Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/503

Rh measures for the enrollment of one hundred and fifty thousand negro soldiers to suppress the rebellion. But this mortifying concession that the Union armies were unable to end the war, and that the Southern slaves must now save the Union, was not reached in legislation without the earnest and indignant protests of Northern statesmen. Mr. Cox, of Ohio, Mr. Thomas, of Massachusetts, Mr. Richardson, of Illinois, and many others, joined the representatives from the Border States in resistance to this radical and dangerous change in the objects of coercion. During the debate on the general conscription bill pending an amendment offered by Mr. Cox, of Ohio, &quot; That no one shall be enrolled under this act except able bodied white male citizens of the United States,&quot; Mr. Mallory, of Kentucky, said, &quot; Why is this measure called for at this time? The answer is one which is very galling to the pride of the administration and its supporters. It is a complete confession of incompetency to manage the stupendous war in which it finds itself involved a most humiliating and reluctant acknowledgment that its measures have been mistakes its policy a blunder. &quot; But notwithstanding these protests the measure was adopted and enrollment soon began, influenced somewhat by a strong reason in favor of the enrolling of negroes in Federal regiments which was given by an influential Northern man in the following language: &quot; The approach of a draft which would fall heavily upon the workshops, manufactures, and farmers of the North, already depleted of their operatives to such an extent as to greatly enhance the price of skilled labor, led to the conviction on the part of the great body of the people of the North that these thews and sinews (i. e. negro men) thus at their command, and for the most part ready and willing for their service, might as well be employed as their own, so far as they would go toward filling up the ranks of the armies east and west.&quot;

In January, 1863, Governor Andrews, of Massachusetts,