New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-09

to treat rebellion - it deserves. and give to thu
felony Of treason : felon's death.
very 00eo''1 D2vi 1Sfaaf HUNTER, Major General
Not long after General Hunters return t.
the Department of the South, the first steI
toward organizing and recognizing negro
troops was taken by our government, in q
letter of Instructions, directing Brigadie1
General Rufus SaxtOn-then military Gov
ernor of South Carolina. Georgia and Flori-
da, within the limits OF General hunters
command-to forthwith raise and organize
50. 900 able-bOdied blacks, for service as
laborers in the quartermaster's department;
of whom 50OO-only 5000 mark yOu!-might
| be armed and drilled as soldiers for the pur-
pose OF protecting the women and CHI idren
Of their fellow laborers who might be absent
from home in the public service"
Here was authority given to General Sax
ton, over Hunters head, to pursue some
steps further than the experiment which
Hunter-soon followed by General Phelps,
also included in the rebel order Of ''out-
| lawry"-had been the first to initiate. The
! rebel order still remained in full force, and
| with no protest against it on the part OF our
| government; nor, to our knowledge, was
any demand from Washington ever made
| for It's revocation during the existence OF
| the Confederacy. If Hunter, therefore, or
any of his officers, had been captured in any
of the campaigns OF the past two and half
wears, they had the pleasant knowledge for
their comfort that every rebel officer into
whose hands they might fall, was strictly
eDOined tO-nOt" shoot them on the spot"
as was the order OF General Dix-but to
hang them on the first tree, and hang them
quickly.
With the subsequent history of our black
troops the public is already familiar. Gen-
eral Lorenzo Thomas, titular Adjutant Gen
eral Of our army, not being regarded as q
very efficient officer for that place, was per-
manently detailed on various services
now exchanging prisoners, now discussing
points of military law, now organizing
black brigades down the Mississippi and
elsewhere. In fact, the main object seemed
to be to keep this General Thomas-who
must not he cOnfOunded with General
George II. Thomas, one of the true heroes
of our army-away from the Adjutant
Generals office at Washington, in order
that Brigadier General Townsend-only
colonel until quite recently-might perform
all the laborious and crushing duties of
Adjutant General of our army, while only
signing himself and ranking IS first assist.
ant Adjutant General. II there be an officer
who has done noble service in the late war
while receiving no public credit fOr the
same-no newspaper puffs or public ova-
tions-that man is Brigadier Gene raj E. D.
Townsend, who should long since have
been made a Major General, to rank from
the first day of the rebellion.
And now let us only add, as practical
proof that the rebels, even in their most
rabid state, were not insensible to the force
of proper ''reasOns'-the following anec-
dOte:
Some officers of one Of our black regi-
ments-ColOnel Higginson's, We believe
rode beyond our lines at st.
Augustine in pursuit Of game-but whether
teathered or female this deponent sayeth
not Their guide proved to be spy, who
had given notice of the intended expedition
to the enemy; and the whole party were
soon surprised aud captured. The next we
heard OF them they were confined in tho
condemned cells of one of the Florida State
prisons and were to be '.tried"-i. 9. SEN
fenced and executed--as ''having been
engaged in melting negro insurrection"
We had then some wealthy young slave
holders belonging to the first families of
South Carolina in the custody of Lieutenant
Colonel j. +. Hall, now Brigadier General,
)f this city, who was our provost marshal;
and it was on this basis General Hunter
resolved to operate. RELEASE my oticers
IT black troops from your condemned cells
1t once, and notify me of the fact Until
30 notified, your first family prisoners in nv
lands, the names then given, Twill receive
precisely similar treatment. For each of
ny officers hung, l will hang three of nv
PRISONERS who are Shareholders" This dose
operated with instantaneous effect, and the
lext letter received from our captured
filcers set forth that they were at large on
'ar0le, and treated as we'll as they could
wish to be in that miserable country
we can not better conclude this sketch
'erhaps, than BY giving the brief but preg-
amt verses in which our ex orderly, Private
i!Ies y Reilly, late of the old Tenth Army
,orps, gave his opinion on this subject
hey We're first published in connection
hanNuat ujIr NV
leagher and the officers of the Irish Bri-
aae to the returned veterans of that Or
anlzatlon on the thirteenth OF January,
ooi, at Irving Hall. OF this song it may,
erhaps, be said, in verify and without
anity. thaf-as General Hunters letter to
H. "lckllffe had settled the negro soldier
controversy in its official and congressional
'rln-so did the publication and immediate
,Dpular adoption Of these verses conclude
IL argument upon this matter in the mind
the general public. Its common sense,
lth dash OF drollery, at once won over
10 Irlsn who had been the bitterest oppo-
Gus OF the measure, to become its friends,
ao from that hour to this the attacks upon
10 experiment OF our negro sOldiery have
een so few and far between that. indeed.
icy may be said to have ceased altogether.
ran as follows, and appeared in the
erofd the morning after the BANQUET, as
'r!ion OF the report of the speeches and
g ivities:
sAMBos RIGHT KILT,
Air-"The Low-Backed Car
Some say it is burnin' shame
10 make the naygurs fight
An that the thrale O bein' kilt
Belongs but to the white;
but Is Tor me, upon my sowl
20 liberia. we here
/ II n let sam6o be murthered in place o. meseIf
On every day in the year.
IN every day in the year, boys
An every hour in the day
Inc night to be kilt ri divide wild him
An dlvli word I'll say.
In battles wild eommotion
:, shouldn't at all object
IL SamDO's body should ste n n hall
ihat was comm for me direcr:
An the prod of a Southern basnet
=, 80 liberal are we here
/ II resign, and let Sambo take it
vi every day In the year
On every day in the wear bovs
All an WI VIII none o your nasty pride,
VIII ily S I,ght IN IA Southern bagnat prod
Tn ne men whe object to sambo
Snouid take his place an fight
All IL petther to have naygura bua
~, nan hver that's wake an white.
His iinSar ~ ,, PACK a. the ace O. spades
an MS MS eye runs straight on the barrel sia,+
from under it's thatch O wool io Stylus
90 near me all, boys darlns,
~, Don think Pm tippin' Won char
The right to be kilt IN divide id ', wan him
An give him the largest half! '
~ regard TO Mr. Hunters reply To Mr.
G Y, we shall only add this anecdota
y = us one gay oy that brilliant gentleman
scnolar, the Hon. Sunset Cox. of Obi.
.eil you that letter from Hunter sno;Ied
prettlest speech had ever tbou9ht of
k,lhg. l had been delighted with WicI-
ia motion, and thought the reply To #