The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-10 00:00:00

THE NEGRO ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES.

(FYom the New York Times March 26.)
It appears by the recent official statement of
Secretary Stanton that there are at this time more black
thanwhite troops in the volunteer servioe of the United States.
Of negro soldiers (privates) we have no less than 63,373,
while the white volunteers now left number but 53,326
men. If, however, we add to the white soldiers .of
what is called our volunteer army the troops of the regular
service (who are no lees volunteers than the others) we find
that the total white force outnumbers the black by about
18,000 men. We venture to say that few people had
any idea that such a large negro army was now in the
service of the United States. Mr. Stanton says
that orders have been issued for discharging
23,000 of the coloured troops—which will leave us,
after the reduction is effected, over 40,000 still in the
service. Orders have been issued for discharging nearly
19,000 white soldiers of the volunteer force—leaving still
36,000 in service ; but if to the latter we add the white
troops of the regular army, we have a total
white army remaining of 62,000 men, or 22,000
more whites than blacks. The great majority
of our negro troops are in the States borderhig
on the Mississippi River, and some are in
Texas. The government never saw fit to concede the re-
questa of these States for their removal, and there is leas
fault found with them now than formerly. It was greatly
feared by the Southern people that they would prove tur-
bulent, and would conduct themselves in an unbearable
manner towards the race that formerly held them in
bondage, while at the same time they would demoralise the
negro labourers, and disturb the operations of reviving
industry. But moat of these fears have proved quite
groundless. Instead of being turbulent, the negro troops
have proved very orderly ; and we do not remember any
instances of insubordination on their part, except upon
one occasion last summer on the James River, when a
force of them was ordered to Texas ; and the attempted
' mutiny then was very easily and quickly quelled.
The general conduct of the various bodies of
them stationed throughout the Southern States has
been, in the main, exceedingly good. Toward the popu-
lation among whom they have been stationed they have
borne themselves in an inoffensive manner, neither inso-
lent nor turbulent. This is partly owing to the intrinsic
character of the negro race, and partly to the efforts of
military discipline and the excellent officers of all
grades who have had command of them. It will
be remembered that while oar negro army was
being formed, a special board, of which General
Casey was head, sat in Washington for the examination,
selection, and appointment of officers to command it. The
very choicest stock of our army, subordinate officers and
privates, came forward and offered to serve in this or-
ganization. The examinations were exceedingly rigid,
and the selections made with the most scrupulous
care ; and it is, doubtless, in great measure, the re-
sult of this that our negro army has maintained
its good character throughout. It is evident
from our experience that we can raise a large black
army in this country; that the negroes are capable of
being transformed into soldiers ; that they can fight, and
can do efficient work in all arms of the service ; that they
have the sentiment of loyalty, and are capable of devotion
to the flag. We have tried the experiment of African
soldiers in a civilised army, upon a scale of magnitude
never before attempted or approached in the history of the
world. The experience we have acquired may possibly be
of service to our country in the future.

THE SHOCKING ACCIDENT NEAR BOT-

TINGDEAN.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon at
Brighton ou the body of Mr. Willett, sen., whose death
was mentioned in yesterday's Express.
The first witness was Mr. Charles Verrall Willett, the
deceased's son, who was riding with his father at the
time the accident occurred. He was deeply affected. He
deposed—l am a surgeon at the Brighton Dispensary. The
deceased is my father. He is 61 years of age. After
church, yesterday afternoon, my father proposed to go for
a ride, and we did so. It was about a quarter before 5.
My father rode a cob that he was used to. We went
on the road to the toll-gate at Bowden. We walked
along the road the whole of the way to the pay gate, then
we turned on to the turf. He then said, " Now let's have
a gentle trot," and we trotted down about 200 yards. lle
was inside of me, close to the bank separating the road
from the sea. His horse suddenly swerved in front of me,
and went to the edge of the cliff ; then he seemed to
recover himself, and tried to stop the horse, and get
11 him in the road, but the animal again swerved in just
the same manner to the right ; the horse did not lesek,
but went sideways over the cliff. I saw no object likely
to frighten the horse. I got off my own horse imme-
diately, and gave him into the hands of a policeman,
while I went to the edge of the cliff to look over and
see the result • the cliff at this point is about the highest
point about there, between 70 and 80 feet high. I
saw the body doubled up on the beach, about .10 feet
from the base of the cliff. I then hail to go as far as
Greeuway to get down to the beach, where there are some
steps ; the policeman accompanied me. A coatsguardsman
was the first to arrive at the body ; the coastguard had
raised the body up ; he was quite dead. There was a frac-
ture of the skull and other injuries. On the whole it was
a quiet cob, but used to shy a little ; my father seemed to
have perfect control over it. When the horse went over
it went sideways ; and at last seemed to face the cliff.
William Holland, police-constable 80, the next witness,
stated—When about 300 yards from me I saw the horse
taking fright against the batik, when Mr. Willis quieted
hint ; but the horse then took another little fright ; then
he kept going sideways (Mr. Willett pulling sad trying all
he could to get hitu in the middle of the road), until he
went over the cliff. I went round with Mr. Willett, jun.,
to the body ; when we got there a coastguardsman was
there. Mr. Willett was quite deal ; the horse was also
killed. I saw the mark of the horse's feet on the cliff
where he fell down. I did not see anything particular
that would cause the horse to shy.
A verdict of "Accidentally killed by misadventure" was
returned.

The jury wished to draw the attention of the authorities
to the necessity of having some protection along ti.e
The SuAtex Adr,rtiarr says :—" The untimely and terrl;.le
death of Mr. Willett has cast a gloom over Brighton, aml
the sad news will cause no less a sensation throughout the
entire county. As son of the late Mr. Cstt, of Bishop-
stone, he was a member of all influential family which,
from its extensive commercial transactions as well as from
its social qualities, has 1011 been highly respected and
well known amongst the in"habitants of Sussex. In Lewes,
especially, not alone through his connexion by marriage
with the family of Mr. Verrall, but also from his impor-
tant business, Mr. Willett was held in great esteem by
the numerous circle with whom he was acquainted."

In the course of the spring, Prussian architects
appointed by the government are to visit both Paris and
London, for the purpose of studying the Chamber of De-
puties and the Houses of Parliament, with a view to the
new houses to be built in Berlin on the site of the royal
porcelain manufactory. The first estimates are 223,000 f.
The Paris Moniteur contains a list of 300 medals,
namely, 18 in gold, 178 in silver, and 112 in bronze,granted I
at the suggestion of the Minister of Agriculture by his
Majesty to those of the medical profession who proved
during the late visitation of cholera their zeal and devoted-
ness in the care of the sick. The Moniteur points 0nt122
instances of private heroism on this occasion, which proves
that, notwithstanding the silence observed by the official
papers during the visitation, it was of a sufficiently serious
nature to justify the public alarm.
A day or two ago a certain M. Tuvora, his wife,
daughter, and two sous were found de►d in their beds at
Vienna. In a letter that came to band after his death,
Tuvora says that ho and his wife and shildren bad agreed
to poison themselves, but the judge who was charged to
examine into the affair believes the statement to be false.
Four glasses, in which were a few drops of a liquid con-
taining " cyan-kali" (cyanide of potash), were standing on
the dinner-table, but the glass emptied by Towers, whose
body was found in bed, was on a night-table. It is
thought that the unhappy man administered poison
to his wife and children, and that when they were
dead he went to bed and poisoned himself. Miss Louisa
'rayon", who was but 19 years of age, was considered one
of the handsomest girls in the city. She must have had
a terrible attack of tetanus before she died, as her body
was curved backwards, so as almost totem a half-circle.