white people in the United States in 1863 was
whether or not the Negro really would fight. The
generation then living had never heard of the
Negro in the Revolution and in the War of 1812,
much less of his struggles and insurrections before. From 1820 down to the time of the war
a determined and far-reaching propaganda had
led most men to believe in the natural inferiority,
cowardice and degradation of the. Negro race.
We have already seen Abraham Lincoln suggest
that if arms were put into the hands of the Negro
soldier it might be simply a method of arming
the rebels. The New York Times discussed the
matter soberly, defending the right to employ
Negroes but suggesting four grounds which might
make it inexpedient; that Negroes would not fight,
that prejudice was so strong that whites would
not fight with them, that no free Negroes would
volunteer and that slaves could not be gotten hold
of and that the use of Negroes would exasperate
the South. “The very best thing that.can be done
under existing circumstances, in our judgment, is
to possess our souls in patience while the experiment is being tried.
The problem will probably speedily solve itself—much more speedily than
heated discussion or harsh criminations can solve it
This was in February 16, 1863. It was not
