Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-07-09

Hunters letter about his negro soldiers
brought up a lively debate IN the House
Saturday, in which some very conservative
men said some very ultra things, that must
prove sadly firing for the Southern heart
Wickliffe wanted to reconsider the vote by
which Hunters letter was ordered printed
and couldn't contain himself on the insult
Hunter had offered to loyal people. He
charged officers Of the Government and Of
the army with having undertaken without
law, against order and in violation Of ev-
cry principle Of humanity, to assume the
power Of enlisting slaves to serve against
their masters. General Hunters letter
was in manner and terms unbeeoming a
General. He held Secretary Stanton re-
sponsibIe Tor Hunters conduct, and sneer-
inqly said that Hunter had better been see
ing 70 his business when the late disaster
in South Carolina took place, than tinker
ing with negroes. Mallory made the usual
Kentucky speech against arming the
blacks. He ridiculed the idea Of making
them soldiers; said single cannon shot
would put ten thousand Of them 70 flight
and closed by declaring that arming them
was baFbarous, inhuman, and contrary to
the practiceOf civilized nations, and that
it was most as bad as putting the toma-
hawk into the hands Of the savage. This
stirred up Thad. Stevens, who inquired,
how does Il come that they are so danger
Gus 10 their masters when a single cannon
shot VIII put ten thousand to fight? Or
how is it they have not courage enough to
make soldiers when you call them as saw
age and dangerous as Indians? But the
gentleman was mistaken in his facts
Common history, he repeated, proved them
false. Il has been the general practice Of
civilized na6ons te employ slaves for mil
itary purposes, whenever and wherever
needed. Lovejoy here begged leave to in
terrupt, and read from common school his
tory about Jaekson's arming slaves in the
war Of 1872, and mis- promise 10 give free
dom to all who served He then read jack
sons General Order, thanking the negroes
for their gallant success, saying that he
had not been unaware Of their good quali-
ties as soldiers, but that they had far sur
passed his highest expectations, and re-
assuring them Of emancipation az a re-
ward for their conduct. Bovejoy con-
cluded his demonstration on the negro
frightened gentleman by reference to an
other history, showing that one-fourth Of
the men who helped win Perry s victory on
the lake we're negroes. The effect OF al
this was sensational Men who had been
denouncing Hunter couldn't have been
more astonished If one Of Hunters own
bonbshells from Port Royal had been
dropped among them.
SedrWick hightened the effect by reading
an elaborate statement Of the New York
STATE Librarian, showing that nearly eve
~ civilized nation had, some time or
other. employed negroes as soldiers, and
always with success, and winding up with
the example Of Brazil, the largest slave
holding empire Of the world, using regi-
imenis Of slaves at this very day, asamong
the best soldiers they have,
piTen begged 70 trespass on Stevens
time, Just 70 say that he had long been pre-
foundly convinced that Congress failed in
lis imperative duty, just 50 long as II
failed to provide for enlisting negro troops
20 serve in unhealthy regions to WhieA
they had become acclimated, and he now
had bill 70 that end prepared, and was
ready 10 offer il at the first opportunity
That. resumed Mr.. Stevens, is precisely
what would have done long sgo, only 1
WASH a conservative, and 50 they'd have
called Il an abolition scheme. Stevens
then went on with unusual earnestHess
and force, to urge the necessity for using
negroes 10 save white men. He declared
that al over bis State, households were
everywhere desolatsd to-day because We
hadn't troops enough, and nov they want
ed to call on them for more, to be sent into
unwholesome climates, where exposure
was certain deatl 70 any white man, and
asserting thaL while such a policy was
pursued, the suppression Of the rebellion
was hopeless. The effect Of the discus
sion was seen when ai the close of Stew
ems, speech, the House laid Wiekliffe's
motion on the table by vote Of "A to 29.
There win be no more sneering AZ Hun
ter's letter or his negro brigade.