The national Republican., 1862-01-24
USING NEGROES.

It is telegrsphed from Frederick (Ad.) that
the Martinsburg (va) Republican "a secession
newspsper) Of the 18th instant, appeals to the
Governor Of Virginia to arm the slaves to fight
the national forces. The ground upon which
this appeal is made, is the alleged fact (which
is not fact but fabricstion) that in late
action near Bath, (va,) seven hundred negroes
fought on the national side.
Everywhere the rebels are using negroes, II
not ss soldiers, at least in every other depart.
ment Of military service, and not content with
90 using their own q. groce, they seize for the
same purpose the negroes Of loyal men, and
with Is little scruple they seize horses or mules.
They did this in Missouri, and are doing Il In
Kentucky. A letter from Nunfordsville, (Ky.,)
dated January lG, and published in the Gin
cinnati Tises, says:
Ten contrabands, all males, arrived here
last night (January 18th, j from Bowling Green.
They have been several days making their es.
cape, and compose the part Of a large party,
their way to our piokets last evening, and,
after undergoing examination at the outpOsts,
were brought to headquarters. ! had con.
versation with one Of them, an intelligent
yOuuk WuIdttos ne bdyb tnAt lOr TWO Or tnF0e
weeks the rebels have been seizing on all the
colored people they can find. and that gresi
number Is now ut Bowling Green. They take
whole families, without respect to age or sex.
Tho women are put into the hospitals as
nurses and washerwomen. The stouter chill.
dren and put to work in various ways, the
best men taken AZ soldiers, and the rest en-.
ployed a. servants and laborers. Nearly all OF
these slaves have been taken forcibly from
their masters. Numbers of them haoe been ru.
South and sold for The benet Of he Southern Con.
tederacy! BE says there are fully thousand
At Bowling Green awaiting an opportunity to
escape, some to our lines, and others to their
masters. On their way here, this party were
frequently aided by Union men. some OF whom
had been robbed of their slaves. They ali
represent the distress and dssolStiOn at Bowl
ing Green, and through the surrounding Coun.
try, as frigbtful.
"Having pressed nearly all the negroes into
the service, the rebels have now commence on
the white people,"
AZ soon a. this war comes tO be waged 10
earnest, the negroes will certainly be used as
soldiers on one side or the other, II being i'm
possible that such an amount Of physical force
as is found in hardy population of four mil.
lions should remain unsvsiled Of, when the
combstants really come to a grspple. War
involves life, fortune, everything, In short, in
the whole range Of human interests, from the
ambition Of the greatest down To the bread of
the humblest. As 1t involves all human inter.
ests, so 1t appeals to all human passions, and
brings out all human energies. II Ia not
business to be managed by gentlemen uahers,
or dancing masters, or in which 1t will answer
to stand upon ceremonies of any kind. It Is,
Of all affairs, the most serious and real in which
men can be engaged.
As yet, 10 this struggle, We have bad war
only on one side, and even to this day we find
men In Congress and In the management Of the
public press, who oppose measures, upon The
ground that they ,oia be injurious 10 The enemy J.,
But because We have yet had no real war II
is not To be concluded that we are To have none.
After thousand millions of money have been
sunk In the insane attempt to put down rebellion
without striking at the thing which alone caused
it and alone supports 1t, the matter will be
dealt with In very different temper, and upon
a very different philosophy. Whatever poll.
ticians, here or elsewhere, may think Of IT, the
people Of this country will surrender no single
inch Of the national jurisdiction, until compelled
to do It, and after exhausting every means of
putting down the men who are seeking TO de.
stroy our nationality. The great instinct of
selfpreservation will sweep everything before
it at last, Presidents, Cabinets, Senators and
Generals.