Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-02-08
RHRELMnWE

4 REBEL NEWS.
The Confederate legislators at Richmond
still debate the negro.srming question, anc
they are still. apparently, as far frou
Iagreeing as ever. Both JEFF. Davis aut
Gen. Lee are understood to be in favor o
the project, and so are the Richmond En-
Qu'rsr and Sentinel newspapers. Th,
weight of opinion, however, would seen
to be against the movement. From a de-
bate in the rebel Senate on the I'd wt
| quote as follows: a-i.
The question under consideration was
an amendment whereby 10000 slaves eas,
lof the Mississippi river and ,Io, 900 west Of
it, were TO be put in the army:
Mr.. Brown, of Miss, was in favor of the
amendment, and spoke atsome length insup-
portofit. he also favored the policy of arm
ing negroes and putting negroes in the army,
notfto perpetuate. slavery, but to secure ne
fliberty of the white man. The little time
he was in the army he bore arms to secure
the liberty of the white man, and not for
the enslavement of the black man. The
question Is, practically, whether negroes
go in for ustor against us. mr
MIR. Wigfall was not in favor of putting
negroes IN the army. In his opinion the
remedy was not in abolishine slavery and
reducing US to the condition of st. Domin-
go. The President, in his speech in Geor.
gla, stated, that tWo.thirds of the army
were absent. Compel these men to return
to their posts and you have no need for
negro soldiers.
Mr. BrOwn-How will you get them
igfall-HOwR By placing that great
captain Joseph L. Johnston in command of
that army. Do that aud these men will
need no invitation nor appeal to return,
He (WigfalD 'Oas fighting for slavery and
for nothing else. The patent of nobility is
in the color OF the skin. He wanted to
I live in no country in which the man who
blacksd his boots and curried his horse
was his equal. Give negroes muskets and
make them soldiers, aud the next sub.
ject introduced for discussion will be mis-
cegenstion. The negro wench will be
placed on an equality with our wives, our
mothers and our sisters. He wanted to
live in no free nergo country. There were
white men enough on our muster rolls to
win this fight, and he thanked God that we
now had an officer in command of the ar.
m les of the Confederate States who would
80 direct matters as in all probability to
insure success. Que other change and he
believed ell would go merry as marriage
bell
Mr.. Brown replied briefly to the senator
from Texas. He was in favor of immedi.
ately arming slaves. he was opposed to
the schoolboy policy of S0hiStLiHg to keep our
courage up. -I
Mr.. Hill thought the discussion had ia.
ken wide range. As it had taken this
turn he embraced the opportunity of giving
hisviews on the question of arminR negroes.
He was opposed to arming negroes. He
could see no necessity for it. There are
white men enough ia this country and on
your muster rolls to win this fight. He did
not think negroes would make good soldiers,
They would be of far more service on farms
aiding in the production Of those necessa.
ries which were as essential to the winning
OF this fight as anything else. He saw
nothing In the situation to make the people
of this country despondent. 10 his opinion
the situation OGS more hopeful at this hour
than at any other during the past ta0o years.
Unlike the gentleman from Texas, he was
not fighting for slavery alone. he was
fighting for the right of self-goVernment,
and he believed we could win it without
arming the negro. SEA . a-a
After some further discussion the Senate,
without voting on the eproposed amendment,
on motion of Mr.. Sparrow, went into ex-
ecutive session, and shortly thereafter ad-
journed.
THH PUBLIC FEELING ON THE QUESTION or
ARMIEG THE SLAVES.
From the Richmond Enquirer.
The question of slave soldiers has worked
it's way to public, consideration in spite of
Cabinet cautions and Legislative reserve.
1t is being discussed in all it's details and
its difficulties admitted; but there is one sig
nifcant fact conneotedwith these discussions
TheEe is universal consent thatifit be dem
onstrated that slaves or slavery can be so
used as to insure independence of the State
of Virginia, that any sacrifice of interest or
prejudice will be made to insure that object
paramount 70 ell others. 1t is by no meaEs
certain that employment of slaves as SOL
diefs is Indispensable to the safety of the
country. There yet remains many resour-
ces which should be frat dedicated to that
Sa 5Sos RS'S ~ u1G0u6reG oUJsGhons. it's 6y no
means certain that any ultra measure of
gradual or general emancipation would at
tain the purpose of freedom. There is no
proposition from European Powers to guar
antee our independence upon condition of
emancipation. There is no assurance that
those Powers could execute such guar
antee.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.