The National tribune., 1909-10-07

taking away from the shops and fields
the young men who were so necessary
to maintain the countrys industries. To
recruit the negro would not only give
proper employment to those thrown
upon our hands, but it would be anoth-
er sap run into the vitals of the Con-
federacy, and would thus tell doubly
toward the success of the war, weaken
ing the enemy and Strengthening our
selves.
The dispute ragged with exceeding Bit
terness on both sides, accentuated by
vehement yells from the Southern Con-
federacy. Upon the receipt of the first
news of the organization of negro troops
by Gems. Hunter at Hilton Head and
Phelps at New Orleans, Jefferson Davis
issued an order that those two Generals
be no longer regarded as public ene-
mics, but as outlaws, and that in the
event of the capture of either of them
or of any other officers engaged in the
organizing, drilling or instructing the
slaves, they should not be treated as
prisoners of war, but held in close con-
tinement for execution at such time and
place as might be determined upon.
In spite of all this opposition, the
feeling in favor of enlsting the negros
gained ground in Congress and the
country. The Senators from Delaware,
Kentucky and Virginia vigorously
fought the bill. which provided that
there should be no discrimination with
regard to color in executing the draft
and that all of the slaves of rebels who
served in the Union army should be
free thereafter. 1t is indicative of how
slow the progress of this sentiment was
that this bill did not propose to free
the wives and children of such soldiers.
A year later it was proposed to give
the loyal masters of slaves $500 each
So ,t1- -r,11 1,n
enlisted in the army, but the Border
States Representatives and Fernando
Wood, of New York, denounced the en-
listing or enrolling of any slaves as a
palpable violation of the Constitution.
The bill finally passed, and was signed
by the President, giving $500 to each
loyal owner for such slaves as might
be drafted or enlisted.
On the Same Footing With Whites.
The first bill which really recognized
| the colored soldiers provided that they
should be paid $40 a month, for which
SO should go for their clothing. This
met the vehement resistance of the
radical Abolitionists, with Gov. Andrew.
of Massachusetts,, at their head. An
drew had gotten authority from Secre-
tary Stanton to raise companies of ar
tillery for duty in the forts of Massa-
chusetts and elsewhere, and under this
had recruited two full regiments of
colored men, afterward known as the
54th and 55th Mass. When the Pay
master made his appearance and Of
fered them $40 month, the men, ac-
cording to instructions, refused to ac-
cept anything less than the pay and
allowances of the white troops, altho
the State had offered to make good the
difference.
The dispute lasted for some months,
and ended with tha rpUiDnnntc hpinO
paid on the same basis as other troops.
When the 54th Mass. was ready for
the field it was ordered te~South Caro-
lima, but the Chief of Police OF New
York said that he could not guarantee
its safe passage thru the streets of New
York, and consequently it went to it's
duty by sea. Sentiment in New York,
however, progressed so rapidly that a
few months later two fine regiments of
colOred troops raised in the State
marched proudly down Broadway, and
received the acclamations of thousands
5f spectators, tho Gov. Seymour had
from the first refused to countenance
the organizations.
In all these matters Lincoln showed
himself true leader of the people.
who. kept easily abreast of the real
progress in sentiment, and when the
time was ripe did not hesitate to act,
no matter how violent and threatening
the opposition.
Before the war ended there had been
17S,9T5 colored troops enrolled OF
these 1854 were killed in battle and
1868 died from disease, in prison, etc
Comparatively few occasions offered for
the use of colored troops in battle, but
1t Port Hudson, Fort Wagner, Peters
burg and Nashville they showed that
under good officers they made splendid
fighting material. They would go any,
where that their white officers led them,
and stay as long as their officers would
stay with them.
(To be continued.)