer has recently ar
gued that it the CoDfederacy ever expects
European recognition, Europe must first be
conciliated by the abolition Of slavery. That
is remarkable confession for such a journal
to make. We cannot but admire the plucky
individual who, at the risk of hanging, first
proposed SO startling resort. And surely he
must be greatly astonished at the rapidity
with which converts to his strange doctrine
have been made.
In the discussion of the question of arming
the slaves, there is one point which has been
carefully excluded from the argument. That
point is: Can the rebels rely upon the slaves
to Aght for the South under any circumstan-
ces except upon such conditions as Jack Fall
staff would not give his reasons upon-"Com-
pulsion." This point, although not alluded to
publicly, has not been overlooked by the
rebels. That they have great fears upon this
point, the profer of liberty to the slave sol
diers abundantly proves. And this offered
boon also clearly proves that the negro in his
secret heart opposes the shareholders rebel
lion; at least, in rebel estimation. And when
once armed, drilled and taught the use of the
rifle, have they not reason to fear that the
negro would turn upon his oppressor and use
his weapon In behalf of our Government and
the Union?
We at the North may overestimate the ig-
norance of the enslaved black man, but not so
with their masters. They understand that
subject better than we do, and hence all their
attempts by legislative acts and domestic
government to keep their slaves in the dark
est ignorance; for they well know that intelli-
gence and slavery cannot travel long together.
The "Iogic of events" during the last few
years have produced great effect upon the
negroes OF the South--an effect which they
have wit enough to conceal from their mas
tiers. This rebellion has been great school
master to them, and in such school they
have been taught lessons they will never for
get, and lessons, too, which are far from
reconcTling them to the .clanking of chains
and the cracking of whips. .ss7.sy :
The slaveholding arlstocrats understand
the philosophy of all these things and ponder
them well. Why was there such great excite
mentin all the South when John Brown and a.
score OF men entered, and, in fact, took Vir
slnla LOT season? Did that excitemel
arse from the mistaken character of the me-
gro? Didn't the masters understand the neril
that such a raid might bring upon Them
Surely the masters know the true Character of
the negro, aud hence they are CONSTANTLY uror
letter hooks for fear of an instruction. tn.
has always been SO, but more especially since
the outbreak of the Shareholders rebellion.
Suppose the masters should offer the slaves
liberty and put arms in their hands? What
would be tie final result? Some Of them
might fight for season under the Stars and
Bars. The camp would be good school for
them. Roughas camp life is, and stern as the
discipline is, an ignorant and degraded man
: learns many valuable lessons that improve his
manhood. Black soldiers, thus taught and
disciplined, would not be satisfied with their