Year: 1863




not be secured without cultivation, and Il


negroes are depended on TO cultivate it. The
" white laborers are all in the army dependir
o. on the negroes to cultivate the soil. Both Il
il army and the people must have something


eat, and there must be some one to raise it fc
At them Hitherto they have depended on the
II slaves to do this, and they have been above
70 the full proceeds of their labor without inte
. ruption. This important service which th
# negroes have been giving to onr enemies ha
c been forced Their synpathes are with u
h and gladly would they do whatever they eoul
h to assist US. What wisdom is there in reiu:
a ing to use them, and leaving them in the ser1


ice OF tine enemy? Again We would speak c
The magnitude OF the contest The eycats @


the war have already shown the resources Q
f the rebels and their determined spirit w


cannot despse these. 1t may yet require th
+. last resource of the Government to subDres
the rebellion. The case clearly iustif.sz aps


demands that we shall make good use of ever,


advantage we possess-let US not forget thai


We carrying on a war In which the honor


and existence of our country is at stake VIZ


never can succeed until we wear out the Dhvs
ical resources of the South. 1t may be that


we never could do this unless we take awav


their negroes, although We are not willing TO


make that acknowledgment The policy Of
the Administration is chiefly defended on the


ground of its being military neoeessitl.',-
! 1t may not be so in the most exquisite sense
| of the term We think the policy is iustifa-
| bic if by carrying it out we can materially


weaken the enemy and materially strengthen


ourselves. Will any sane man pretend that It


does not injure the rebels TO take their slaves


from them? VIII any one say that such a
course is unwise in military point Of view /?


No but many have said that we never can
do that, that the negroes are under the con.


troll of the rebels aud behind their bayone-s.
and that we cannot get them away No -c1e


pretends that we can get them away at once,
and if we could the question would naturally
arise " what would you do with them r. The


President did not determine upon his present


policy with the expectation that as soon as i'll
was announced the rebellion would vanish
His course was decided upon after events had
made it but too plain that we were to have q
long war.


We cannot get all the slaves at once but
as we advance into the territory Of the rebels
large numbers of them will flock into our lines
There we can use them to our advantage, as
experience has fully shown. We can arm them


This last and somewhat doubtful experiment
has been fully tried, and cannot fail to be sue
cesslul. They are eminently fitted for militia
ry service, physically Injured TO labor, accus-
toned to exposure and privations, adapted 10
the southern climate by nature and habit they
are well able to endure the hardshps that will
be imposed upon them, They need training,
and they are capable of being trained. Much
patience and care viii be needed to bring
them to a state OF efficiency aud this ought
not to be refused. For the fatiguing service /
of the Southern swamps they are well adapt !
ed. And more than al they can fight III /
the few battles in which they have already |
been engaged their conduct has been admi- |
rable


Is not this the best possible disposition 10
be made of the emancipated slaves? We do /
them no good, and infict great evil upon So
cietv by freeing them without giving them
employment. In their great eagerness TO get
away from slavery, some of them have found |
evils which they did not expect. They should /
know at once that their liberation does not
exempt them from work, but makes their
work honorable If it be conceded that we
are to free the negroes-that we must get
them out Of the control of their masters, are
we not bound to provide for them within the
limits of justice and sound economy?


We can see no valid objections TO negro
soldiery All that have been raised proceed
from prejudice against their color and the long
degradation to which they have been subject
2 coli 4bof /
Administration should have respected this
prejudice. We think they gave it all the con
sideration it deserves. The only sentiment it
ought to excite is compassion for its victims.
Il the negro has not right to do military
service, he has not a right to do anything
The men who would refuse him the rations,
allowances and pay of United States soldier,
when be does the duty of soldier, would re-
fuse him The air which is needed to sustain
life. We protest against allowing this sense
less and ignoble prejudice 10 conflict with the
interests Of the country and the principles of
Justice. We see no disgrace TO our Govern
ment in allowing the negroes to do their
share in crushing the rebellion. What we
want is to get the rebellion crushed But
here comes the cry Of NEGRO equality" We
understand this cry or rather we understand
the spirit iu which it generally is raised
Some few men have great fears of being
crotUded by the race whom they affect to de-
spise so intensely; and they cannot bear any
plan for their amelioration either morally or
politically. They will listen to no considera-
ton of right, and will yield TO no argument
based on the public welfare or the interests of
humanity. Reason and judgment seem to
have forsaken them, and prejudice has COM
piete coAtrOl. Forever agitating the negro
question" they oppose every scheme for set
tling It, Prononncing the 'colored popua
tion" a nuisance to society, they trown upon
every effort to improve their condition and
character. The negroes are a continual source
of trouble-a burden which they cannot get
of their minds They talk about thus: They ,
are inferior to rs, and they will get the upper
hand of US; they are lazy and trifing, and
they will keep US out Of employment or force
us 10 work for wages which will not support
us; they are not fit for anything but slaves,
and they are going to obtain a position Of
social and political equality with ourselves;
they never ought to have been brought to this
country las though saying that would do any
good;) their creation has been a great mistake
on the part of Almighty God, and their sub
lection and thraldrom is part of our mis-
sion''


Such is about the sentiment o! Il large class
of men who claim to he conservatives, aud
are so violently opposed to the "nigger war"
They are not the men who are to carry our
country through its present fiery trials, or to