New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-21
The Aiming OF thr rcgror-.


E.c Awning q. fhc -tffFct-'
IL the Rebel Congress Mr.. Wieinll. from The
Committee On lIi'nry hn'i,, reported TIE following
BIZ, which was read tlird timc aud passed.
The Coaarets Of ,nc Confederate state 90 AM'1d do enact
si. b. compe out 20. lie Secretary Of " ar To- neri
aie Win ihe o,Ff TnoTs or ohc9 .utn'I,irs o. 'e u
states al III" drlcy when ho deems The sane to De
prdtn't lor lHy nutl OF slaves - srrfc wil he nr ~
the d ~ service n 81 tie bucaux Of supply or az
posts, ho 'as or iouihca0ns sud min M und' any
tie laws OF the Conf, dcts ses 20 engage thof as
stance 70 c1e.ue the avs 81 the Conedrisry l.'E 20
npIcssnent o. slaves aud 20 make such contracts OF
mois oinay be nee y for forwarding an adequate supply
Il aye labor for a'. such purposes.
In The Virginia Assembly Mr. Anderson. from the
Committee Oh Military Affairs, made the following re-
. Tho General Assembly Of Virginia Impressed with the
importance of calling into active serye the whole phy,ai
being the opinion OF the hghe tary authority that
tie efficiency Of may b. greatly increased oy the en-
R-soirei by General Assembly Of Virginia That te
Government Of tbe Confederate states Authorized ana te
consent o this State hereby given, TO enlist such nimpe
Of nb bodied slaves foi military crsce may De- deemed
G,y upon such terms and under such Limitations % nay
be cd upon between tie Confederate Government ana we
Rsred, That copy Of the foregoing resolution be com
muncated the President and 20 the Congress Of the Con
ielerae States and to the Governors Of each Of said Stae
From, The Richmond Enquirer, Feb. ls-Ed
The question of negro soldiers We consider as
settled. Public opinion has cHy declared IN JGror 81
GrniHP The HfgrUtS; the resolution Introduced III Tue
Virginia Legislature, giving the consent Of the state TO
the will pass and may be followed and should
be hy ine TO senators 10 vote for the measure
u
slaves their freedom, this should be the reward Tor
faithful services 1T the end Of the wal, desired ny the
slaves. 10 some II may be n boon, rewafd-otheIs
map not even desire freedom Negroes are divided IN
opinion as whether they would prefer freedom TO
slavery but by all means leave the choice with them
let them decide the natter We DO not expect this re-
ward ~ make soldiers Of them; discipline Oily viii do
that II must b. discipline differing very much, from
that which now holds together Win lOoscned bands
tc armies Of tie Confederate States IT must be qis
cipline sharp severe. exacing. which first teaches
them their duty and then compcs them TO perform Il.
There never has been discipline in the armies Of this
Couederacy, but instead thereof Kind o. universal
suffrage which fights when " chooses and struggles
when il feels like IT, All this must be changed with the
negro troops they have not the motives that npel Tie
white man TO tbs light; they must he kfpt Up to the
mark by far oPHRislssEt more than by hope Of re-
ward.
An army is and should be a despotism--not noccssa.
ri,v tyranny but authority must be absolute Obodi
ence is the fret duty Of soldier aud strasgnga great
crme-not great perhaps dcsertion, but differing
only in degree not in kind The armies ~ Frederick
the Great well disciplined: struggling was un.
known in them; IL VIZ. punished Ike descrton and Of
desertion there was very little The discipline
will make good soldiers Of negroes it will not promote
deseTii0n for strict discipline - the best preventive
known for deserton IL Is wei known fact that de.
seiion struggling and absence without leave are st
known ia well disciplined regiments. and We believe
that ne fact viii hold good IN the armies ~ Tie 'onfed
crate states and that these crimes Will be found OF
greatest occurrence N tie worst. aud 81 least occur
renee IA The beet disciplined regiments An officer no
cannot keep his command together Is not ut TO con-
mand men, and those regiments from which desoIti0n
are most frequent indicate most unmisakaby the oil
GERS OF which consolidation should relieve mo army.
Gen. Lee has recommcndcdthe aiming Of The negroes,
md upon him viii dcvoye The duty Of mckHR them sol
dicrs. Congress may put them in the fa1ks but Dis
cpline Only viii make item hghi by nature aud long
habit and education they HTr otedent aud d0vi.e. 20
that would appear tlat their dlsci pine ought 10 be
easy and most effective. Under proper officers We lc
evc that thew can be brought 70 the very highest per
lection Of drill aud maneuver. aud taught stand
firmly together, and move with unity and CELEBRITY. But
the present discipline II the armies 81 the Confederate
States will never make todirrs OF the uegrOcsihe won
der is how IL ever made soldiers OF white men The
Congress has understood the army aud It's lcgs
aiion has often proved most Injurious 10 efficiency
Legislation should be for The true solde- and not for
the poor soldier. Give the rnti0ns, clothes and
regular paw and then the Congress may let the amy
One fruitful source OF without leave hos been
tie law granting Burroughs from hospiols-tlese meD
In nine cases olt Of ten. never return when Their fur
oughs out Are The pegrocsSo be iuElougted ron
hOspiialsi II co. campaign vii be the lat u TIE
Tho arnine Of the negroes Is most important step
IN the progress of this war; rightly and properly man
aged II will give MOI, material strength 10 our armies
aud without doing the least injury 10 Tic Institution ~
slavery eject much toward the Independence VI these
States But 1t viii require much patience and
much labor TO make the negroes chicicht t'l
soldiers The selection Of tie proper oihoer TO under
take their drilling is most important; upon him viii de-
ueud tho success or failure Of the experiment. il he
discplinaiian he will succeed bur II IL not. no mat
ter how brave how great srltegis tie experiment
win BE- failuic IT, in the effort 10 dIl The negroes
and disc pine them into soldiers there should be de
yelOped system by which present noble armies
NAV be in prove and perfected and their unsurpassed
courage become disciplined courage. there VIII he 10
more disasters like those In the Valley and ~ Nashville
is upon such trying occasions thai lltcph, u"Frois
Tia real effects and brings out It's great rcsElts-Per-
hars in drilling the negroes. our officers may learn
how 10 discipline tho.Wliites.