Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-18

the ports Of the South, precludiug, saw
with our consent, all entrance to or eEi
from them, unless by stealth or accident
This power, which the South has little u
meet, Is almost exclusively the growth o
the year, and on our own coasts, and It
the ports, harborS and rivers of the South
it cannot but be 10 the future most eff
cicnt means Of attack and defense.
There are two other elements Of strength
which especially require confederation
men aud money. The armies Of the Soutt
have been large beyond example as com,
parqd with the extent OF population from
which they have been drawn. To rHiBI
them TO their present standard, tho con.
scription law OF the South has embraced
all from the age Of eighteen to iorty.fvt
years. Their armies, like our own, waste
away BY the casualties OF war, and there
can be little force in reserve TO supply the
drain. Au examination Of the preliminary
report Of the census Of 1860; Of which !
have had the honor to tranSmityOu copy,
will show on page l3l that the body Of the
population on which the South must draw
for the supply of this drain. is less even
than suggested in our recent conversa.
ton. The aggregate free population Of oil
the slave States, including Maryland, Del
aware, Virginia, Kentucky aud Missouri,
is only s,289,763; bat from this must be
deducted the population Of those slave
States iu the possession OF the United
States, where no couscription law of the
South could possibly be enforced, and
likewise the free blacks Of the South, In
whose hands they dare not place arms
The free population Of those States,
shown by the census OF 1860, is as follows !:
Delaware, O,4ls; Maryland, 699,s 800; Ken
lucky, $50, ,2OI; Missouri, l,o67,Osl; Ia.
uaW6a, or Western Virginia, With JeiFeF.
son, Accomac md Northampton counties,
estimated at 379,774; free blacks Of the
South to be deducted, 25O,787, making an
aggregate Of 3,338,l2l, which, when de.
Quoted from the aggregate free population
Of the South, leaves only 4, ,95l ,642, iuclud-
ing men, women aud children. The gen.
eral accuracy of these fgureS can readily
be tested by reference to pages l3l aud
2s6 2s7, 2ss and 289 of the Census Report
before referred 10. 1t Is true that to some
slight extent troops may voluntarily go
into the Southern army from portions Of
country not 10 their possession, but these
would probably bs at least balanced BY
those Withholding Themselves along the
coasts, in the towns and cities Of the South
subject 10 our control, and for which no al.
lowancG is made in the above calculation.
l need not recapitalate the population Of
the Free States, and Of the Border States
Id our possession.
The aggregate, by reference to the
same cesus report, will be seen to be with.
IN fraction Of $4,000, 900 (2l, 900, 6,s45)-
During the last summer, in addition to the
army then in the field, they raised within
the space OF two months, principally by
voluntary enlistment, 100000 men, aud
there is yet another and still another army
In the reserve, as AN instructed, 10 take
their place, 10 whole or 10 part. should that
unhappily become necessary.
10 the foregoing estimate have taken
no account Of the Slaves Of the South as q
source eithetof strength or weakness. As
they have been used heretofore, they have
certainly added strength to their masters.
They have, in fact, fed the army. Some
have heeu forced to labor with II iu the
trenches, while the great mass have toilcd
10 the fields at home, thus leaving almost
the entire population Of the South free to
eight It's battles. Emancipation, should II
occur, while it liberates the slave, would
cut OF this source Of strength from their
masters. Their supplies 10 the rear must
be kept up or their army cannot be kept
together. Tbs one IS essential 10 tho main
tenaucs Of the other.
a time may soon come, therefore, when,
aside from the Hppreheustous incident to
emancipation, the slaves Of the South will
be TO their masters a source of weakness
and not Of strength. Permit me, however,
here 10 ndd that whoever may have eater
tanned appreheusions Of Servile war,
such DO not suppose for moment to have
been contemplated by the President 10
roreshadoWing his policy Of emancipation.
The slaves Of tho South, scattered over a
vast extent of couRtry, have no arms and
means Of procuring them. They have little
intelligence, no means Of distant intcrcom.
munic0tion, and can have no general con-
Of action. They may refuse to labor
for their masters, and their masters cannot
mAintain them.
The map left with your EEceIlency show.
ing the per ceulage OF slaves 10 each county
of the South will prove this beyond qnes.
ton. In certain large sections Of country
along the Mississippi more especially, there
| is about % per ceut only OF white pOpula'
ton. All therest MO slaves. OF this pop
ulAltOn the able.bOdrd are now almost en-,
tireIy away With the army, Could attcmptl
be made here or In other sections to con
strain tho slaves to forced obedience
they may resist, or they may leave thciI
plantations US many have already done, AnG
seek the friendly shelter Of the Union flag
But neither principle nor policy will induce
the Uuited States to encourge a setyilc war
or prompt the slave 10 cut the throat Of hiI
master or bis master's family.
The Government will not even permit, al
| have already said to you, iIS own sol
dieFs, or the soldiers OF the enemy, nCtint
as guerrillas or mnraudUrs, belonging TO NJ
organized force and under no regular flag
TO make war or attack even an armed enc
my without punishment. Still less wOlIG
It encourage or permit slaves to OITent
against humanity 6y attacks upon the fec
bic and helpless. Tint an isolated CGS6 o
cascS Of wrong may occur in tue course o
establishing great change, il such shall b.
eStnhlishcd. in the social organisation o
the South, is not ImprobHbIn hut In ever!