Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-07-04
Our Troops.

There appears to be some difficulty and misapprehen
sion in regard to the accepting and employing of the
two classes of troops authorized by law to be raised
this State.
The call was for thirty thousand troops and the LIE
gislature passed two bills authorizing the raising
number of troops but dividing them into different corps
First Ten regiments to be raised by voluntary enlist
ment for three years for the war. Second Twenty
regiments of twelve months volunteers The first corps
to be known as the State Troops" the second as the
Volunteer Troops" These ,-irty regiments were e1
peced to make up the desired number of thirty thous
and.
Possibly the present difficulties mainly due to the
separate classification of the two corps of volunteers
for they are oil volunteers State Troops just much
as twelve months men. Had only the State Troops
been asked for at frst it is quite probable that that
corps might have been readily filled up, and afterwards
the regiments of twelve months volunteers. If there
has arisen any difficulty confusion out of the opera
ton of the two laws for raising troops the responsibility
if there be responsibility, lies with the Legislature
rather than with the Executive or bis advisers.
We have now some four regiments of volunteers il
Virginia. who have been received into the Confederate
service. Probably the Confederate Government may
accept one more volunteer regiment. 1t WILL however
accept just many troops for the war as we can offer
The difference then far as we can see between State
troops and volunteer regiments after the fifth regiment
of the latter is that the State troops will be taken into
the Confederate service and of be at the joint
cost of the eleven Confederate States while the voun
teer twelve months regiments, latter the fifth, before
remarked will be the sole and exclusive cost of North
Carolina.
Commissioners have been sent to Richmond to OBJ
tain distinctly President Davis views aid policy in
gard to receiving troops and he was to give de-
finite reply on Tuesday or yesterday We have not
heard yet whether the convention did actually adjourn
yesterday as agreed upon but if it did not, the post
poDement probably occasoned by its waiting to as
certain the result of the communication with the au
thortes OF the Confederate States and taking such action
as the state of the then definitely crsood might
call for.
AS things now stand, cannot think that the Gov.
ernor and Advisory Board at all to blame for decin
ing for the present least to accept and organize any
more regiments of volunteers for twelve months. We
think such course as they are pursuing in that re-
spect imIeratlvcly called Tor by the interests Of the
State and they would be much to blame if they pur
sued any other
| We will very soon hear from the Commissioners and
from President Davis and know better how things
stand.
! We think that there are now accepted some six vol
unteer regiments ana above those which the Con
tolerate Government has far concluded to accept
1t is not to be wondered at if there be suspension Of
acceptances for the time being.
Another matter may well be mentioned here as
elsewhere. An OF prevention is worth pound OF
cure. 1t might bc easier to prevent The landing of three
thousand TROOPS than to beat If one thousand firmly es
tabshcd This has been sole object in calling at
tention to coast defencos. We never wanted troops
poured down here. We wanted cannon fit to command
inets scarcely less important than that commanded by
Fort Caswe. Ii We said that know approach
accessible to large not larger class of vessels than
can enter any port connected with OcracOke, which
wholly uDguarded, while we kept harpng perhaps our
qutrulousncss might be better understood and less
blamed. Means OF defence-not simply men was what
we spoke of and speak of now How the important in
let we audc to is protected, we will not say. We
will give the information privately where any right ex-
lists to ask it. We surely want to do no injustice
least of all those, who is the of the Advisory
Board, will be blamed whatever they do, and must be
much perplexed under any circumstances.