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THE COUNTRYMAN.
X9fi
the persons exempted by her laws, and to
the character of her people. I arn satisfied,
however, that impartial history will do
justice to the government, and people of
Georgia, as well as to the conduct, and
motives other assailants, who have strip
ped her of her strength, and left her to the
ravages of our armies.
Considerable uneasiness havi,ng been
felt by the north, on account of the inten
tion of the south to put arms into the
hands of her slaves, f will give my views
on that subject.
The rebel administration, by its unfor*
tunate policy, having wasted its strength,
and reduced its armies, and being unable
to get freemen into the field as conscripts,
and unwilling to accept them in organiza
tions with officers of their own choice,
will, it is believed, soon resort to the pol
icy of filling them up by the conscription
of slaves.
I am satisfiedr that they may profitably
use slave labor, so far as it can be spared
from agriculture, to do menial service in
connection with the army, and thereby
enable more free white men to take up
arms; but I am quite sure any attempt to
arm the slaves, will be a great error for
them. If they expect to continue the war
successfully, they are obliged to have the
labor of most of them in the production of
povisions.
But if this difficulty were surmounted,
they cannot rely upon them as soldiers.
They are now quietly serving them at
home, because they do not wish to go into
the army, and they fear, if trey leave
home, we will put them there. If the
rebels compel their slaves to take up arms,
their whole feeling and conduct will
change, and they will leave their masters
by thousands. A single proclamation, by
President Lincoln, that all who will desert,
after they are forced into service, and
come over to us, shall have their freedom,
be taken out of the army, and permitted
to go into the country in his possession,
and receive wages for their labor, would
disband them by brigades. V\ hatever
may be our opinion of their normal condi
tion, or their true interest, we cannot ex
pect them, if they remain with the rebels,
to perform deeds of heroic valor, when
they are fighting to continue the enslave
ment of their wives, and children. It is
not reasonable to demand it of them, and
we have little cause to expect the bless
ings of Heaven upon any efforts to com
pel them to perform such a task.
If the rebels are right, and Providence
designed negroes lor slavery, he did not
intend that they should be a military peo
ple. Whenever they establish the fact
that slaves are a roilitaiy race, they de
stroy their whole theory that they are
unfit to be free.
Having given you my views of the poli
cy, on the part of the revolted provinces,
of arming their negroes, I proceed to re
view the barbarous course of Jeff Davis.
Their constitution has been violated,
and trampled under foot, and the rights,
and sovereignty of the Territories, which
had been disregarded by the government
of the United States, and which formed,
with slavery, the very foundation of the
movement that brought into being the so-1
ciHe I confederate government, have been
prostrated, and almost destroyed by con ,
federate congressional encroachment, and
executive usurpation.
The resolutions of the general assembly
of Georgia, protesting against these usur
pations, and abuses, have been unheeded,
and laid aside without even the courtesy
of a reply.
Direct taxes, of enormous burden, have
been levied by the rebel congress, without
the census, or enumeration imperatively
required by their constitution, which op
erate upon the people of Georgia, and
other Territories, but have no operation
upon the people of Missouri, or Kentucky,
who are represented, equally with Geor
gia, in the c >ngress by which they are
imposed.
Much of their most objectionable legis
lation is fastened upon them by the votes
of representatives who, however patriotic,
and-true to their cause, act without re
sponsibility to any constituency, out of
their army, who can be affected thereby,
and who can neither visir^vvith safety, nor
show themselves, publicly, among the
people whom ihey profess to represent, a
majority of whom have given the strongest
evidences of sympathy, and support to the
government of the United States, and have
been constantly represented in the con
gress of tho i e states.
Impressments of private property, for
public use, which are oiten necessary, and
proper, have been carried to an extent
which is tyrannical, and oppressive in the
extreme. Instead of purchase as the rule,
and impressment the exception, the whole
property of the rebel people is placed un
der the control of impressment agents,
who refuse to pay ‘just compensation,’ as
required by their constitution, or even
half the market value, and who pay in
certificates which the government refuses
to receive in payment of public dues.
By. a pretended conscription, not au
thorized by tbeir constitution, their gov
ernment has placed their agriculturists
under heavy bonds to sell to it at the im-
piessment prices fixed by its agents, and
denies to them the privilege to sell the
fiuits of their labor in open market, or to
exchange them for other commodities,
which are necessary to the support of
themselves, and their families.
Their governme.it disregards that pro
vision of their constitution, which prohib
its their congress from making any appro
priation of money, for a longer term than
two years, to support the armies of the
so-called confederacy ; and as a means of
perpetuating the war beyond the period of
the existence of the present rebel congress,
without the assent of the people in the
next elections, it proposes to pledge the
tithe of the more valuable.annual produc
tions of the agricultural class of rebels,
who are selected for the buruen, for years
to come, for that purpose, and to contin
ue the pledge of the incomes of this par
ticular class, after the termination of the
war, for the payment of the treasury notes
issued for the support of the armies, du
ring its existence. Few of this class
make more than a tithe, as net profits.
In the estimate of their secretary of the
treasury, in which he sets down the in
comes of this class at about fitty per cent.,
he fa Is to allow any credit for the vast
expense of production. He estimates
gross, and not net incomes, and, in this
way, shows the incomes of the planter to
be much greater Jhan those of the banker,
or money-holder, whose interest, and div
idends cost hone of the labor, and expense
of production incurred by tho planter.
Citizens who belong neither to the land,
nor naval forces of the rebel government,
or to the militia in actual service, are ar
rested by provost guards, and government
detectives, under charges of treason, or
other indictable offences, or disloyalty,
without warrant, or other process from
the couits, and imprisoned at the pleas
ure of the government, in open disregard
of their constitution, which declares that
no such person shall be held to answer for
a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,
unless on a presentment, or indictment of
a grand jury, nor be deprived of life, lib-
ei:ty, or property, without due process of
lawq and that no warrants shall issue but
upon probable cause, supported by oath,
or affirmation, particularly describing the
persons, or things to be seized.
Good ;.nd loyal reLel citizens, who tx-av-
el on railroads, r through towns, or cities,
upon lawful business, are arrested if they
fail to carry passes, while federal spies
procure, or (orge passes, and travel over
their thoroughfares at their pleasure.
In many parts of the so-called confed
eracy, not in our possession, the rebel
government has ceased to protect either
life, or property, and its own soldiers,
who have left the front without discipline*
or control, often, united with others pro
fessing to be in service, and wearing the
dress of the soldier, are passing over tho
country, in numerous bands, robbing the
citizens, and destroying their property.
While the old men, and boys, ot that
Territory, leaving important home inter
ests to suffer, have been obliged to take
up arms, to resist the federals, thousands
of young, able-bodied men of Georgia,
and other Territories, between eighteen,
and forty-five years of age, are protected,
by so-called confederate authority, on ac
count of their wealth, or other influence,
from service in the field, and, under pre
text of some nominal employment for tho
government, are allowe i to remain out of
danger, and devote most of their time to
their speculations, or other individual
pursuits.
The financial affairs of the rebels, have
been so unfortunately administered, that
their currency is worth very little in the
market; and their public faith has been
so frequently, and wilfully violated, that
it will be with great difficulty that they
can re-inspire their people with confidence
in the pledges of their government. It
is announced, as the future policy of the
financial department, to issue no more
treasury notes, and to receive nothing
else in payment of public dues, till the
quantity is reduced to a healthy circula
tion. This would be beneficial tP the
Concluded on page 188.