Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-02-01

Universal CONSUMPTION such as was never oetore
witnessed in any country, has exhausted our hgn1'
ing population. State after State has been
wrested from us, until we are reduced 70 very
narrow limits. J. Our army in the West has SUI
fered defeat after defeat, until it has almost been
aun:hilated, and as azconsequence Sherman mas
been enabled to march almost unopposed through
the whole length of the State OF Georgia, cap
turing her most important city and seaport
By obtaining possession of the Savannah river
he has reduced US to the necessity OF subslstlns
General Lees army, which is, in fact, the only
army we have left, from part OF Virginia,
North and South Carolina; and in those States
it IS we'll known that there is but little to spare
from the wants of the women and children at home.
He will soon commence forward movement
northward through South Carolina and North
Carolina to cooperate with Gen. Grant IN the
reduction of Richmond and the capture OF Lees
army. Gxeat as this undertaking may seem,
it is not half so great as was that of his march
from Dalton to Savannah. That he accomplish
ed in opposition to powerful army, command
ed, for some time, by one Of the ablest Generals
on the continent. Now, it must be remember
ed, that we have no considerable army to oP
pose him, and no material out Of which to Gre
ate one. How, then, are we to prevent the sue
cess of this expedition
It must be remembered, too, that Nj. Lincoln has
just called for 300, 900 more men, The people OF
the United States are Just now rejoicing greatly
over the brilliant successes which have crowned
Sherman's campaign, and Thomas's late operations
against Gen. Hood They are in the highest possible
spirits in consequence of their present brilliant pros
pects Mr.. Lincoln will, therefore, speedily obtain
all the men he calls for. They will 60 the field
with the greatest alacrty, and being inspired with
the hope of speedy SUCCESS, they will soon become
excellent soldiers. How, then, l ask again MIR.
Speaker, are we to prevent the success of our
enemies? Can we succeed in recovering back the
States-a majority of the States of the Confeder-
acy-which have been taken from us by the ar
mics of the United States? Can we hold our
remaining tcrritoryP Can We even prevent the iall
ofRichmond, and with it. the capture or destruc-
ton of our only remaining army of any consld-
cradle proportions under Gen. Lee, with our pres.
ent army recruited to the full extent Of our white
population? Sir this question has already been
answered by the government itself in the mega.
tire. Its leading organs, the Richmond Sentinel
and the Richmond Enquirer, have already declar-
ed that the contest is too unequal to be longer
maintained unless we arm our sL00es, and are urg-
ing forward the measure with great energy
Gen. Lee, too, it is said has arrived at the same
conclusion, and is also urging forward the meas
ure. The question then arises, whether we could
really add to our strength by arming our negroes
l do not believe that we could, but on the other
hand, l believe that this is one of the cases in
which the proposed remedy is worse than the dis
ease.
Surely those public men and Generals who pro.
pose this measure, have never calculated for an
instant the awful consequences likely to flow
from it. Let US pause to consider the matter for
one moment. Our white male population is all
~ ho Go1l .,pAa tho 1arvo of he
or of the Confederacy. The probability is that we
have in m,ny localities, ten male slaves at home
to one white man. Excite them to frenzy by
passing law to conscript them, and we would
most probably have an immediate insurrectiOn OF
them If such an instruction should take place,
and should be general, can any man living inform
us how it could be put down without Withdrawing
our armies, and leaving the field to our enemies !?
And who can imagine the horrors likely to re-.
suit from such an instruction, even if its dura-
ton should be brief?
But suppose that no sucn instruction should
take place. but that they would submit to be COL
lected together in camps of instruction and formed
into regiments and brigades and receive arms, the
danger would be increased thousand fold. Just
imagine 1000 negroes well armed, with all their
malignant passions aroused, and the women and
children left defenceless. In that event We should
in all probability have re enacted among us.all the
the inexpressble horrors of the massacre Of Saint
Domingo, where, liz the graphic language of Burke,
"every demon of destruction seemed to be let loose,
and He'll itself appeared to yawn" But suppose
Sir, that this should perchance not occur, they
would most likely g, over to the enemy in body
whenever favorable opportunity should present
itself to them; las the government of the United
States would hold out greater inducements to them
of liberty for themselves and their families than
do. And the events of this war-the vast numbers
Of them that have gone over to the enemy volun-
tarily, and in many instances joined their army Of
their own free choice, prove beyond all question
that they would place far more reliance IN their
promises than they would in ours. In fact they all
understand that this war is being waged on their
account as well as we do; and they regard the
Yankees as the only party in this struggle who
desire their freedom. After having held them in
slavery all their lives, We can never convince them
that intend to liberate them a reward for any
services they might render us IN the field But it
may be said that they would not be formed into reg
ments and brigades but they would be sent to ill
up our depleted regiments lfso, does any body sup
pose that our brave and highminded soldiers, who
have been a thousand times assured that they were
fighting against attempt on the part of the Yam
KEGS to place them the same level with the negro
would thus submit to be placed on the same level BY
the action ofthe Confederate government? l much
mistake them if they will. The consequence ther
would be that our army would become thoroughly
QenOrallZeQ. Oeauly cOnulcC OetWeen our WnltS
and black soldiers, might at any time be expected
But even if none Of the consequences which hav,
mentioned should be realized there can be no doub
that'thousands of them, headed by some desperate
white character, such as will always be found in ar
mics as large as ours, especially when such armies
raised BY compulsory CONSUMPTION as Ours are
will DESERT and every where infest society as armed
banditti. Then neither life nor property, nor fe
male honor would be safe. Such scenes as we ma,
antciuate in that event begpars all dissertation an
would most probably end in the ex6ermination O
the negro race, and the utter destruction Of the in
stitution slavery.
| These reasons it seems to me, Mr. Speaker
should be sufficient to cause our statesmen to re
coil from the proposition with horror; but there ar
others that would be conclusive Our armies a
we'll as our women and children at home must b
clothed and fed. If this is not done. then the wa
must end through famine. All great writers OF
| nalitical economy that M ,,l.o