Year: 1864

be more readily accorded as a reward for
past faithful service and Il double motive
Tor Jealous discharge Of duty would thus be
offered 70 those employed BY the govern
lnent, their freedom, aud the qualification of
the local attachment which is so marked a
Characteristic Of the negro, and forms 50
powerful an incentive to his action, The
policy Of engaging to liberate the negro on
his discharge after service iaitiiitf;;iiiiy ren-
dcred seems to me preferable to that Of
granting immediate manumission, or that of
retaining him in -ervitude. IF this policy
should recommend itself to the judgement
Of Congress it is suggested that, in addi-
tiOn to the duties heretofore performed bv
the slave he ieht advantageou,ly be employ
ed a. pioneer aud engineer laborcr: and in
that event, that number should be augmen.
ted to forty thousand.


Beyond this limit and these empoyments
1t does not seem to me desirable, under ex-
istlng clrcum -tances. to 90. 4 broad moral
distinction exists between the use Of slaves
a soldiers in the defence Of our homes and
the incitemcnt OF the same person, to in
surrccson against their masters. The one
is iustitiable if necessary, the other Is in
iqutOus and unworthy Of civilized peo-
pie; and such is the judgement Of all wri-
ter, on public law as well as that expressed
and Insisted on by our enemies in all wars
prior to that now wage1 against US. Bvnope
have the practices Of which they are now
guilty, been denounced with greater sevcri-
tv than by themselves in the two war; with
Great Britain IN the last and in the present
century; and in the declaration Of indepen-
dence Of lTI6. when enumeration was made
Of the wrongs which justified thcreyolt from
Great Britain. the climax Of atrocity was
deemed to be reached only when the En-
cli-h monarch was denounced as having


excited d1me.t tic iuslrrcction among u"


The suG.ect Is - be viewed by u. there
fore, solely in the light Of policy and our So
cal economy. When 50 regarded. I must
dissent from those who advise genaral levy
and armlng Of the slaves for the duty Of sol
diers. Until our white population shall
prove insufficient for the armies we require
and can afford to keep in the field to en-
plOy a. soldier the negro who has merely
been trained to labor. and as a laborer the
white man accustomed from his youth to
the use OF firearms, would scarcely be deem
ed wise or advantageous By any. and this is
the question now before US But should
the alternative ever be presented of subju-
CATION or ofthe employment Of the slave as
a soldier, there scenes no reason to doubt
what should then be our decision Wheth- /
er our view embrace, what would in 50 ex- |
treme case, be the sum Of misery entailed
by the dominion Of the enemy, or be restrie-
ted solely to the effect upon the welfare and /
happiness of the negro population them |
selves the result would be the same The |
appalling demoralizaton, suffering, disease
and death which have been caused by par |
TALLY substituting the invaders system of
police, for the kind relation previously sub /.
sisting between the master and slave, have
been sufficient denomination that eyter-
nal interference with our institution Of do
mestic slavery IS productive of evil only.


If the subject involved no other consider
alton than the mere right of property. the
sacrifices heretofore made by our people
have been such as to permit no doubt of
their readiness to surrender every possession
in order to secure their independence. But
the social and political question which is ex-
clusively under the control of the several
states, has far wider and more enduring
importance than that Of pecuniary interest.
In lis manifold phases it embraces the sta
bility Of republican institutions, resting on
the actual polirical eqaality OF all its citizens
and includes the fultilment of the task which
has been so happily begun--that of Chris
tianizing and improving the condition of the
Africans who have, by the will of Provi-
dence, been placed in our charge. Com
pairing the results Of our experience with
those Of the experiments of others who
have borne similar relations to the African
race. the people Of the several states of the
Conlederacy have abundant reason to be sat
i>tied with the past, and to use the greatest
circumspection in determining their course.
These considerations, however are rather
applicable to the improbable contingency
of our need Of the resorting to this clement
of resistance than to our present condition.
If the recommendations above made, for
the training of 40, 900 negroes for the SER
vice indicated, Shall meet your. approval, it
Is cerrain that even this limited number,
by thelr preparatory training in intermedi-
ate duties, would form more valuable re-
serve force in case Of urgency than three
fold their number suddenly called from field
labor; while fresh levy could, to a certain
extent, supply their places in the special
service for which they are now employed


OTHER DEPARTMENTS,


The regular annual reports of the attor-
ney general, the secretary of the navy and
the post master general, are appended, and
give ample information relative TO the con-
dition OF the respective departments. They
contain suggestions for the legislative pro-
visions required to remedy such defects in
the existing laws as have been disclosed by
experience, but none of so general or i'm |
portunU Il character as TO require that |
should do more than recommend them to
your favorable consideration.


NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE.


The disposition uf this government for a
peaceful solution of the issues which the en-
envy has referred TO the arbitrament of arms
has been too often manifested and is too
well known to need new assurances. But
while it i true that individuals and parties
in the United States have indicated desire
to substitute reason for force, and by nego-
tiation 10 stop the further sacrifice of hu
man ite, and to arrest the calamities which
now attlict both countries, the authorities
who control the government of our enemies
have too often and too clearly expressed
their resolution to make no peace except on
terms Of our unconditional submission and
dcgIedation to leave US any hope of the
cessation of hostities until the delusion of
their ability to conquer isis dispelled.


Among those who are already disposed !
for peace, many are actuated by principle
and by disapproval and adherence of the
inquitious warfare that their government is
waging, while Others are moved by the con-
viction that it is no longer to the interest of
the United States to continue struggle in
which success Is unattainable. Whenever
this fast growing conviction shall have taken
root in the minds ofa ma jority Of the north
arn people, there will be produced that will
.ingneSs 80 negotiate for peace which is now
confined to our side. Peace is manifastly
unless desired by both parties to