The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-21


a mariner who hesitated to make that
sacrifice when it became necessary, how
ever disagreeable it might be to his feel
ings. The instincts of selfpreservation
would induce him to cast over every box
and hogshead on board, il each were full
Of diamonds, and to strip every rag of
clothes from his back, rather than go
down in the storm.
In like manner, it becomes the people
Of this Confederacy, if they would save
the ship in which they are embarked. if
they would not lose both their property
and their lives, to make any and every
sacrifice that is required by the supreme
law Of selfpreservation. If necessary
for that purpose, they ought to give
everything they have on earth; for no.
thing on this earth will belong to them
not the houses over their heads, not the
ground beneath their feet, and, most es.
pedsasy and emphatically, not the ne
groes who cultivate that ground-one
moment after the conquest of the Con-
federacy by the Yankees. Universal
confscation will be the order Of the day.
Universal abolition has been formally
decreed by both Houses of the Federal
Congress. There is no longer any
doubt, no longer a loophole to hang a
doubt upon, on that subject. If the
Confederacy is conquered, that kind of
property ceases forever. The only ques-
ton then is, has the necessity arisen
which requires the sacrifice of any por-
ton Of that property to save the re
mainder?
Who is the most competent judge to
decide that question? We answer, the
high military authorities. General Lee
says we must have negro soldiers. There
is no appealing from that authority. lie
knows, better than any other man, in
Congress or out of it, whether they are
needed, and he is not only decided, but
earnest, in urging their employment.
And Public Opinion unanimously sus-
tains General Lee.
But in order to make this accession to
our military force efficient, we must give
to the negro troops the strongest incen
tives to energy and firm and uniform
discipline. Give them their freedom the
day they enter the ranks. We must
have the courage to look our condition
fully in the face. For our own part, we
would emancipate every negro in the
Confederacy if necessary to the pre-
servation Of our own Independence
Much more would we liberate part to
save the remainder, and cur own free
dom besides General Lee says he must
have the negroes and We would be will
ing to leave it to him to decide whether
every man Of them employed for that
service should not also be free the very
day he enters the ranks. With this sti
mulus, and the we'll known local attach
mcnts of the negro, we are satisfied tina:
the Confederacy can raise an army o.
two hundred thousand troops, capable
of coping with any equal, or even supe'
rior, force that can be brought against
them from any part Of the world. Fo,
this purpose there must, of course, be
unvarying discipline. Experience has
shown that, with proper incentives and
discipline, negro troops have courage
enough to accomplish anything that may
be required of them. But if anything
is to be done, it must be done at once.
If it had been done at the beginning Of
the session of Congress, the future would
have been without cloud.
The words Of General Lee, upon as.
suming command-in~chief Of the armies