The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-05-09

arrived in port with the light-boat heretofore sta.
tiored off Windmill Point and his convoy in tow,
the latter having exploded her boiler at the mouth
of the Patuxent, severely scalding one man. The
crew were transferred to the Thomas Sparks.
The light-boat was found twelve miles up the
Great Wicomico river. The crew escaped, leaving
a breakfast behind them. The log of the
boat showed that three armed schooners had taken
possession of the mouth of the river Lieut.. Cros-
by some two hundred cavalry on shore, and
the county arming.
The Importance of Annapolis as military depot
Is daily more apparent. Immense quantities OF
stores are being received and dstribu ted from this
point Quartermaster TURNKEY and Capt. Myers
of New York, with their assistants, are bringing
order out of chaos Col. Smith, of the 18th New
York regiment, will command at Annapolis.
Action of the Southern Confederacy.
ALEXANDRIA, May 6.-A special despatch to the
Gazette says:
MONTGOMERY, May 7.-Congress held short open
session to-day. The ordinance of the Virginia
State Convention uniting the Old Dominion to the
| Confederate States, and the treaty concluded by
Vice President Stephens and the Commissioners of
| Virginia, presented An ordinance was adopt
ed ratifying the action of these Commissioners, and
recognizing Virginia of the Confederate
States. J. w. Brockenbaugh and w alter r. Sta
| Piles, members elect from Virginia, were sworn in
and took their seats as members of the Congress
| The other Virginia delegates were not present.
Arkansas has seeded, and guns are being fired
in token of the general rejoicing at the adding of
the tenth star to the constellation.
Tennessee has finally seeded from the Union.
Recognition of a State of War by the Com
| federatc States.
| MONTGOMERY, May 7.-Yesterday an act was
! passed by the Confederate Congress, from which
secrecy is removed, recognizing the existence of
with the United States, and comforting letters
| of marque and rePrisal.
A proviso announces the doctrine that "free
ships make free goods"
Thirty days is allowed for Federal vessels to re-
| turn home.
The Montgomery Confederation says that over
three thousand applications have been made to the
State Department for letters of marque.
Concentration of Troops in Virginia.
WASHINGTON, May S.-A Louisiana regiment ar
rived at Richmond Monday. Fourteen hun
dred Tennessee troops and a battalion of Alabama
troops have also reached Lynchburg.
At Norfolk there about 900 troops, includ-
ing two companies of Georgans The authorities
were fortfyng Norfolk in all directions, including
Craney Island, erecting batteries, and impressing
persons to labor in their construction.
fortifcation has been commenced at Hatteras
Inlet, North Carolina.
Kentucky Legislature.
FRANKFoRT, KY, May 7.-The Legislature ofthis
State to-day adopted series of resolutions calling
for the correspondence between Gov. Magoiin and
the Confederate States authorities also nquiring
whether the Confederate States had made any re-
quistion on Kentucky for troops, and the Cover
nor's reply thereto.
Captain Mcigs and the Shareholders of Key
WASHINGTON, Nav Sit will be from the
following memorandum, that the President acouits
Captain Meigs of the complaints which followed
him from Kew West. his return from reinforc
ing the forts of the Gulf:
Memorandum
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON, May 7, 1851 I
The Secretary of State has carefully read the
| the Hon. VIM. Marvin, Capt. Hunt and Lieut. Norton
sent submitted him by Brigadier General TOten,
and he has further required of Capt Meg an account of
| the transactions referred to in these papers
1t appears from the information thus obtained, that
certain Shareholders at Kew West in the Florida
long time ago hired to the public agents of the Govern
ment number of slaves at remunerative prices
be employed as ahorers in the Notifications of the United
States for term of years not yet expired 0fthese
tain number, it is believed exceeding twenty were
employed in the fortfcatiOn at rortugas when Col
Brown arrived there and having need of their help
improving and supplying Fort Pickens he took
Pensacola and employed them there in landing
the Atlantic and the Illinois Fort Pfckens 1t
complained in the paper before that the
not paid or paid of the slaves and on
the contrary Capt Megs distinctly understands that the
Quarterm ster is to their to the masters OF the
| slaves at Key West as heretofore.
pretended that the Quartermaster violated
intends violate the contract of hire in any way 1t
must be entirely immatera to the master whether the
! slaves work at the Torugas whether they work
Fort Pckens Both the places situated in the State
of Florida and thy alike safe under the Government
il both Shouldhe contract be broken by the pub
lie agents the President will take care to that due
dress is afforded.
