The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-03-04
Aiming Negroes at the South.

The Rebel leaders, who have before now
disagreed with US in several important
particulars, seem to be on the point of dis
regarding our opinions as to the eXpedien-
cy of arming their negroes. Information
from Richmond and the tone of the Rich
mond papers indicate that the condition OF
their affairs is rapidly forcing them to the
desperate expedient of summoning the ne
groes to arms in defense of the Confedera.
cy, which came into being for the sole pur-
pose of keeping them in Slavery. The
naughty Southron who declares that bond.
age and not freedom should be the law oil
this continent, is to- day debating in secret
session of his Rebel Congress whether to
put the whole available force of his slaves
at once into line of battle.
When this proposition was first discuss
ed there was strong current of public feel
ing against it, and the Richmond press divi-
ded on the subject. One or two different
measures looking to this end were defeated
in Congress. Now the Richmond papers arc
unanimous, or almost so in recognising
the necessity of the measure, and Congress
hastens to enact this convertible public
opinion into law On Monday the goth
ult., both Senate and house went into secret
session on the bill to arm and organize 200
900 negroes. On the same day, The Rich.
mond Wing published a remarkable leader
on the subject, embodying the report oil
Brighten. Shoup, which presents, says The
Wing, the military view Of the NATTER
There can be no doubt that it presents this
view, and is prepared by the direction Of
Gen. Robert +. Lee, in obedience to whose
repeatedly declared opinions the expert
ment is about to be tried
The plan of Gen. Lee as thus developed
is to use the negro only as private soldier
making both the commissioned and non
commissioned officers Of negro regiments
whites exclusively. He argues that the
negro possesses endurance, and has beer
shown on our side to have abundant cour
age that he can be made soldier by dis
cipline and that real soldier knows moth
ing of the merits of the cause for which he
is fighting. Discipline is "a grant that
leaves them no power to escape" And
Gen. Shoup asserts broadly cali that is re-
quired to make a good soldier is a good
physique, without regard to his inclina
TONS" He does not esteem it necessary To
give or promise the freedom. but it is his
"frm conviction that to do either would i'm.
pair their efficiency and tractability' But
mark I! "'rhe greatest possible advantage
can be had By skillfully using their desire
for freedom" Desertion is treated as an
inpossibility under proper discipline, and
revolt as equally SO for the same reason
1t is proposed therefore to leave the SIa-
very question Just where it is" and put
into the service as many negroes as can be
provided with arms and equipments.
We need not repeat that these are not
our views, but it is enough that they are Sc.
riously entertained in Dixie by men who
have power to give them practical effect
1t looks as if the experiment were actually
trying rather than under discussion, and
we need not be surprised to find Grants
veterans confronted any day in the trench
es Of Petersburg by negroes in gray uni
forms, and handling their uuskets on the
side of the RebelIion.-N 7. Tribune.