Wilmington journal., 1865-02-16


probably continue to do so long as the enemy puts
them in the army and do not, Ia this difference
have our main guarantee for their fidelity. Remove
this guarantee and what other have wei
We may say-we may tsel-yea, we may know that
ttuer friends of the colored than the
N.Y. bat that knowledge or belief on our part 10 not all
that is needed The colored must share that i'm
pressoa-must be led TO feel that this their country
and that they have interest iu fighting for it. Gan
we feel any assurance of this We offer them fre ed
after the the reward OF their ser vices 10 the
war. The enemy offers it immediatiy to oil. ID any
case the boon il doubtful one, but by Offering it
reward--an inducesnsnt for servce-we virtually ad-
nit that it boon and the negroes will be led to SO
consider it, Will they be dspOs to take it from
contingency after the tcdr, from the Ysnkees at
once7 1t true in the hands of the enemy they
will find what sort OF freedom they will get from them
bot then, it will be too late.
1t 10 true that with freedom, We may ohtr tie negro
the privilege OF continued residence ia the country
and upon the soil oil his birth, with the climate tI"'
suits bis and constitution, but will not the
Yankees promise the same and more by way OF an on
set to any induc may hold out to the
fidelity of the nsgros 1t will cost the Yankee govern
ment nothing to promise lands and other confscated
property of Southern people, and it probable that the
negroes will be fools enough to believe theR.
.Desertions are now the bane OF armies and
threaten to work the ruin OF country. Deserters
not simply guilty OF sins of omission by being alb
sent from the ranks that defend the country but they
almost always guilty of sins OF commission in pre-
venting cultivation and committing acts OF robbery and
destruction and cannot be spared to repress these
outrages and compel the return OF these men 10 their
commands. How much will the list of desertiOns be
swred il two hundred thousand reluctant negroes are
to be armed and placed in the ranks to contribute their
quota Is it not to be feared that every swamp will
be LARA lurking place OF deserters of every hue p
What safety will there be for property what chance
for cultivation when the most able bodied lsborers are
taken away from the ranks of the producers to whom
they will be liable to become terror.
We do not include in our calculation the mere ques-
ton of property property. Where the lives of the
best and bravest daily and hourly exposed We Go
net see what extra sancity hedge in any mere ques
tion of property The question takes in simply the
practicabity of ths scheme-the probability of its
success and the consequences likely to TOW from or to
accompany it. We confess that there may be consd.
erstions that We have overlooked we may have at
tached undpe weight to the unavoabe aspects of the
question: but however that may be, candor compels
to say that reflections havs not yet had the ef
feet of commenting the measure to our Judgment
The more we look at the thing the strongly does
our mind revert to ts first conclusion The fidelity Of
the negro is secured to by not putting him in the
army, while the enemy does. The carrying out of tine
meaaure OF arming negroes would, We fear, result
in speedy crop of deserters of the most dangerous
class
We know that others whose opinions carry much
weight entertain different views, and we submit the
considerations above offered with all due humility
They may be mistaken still they our Views-not
the result OF prejudice bat Of reflection and given
for what they may be worth.