eensurabe in this matter. Some of the letters say the
of the slaves hired them aborers Fort JEFF
ferson and would not have consented if asked their
being carried to Fort Pckens This special point
is not sustained by proof On the other hand the
contract made years ago. and for to and
| though it is assumed they hired labor at Key
West, they nevertheless, actually found aborng
at the Torugas without objection the part of the
masters 1t is not at all probable that the Government,
when hiring to work at its Notifications in
part of the State, stipulated that they should
be employed in another within the same State. 1t is
said in another letter that the transaction likely be
represented throughout the Southern States negro
seang-as disregard, by the Government officers, of
the rights of masters-as the commencement of
of Interference with slavery leading its aboliionas
the employment OF slaves by the General Government in
acts of hostility against their masters-as forcing negro
slaves to make the whites and if they
be placed under the fire of guns without their consent
the consent of their masters it might be represented
| inhuman.
These are very strained conceits. The papers show
that the coored men went from the post the other
voluntarily and cheerfuy. They can iE be
posed to fire except from the citizens of the State of Flor
ida in act of direct and unlawful against the Uni
ted States Even their return sf that fe could be
of hostility their masters these
themselves should be found voluntarily
against not only their slaves, but against the
Government and the whole people United States
a crime which it is not to be supposed they will commit.
Again it is not TO be presumed that the slaves will be
compelled become combatants at ALL except in case
| where military necessity would justify making any
persons found in the fort become combaants 1t is not
that slaves have greater right than
free white persons to exemption from hazard, rendered
necessary for the public safety, in time of civil war.
From Fort Pici5ens.
| MONTGOMERY, May 1.-The train from Pensacola
has just arrived and brings several passengers who
left Warrington and Pensacola yesterday afternoon.
| They tell me Gen. Bragg is progressing rapidly in
his Notifications, and is nearly ready to center
tain the forces at Pickens, and those in the fleet,
in hostile manner. The troops of the Confeder-
ate States are in good spirits, and are sanguine of
success.
But little sickness prevails, and the troops gen.
erallv are in good health.
There has been some delay at this point Mont
gomery) in the transmission of parcels and pack
ages for the troops, but all have gone forward,
and in a day or more the railway will be com
pleted to Pensacola, and there then will be
further delay.
Vice President Stephens, learn, reached this
city at noon today.
! am informed that the Secretary of War, at the
urgent solicitation of the citizen soIdery of Flori
da through their deputies in Congress, has decided
to call into service, for the frontier, regiment
OF infantry from that State.
Col. George F. Ward, well known as an able
leader of the old Whig party of Florida, arrived
here to day, and will take his seat member in
Col. Anderson, who commands a regiment Of
cavalry at Pensacola.
1t should be borne in mind that the Railroad
Convention, which met in this city Friday, and
was represented by Presidents of those corpora
tons have extent Of railroad tracks over 4,375
miles, and represented funded capital amounting
to Sl07, ,670 900. The policy pursued by this con-
vention has eiicited the warmest comm end ton.
There are comparatively few of the military to be
seen in the streets at this time. They are nearly
all gone to Virginia and Pensacola
To-day the time for receiving bids for materials
to be supplied to the Postofce Department closed
l am informed that quite a number of bids were
filed.
/ Missouri Affairs.
ArCHIsoN Mo-, May AT the Municipal election
here the Union candidates elected.
ST: LOUIS, May THE Union Home Guard of
tne first and Second wards, to the number of hf
teen nunored, have been sworn into the service of
the United States
captain Lyon has orders to receive 10 900 men,
and he has already 5000 enlisted The Home
Guard VIII exceed the complement called for
ihey "ll remain wlth their families, but do guard
West Point Cadets for Wasbin.ton.
| PHILADELPHIA, May S.-A parly of fftv West
| Point Cadets detained here last niobt bv the
police, on the suppostion that they were about to
Join the secessionists, having received information
that they had been purchasing arms at New York
| The mistake soon rectihed, and the train on
| which they were detained, proceeded on towards
Washington, where they will be commissioned as
Second Lieutenants.
| Arrival of a Brazilian Corvette.
New York, May THE Brazilian corvette Ba-
hama, school-ship for the education of naval OFF,
| Nara ivad hara mi