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To: Colonel Kangaroo
A free black man was worse than useless to Jeff Davis and his gang. That's why he got so excited about the prospect of enslaving free blacks in the course of the war.

If you are not talking about Conscription, a reference would help.

105 posted on 04/14/2010 10:46:59 AM PDT by central_va ( http://www.15thvirginia.org)
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To: central_va
Here's Jeff Davis's reaction to Lincoln's Emancipation Proclaimation as reporteed by the Harper's Weekly of 1/31/1863:

In relation to President Lincoln's emancipation proclamation, he says he may well leave it to the instincts of that common humanity which a beneficent Creator has implanted in the breasts of our fellow-men of all countries to pass judgment on a measure of which several millions of human beings of an inferior race, peaceful and contented laborers in their sphere, are doomed to extermination; while, at the same time, they are encouraged to a general assassination of their masters by the insidious recommendation to abstain from violence, unless in necessary self-defense. Our own detestation of those who have attempted the most execrable massacre recorded in the history of guilty man is tinctured by a profound sentiment for the impotent rage which it discloses. As far as regards the action of this Government on such criminals as may attempt its execution, I confine myself to informing you that I shall, unless in your wisdom you deem some other course more expedient, deliver to the several State authorities all commissioned officers of the United States that may hereafter be captured by our forces in any of the States embraced in the proclamation, that they may be dealt with in accordance with the laws of those States, providing for the punishment of criminals engaged in exciting servile insurrections. In its political aspect this measure possesses great signification, and to it in this light I invite your attention. It affords to our people the complete and crowning proof of the true nature of the designs of the party which elevated to power the present occupant of the Presidential chair at Washington, and which sought to conceal its purposes by every variety of artful grace, and by the perfidious use of the most solemn and repeated pledges on every practicable occasion. He gives extracts from President Lincoln's inaugural, and comments fully upon the subsequent acts by Congress and the Administration.

Jeff had no use for emancipation and he considered any free blacks captured in Union service as fit subjects for slavery.

109 posted on 04/14/2010 11:37:27 AM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
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To: central_va
If you are not talking about Conscription, a reference would help.

From Davis' December 24, 1862 proclamation:

Now therefore I, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America and acting by their authority, appealing to the Divine Judge in attestation that their conduct is not guided by the passion of revenge but that they reluctantly yield to the solemn duty of repressing by necessary severity crimes of which their citizens are the victims, do issue this my proclamation, and by virtue of my authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States do order--

...3. That all negro slaves captured in arms be at once delivered over to the executive authorities of the respective States to which they belong to be dealt with according to the laws of said States.

4. That the like orders be executed in all cases with respect to all commissioned officers of the United States when found serving in company with armed slaves in insurrection against the authorities of the different States of this Confederacy.

Merry freakin' Christmas.

111 posted on 04/14/2010 11:43:58 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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