Year: 1864

MEssRs EDITORS. Poverty makes us acquainted
with strange bed fellows, and revolutions with
strange theories; but neither in poverty nor in rev.
olutons bound to adopt either the one or the
other. Forced to discussion Of the negro question
by the persistent intermeddling OF the Northern
Abolitonists, had hoped that, when we separated
from the rotton Union, this theme Of discord would
be abandoned. But, strange to say, class OF NOR
alists who reason as if two wrongs made one right,
have discovered something worthy Of emulation in
the Northern policy of employing negro soldiers to
fight our battles The subject is seriously discuss
ed in our Southern journals, and fear, earnestly
entertained by prominent statesmen. How those
who approve such an absurd policy can reconcile
it with consistency, to say nothing OF proprety Is
a mystery to me. Had no other cause existed Tor
dissolution of the Union, does any one doubt that
an attempt by the Northern government to intro
duce negroes into the Federal army, would at once
arouse the indignation of the entire South, and OF
itself have produced secession? Shall we, then,
propose q measure for ourselves which we would
have resisted in others? But say some, the North
invokes the aid Of negro soldiery for the emanepa-
ton of the negro, therefore we will voluntarily
emancipate the negro that he may fight the North
against emancipation This is about the tone and
substance of those who favor the employment of
negro troops in our Southern army. How preposte-
ronsl II we are prepared to emancipate our ne
groes to carry on the war, why not emancipate
them to stop ?-or there can be no question that
the Abolitionsts will be Modified by such conces.
sion to their demands, and will at once cease to op.
press US.


As question of principle, this thing Of. negro
soldiers for the Southern army is monstrous. 1t is
q virtual abandonment OF the long contested ques-
ton, not only of the equality of races but of the
negros capacity for selfgovernmnet and for freedom;
for if the negro is worthy to tight for liberty, he is
worthy Of liberty itself; and if he is worthy to be
Free he must Of necessity, be accorded capacity for
selEgovernment There is no escaping these con-
II kho cofn
Southern army, either have failed to analyse the
scheme in all its bearings, they are prepared to
abandon principles which lay at the very foundation
of this defensive war. Have they been phiPPed il
to the latter alternative?


But aside from principle, what would be the ef
feet of introducing negroes into the ranks oil our
army, as q measure of policy? Are our brave boys
who have borne the brunt of battle for four years.
going to open their arms to the embrace OF negro
compatriots, :hink your. With knowledge that
thousands upon thousands of able-bodied whites
have remained at home through evasion of the con-
script law or through fayoritsm, that other thou
sands are snugy slowed away in easy positions un-
der Government and its various departments; will
they feel complimented, after four years hard SER
vice with the assurance not that their white fellow
citizens are come to their aid, but that "r3roes
the menial laborers, the slaves Gney were wont
- ;-oTcI ..I urect at home-are to be sent to oc-
cupy the position of their equals in Southern
armyl Shame on those who would this day insult
the intelligence the patriotism and the honor of our
gallant soldiers. The writer ofths is soldier, but
if he could bring to life the noble who fell de-
Tending his countrys flag at the battle of Murfrees-
boro' and replace with sound his own crippled
limb, not another drop of his family blood should
be shed in a cause which could so degenerate from
the high moral principle which first inaugurated
this defensive war. Admit however, that our army
were willing to submit to such humiliation, still
what would be the effect of putting negro troops
into the army. Take 100000 negroes from the
field of production and cast them into the army as
cunsumers and how are we to feed them and the
army? One hundred thousand negroes taken from
field cultivation would, allowing twenty acres to the
hand leave sterile 2, ,000,O 900 of our soil, sub
stract go 000 600 bushels of corn, their equiva
lent in meat and breadstuffs from the country's
supplies nnpoverish the peo ple cripple the govern
ment starve the army, and eventuate in our utter
ruin. This is brief and startling, but true state
ment of what would be the effect Of putting ne
groes into the Southern r.rmy as soldiers. Le
those who would act upon the maxim of lighting
the Devil with fire." take heed lest in doing so
they burn thsir O1on fingers. BURR.