New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-02-12

cept as he is prompted by his managers
even here he Obeys the bidding of his new
white masters, who move him like puppe
on the chess-beard."
AS to this remark, Mr.. Speaker, | beg t.
refer the honorable gentleman to the it'll
chapter of the Acts OF the Apostles, and f
call his attention to the terrible fate OF the
persons therein spoken of, (Ananils an,
Sapphira.) The gentleman is indeed iortu
nate in having escaped similar fate while
utterng the words just quoted from hi
speech.
As to the other remark, that the negro i:
no fighter, in proof of which he says tha
only fifteen hundred of them were killed ii
action during the rebellion, have a wore
to say.
l cannot, Mr.. Speaker, within anything
like the time allowed, read over or quote Tho
opinions of those who have made thi, very
question raised by the gentleman a maitel
of study at any considerable length.
quote the following, however, from booE
entitled Military Services OF General Dawn
Hunter, United States Army, during Tho
War of the Rebellion, pages Is and II
which, while it is complimentary to the col
ored soldier, also shows the animus under
lying such statements as those made by this
impartial 'sscientst " and others like him:
"EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, April |, IL G3.
Ny DEAR SIR: l am glad TO see the &C
counts OF your colOred force at Jacksonville
Florida. | see the enemy are driving a
them iiercely, as is to be expected. 1t /,
important to the enemy that such force shall
not take shape, and grow, and thrive in the
South aud in precisely the same proportion
it is important to us that il shall hence the
utmost caution and Wig lance is necessary on
our part. The enemy will make efforts tt
destroy them, and we should do the same t.
preserve and increase them.
Yours, truly,
a. LINCOLN.
Major-General HUNTER"
also quote from the same book, pages .t
and -, being in part reply by General Hun
ter (who first employed colored men in the
South as soldiers during the rebeilion) to
resolutions of the United States Senate in
curing as to the authority for SO employing
these people.
The general says:
1.-The experiment of arming the blacks, so
far as have made it, has been Il complete
and marvellous success. They are sober,
docle, attentive, and enthusiastic, display
ing great natural capacities in acquiring the
duties Of the soldier. They are now eager
into action, and it is the unanimous opinion
OF the officers who have had charge of them
that, in the peculiarities Of this climate and
country, they will prove incalculable auXli-
aries, fully equal to the similar regiments so
long and successfully used by the British.n
Nor was the conviction that the Colorcd
men could be employed to advantage as sol
ders during the rebellion confined to the
officers of the Union Army. The conieder-
ate government passed an act, approved
March 80, 1863, authorizing the employment
OF negroes as soldiers. a copy OF this act
is printed in the report of the Secretary of
pages 80 and 40. 1t reads as follows:
An act to increase the military forces of
the Confederate States, &c.
y hat If under the previous sections of
this act the president shall not be able to
raise sufficient number of troops to prose-
cute the war successfully and maintain the
sovereignty OF the States and the independ-
ence OF the Confederate States, then be is
hereby authorized to call on each State
whenever he thinks it eXpedient, for her
quota OF three hundred thousand troops in
addition 10 those subject to military service
under existing laws, or 50 many thereof rs
the president may deem necessary for the
purposes therein mentioned, to be from such
OF the population, irrespective of color, in
each state, as the proper authorities thereof
may determine"
ms law was never put in force, the
rebellion having collapsed before colorcd
men were mustered in that service "a ct arp,is
This action is the one remarkable instance
where the Southern people were perhaps a
unit IN iavor OF the doctrine Of no lscrimina-
tloh on account Of race, color, or previous
condition of servitule.
| n n al q
Iu'te aiSo from same report OF Secret ny
OF War, pages 80 and 2jl, signed bv GEN
eral Baxter, Surgeon and Brevet-Gener;,,
I. :. Vols, and Chief Medical Officer. the
following:
y study OF the opinions expressed by
one hundred and fifteen surgeons engaged
III the examination Of both black and white
recruits and substitutes goes to substantive
an idea which is common among chronological
authorities, namely, that no race is equally
adapted TO all circumstances of life that
mankind obey the same general laws that
govern TIE distribution of tlor;e and faun;r
upon the earth and that the isothermes be-
tween which are limited the health and de-
Veiopment OF the negro do not comprehend
less space upon its surface than those within
when the others are confined.
1t may be confidently affirmed that the
statistics OF this office, which refer priuc-
pally to rhysico-gcogrlphi Influences and
To the effects Of the intermixture of blood
upon the negro, when taken in connection
win those parts of the Surgeon Generals
forthcoming report in which he is regarded
as amenabie to the vicssitudes of war, will
form more complete and reliable physical
history OF this race than exists at this time.
1T would not be in accordance with the
plan OF this report to enter upon discussion
ot the comparative aptitude for military SER
wee exhibited by the two types of mankind
OF which have been speaking without thc
accompany ing tables rs evidence OF the dat,
upon which my opinions were basel.
IL appears, however, that of the surgeons
OF boards o! enrolment five have Given ,brir
opinion that the negro recruits and substi-
tutes examined by them were physicaljy q
better class OF men than the whites nine
teen That they were equal; two that they
were Inferior: y favorable opinion as to
their iitness for the Army is expressed hy
seventeen doubtful one, because of insu :
iiclent data on which to ground the decision
py iorty three an uuiavorable opinion by
hihc ana by twenty Il statement of not
having come TO any conclusion upon this sub
Ject. HE question of the prevalence of dis
ease among The negro inhabitants of differ
enc sectlots oi the country is one upon
Niiich'a III present, no specific opinion can be
Expressed. AS IN the case Of the white race
IL may De shown hereafter that their maIa-
ults conform 10 those general principles
which have been heretofore estaLl;shpJ !rha
discussion of the physical characteristics of
the negro, as involving the proprietv of his
use in war, only belongs to this departmont
IL Is difficult and, in the present state of sci.
cree, most uncertain to erect upon any gen.
eral characteristics of Orr,niz, H.,