David I absolutely agree. Opinion was split. But those who ran the CSA congress are the ones who made the ultimate choice. They chose no drafting of slaves, no guarantee of emancipation for those who served. That shows what their priorities were. The choice they made sank the last hope the CSA had that they would achieve Independence. They were too late, even had the measure passed in February or March of 1865, but they had made that choice time and again. And the tepid half-measure of taking donations of slaves without emancipation just barely passed by three votes. Again, that clearly shows the priorities of the CSA political leadership.