The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-02-07
Items of Southern News.

On January 23d, R. M. T. Hunter was
elected Confederate Senator by the Vir-
ginia Legislature, on the first ballot, by a
very large majority. VIM. Ballard Pres
ton was elected on the second ballot. A
bitter opposition to Hunters election was
made by his opponents, the Wise men, but
it was unsuccessful. VIM. G. Rives is
spoken of as his successor to the rebel
State Department.
A letter to the editor of the South Caro-
linian, published at Columbia, says:
We have a scarcity of reliable news from
the enemy. Today we hear flag of truce has
reached our camp at Port Royal, from the
commander to Gen, Lee, asking the removal of
the hundreds of negroes who are dying with
the small pox, and whom he can neither shell.
ter, feed nor nurse. Alas what commenta-
ry upon Yankee philanthropy! It is to be
hoped our General will not permit these
hOrdes of diseased creatures to return to our
healthy camp, and thus entail on US the evils
and nuisances that make the Yankees tremble
and shrink with horror. We also learn that
some seventy negroes ran away from their
protection on Edst0 and threw themselves on
the protection of their masters. 1t is doubtful
whether these runaways ought to be allowed
to return at all.
The following order, signed by John
Withers, Assistant Adjutant General, has
been issued from the Inspector Generals
Office at Richmond:
The two hundred and fifty Confederate
States troops, ten officers und two hundred
and forty nOn.commissioned officers and pri.
Yates, who were captured by the United States
troops at Hatteras, North Carolina, subsequent
ly released from Fort Warren, Boston harbor,
and released on parole by General Wool, Unit
ed States Army, are hereby released from said
parole, and will Immediately report for duty
with their respective companies, General Wool
having acknowledged in exchange the receipt
of like number of United States prisoners
sent to Fortress Monroe, Virginia, by the Con.
federate Government.
The Richmond Examiner of the 22d ult.
says scene of indecency, drunken or sober,
occurred in the House of Delegates, the
day before, while that body was occupied
with the question of the election of Confede.
rate Senators, notifying to the hundreds
who witnessed it. 1t says:
In the midst of the debate, John Letcher,
Governor of Virginia. came into the Legisla-
tive chamber drunk, and sat on the steps lead
ing to the Speakers chair for the full space of
half an hour, with cigar in his mouth, max.
ing himself spectacle for the whole house,
and butt for the jokes of the gallery. The
apparition occurred just as both parties SEEM
ed to be in deadlock as to who should be Sen
ator. The occurrence might naturally have
originated in drunken imagination that a dis.
play so dramatically made in the nick of time
might suggest compromise to both parties
and inspire sudden enthusiasm for John
Letcher and his republican cigar. We can inn
agine no other explanation for the mpertin.
ance and indecency of John Letcher on the
Speakers rostrum, displaying his cigar. and
making himself such spectacle to the assem-
bled wisdom of Virginia.