Centreville, Sept. 13, '63.
I learned yesterday that the President was very weak on the
subject of protecting black troops and their officers; said the Administration
was not ready to insist upon their having equal rights with others, and that it
would be very hard on our other prisoners to keep them at Richmond while we are
debating about exchanging one or two officers now in Charleston. This is a
singularly soft-hearted view to take of the question — exceedingly American:
but it seems to me your black recruiting and organizing will be much
interrupted by its becoming the avowed policy of the Administration to
adopt the Southern view of black troops and their officers, — much
interrupted by the uncertainty which now exists even: that is the sort
of fact which might weigh with an American President, if he could be made to
believe it. I suppose it would be impossible to convince him that, after what
the Government has said and done through its Adjutant-General and through other
trusted officials, there is probably not one decent officer in the service who
would not feel outraged at the proposed neglect — probably not one now in
Richmond who would not rather stay there six months than be even silent parties
to such a pusillanimous backdown.
I have great hope that Stanton will yet stand stiff for the
honour of the Department, — but there is no doubt about the President's
inclinations, — William Russel saw him on the subject and was answered as
above. I cannot go on recommending good officers for coloured troops and
advising them to make applications, if the Government is going to rate them so
much cheaper than officers of white troops.1
In the case of the Fifty-Fourth it seems to me that
Massachusetts is involved, — that she ought to demand that her officers be
treated all alike; but it is discreditable that the Government should make it
necessary.
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1 Cabot Jackson Russel, a very young but valiant
captain in the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Infantry, had been killed on the
slopes of Fort Wagner; but at this time his family thought him a prisoner in
the enemy's hands. He was Colonel Lowell's cousin, the only son of Mr. William
C. Russel of New York. President Lincoln had given very little encouragement to
Mr. Russel as to the Administration's showing the Southerners that it meant to
protect officers of coloured troops in earnest.
SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of
Charles Russell Lowell, p. 296-8, 442
