Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-02-08
FROM The SOUTH,
Preceding IN the Rebel Senate-Orr's At
tack On jeff Davis.

PY0ceedtngB the he0el l8enate-OYr'e At.
tack On jeff. Davis.
In the rebel Senate, on Friday last, the con-
siderNtion Of the bill "to provide for the en-
ployment OF free negroes and slaves TO work
upon the fortifications and perform other la
Dor connected with the defences OF the soun-
try" was resumed, and the question being
upon agreeing to the second amendment pro-
posed by the House. viz Strike out the follow
east Of the Mississippi river, and iO,O0O in the
States west Of the Mississippi river -
Mr.. Orr obtained the floor. and proceeded 10
give his views on the subject At some length.
BE was utterly opposed TO putting negroes in
the army as soldiers. 1t would be distasteful
to the gallant men who have been fighting tor
us for four years, and he believed it would
result in the disorganization Of the army. He
maintained that the exodus OF slaves had been,
in a great measure, stopped, owing to the fact
that when they got on the other side they were
a musket in their hands. He denied the propo-
sition that the negro would fight to perpetuate
slavery. The free negro population was
nuisance, and was so regarded nve years ago,
when several Of the States leRislated TO get rid
OF 1t; and 1t was now proposed by some to in
crease this nuisance by manumitting 5O,o00 or
100000 slaves. He did not believe there was
any necessity for the introduction OF negroes
into our armies as soldiers. There are white
men enough on your mnster. rolls to win this
cause If they were properly led He alluded
to the speech made by the President at Macon,
which he characterized rs undignified and un-
fortunate, and should never have been made
by any man in this Confederacy, either public
or private. In that speech he charged that
two.thirds OF the army OF Tennessee was abb
sent
MI Hill stated that the President, in that
speech, did not assert that two.thirds OF the
army was absent Without ledre. He stated that
two.thirds were absent from various causes.
and he called upon the people to mite in send
ing these men back to their commands.
Mr.. Orr said the explanation did not help the
matter much. In his opinion, that was the
most unfortunate speech ever made in this
country. The President also took occasion, in
that speech, TO make a thrust at Gen Johnston,
when he stated to the soldiers OF that army that
he would give them a "leader who won Id make
an honest and manly fight"
Mr.. Hill said he did not believe that the
President intended to make thrust at Gen.
Johnston. He heard the speech, and his recol-
lection was that the President said he .did not
intend that Atlanta should fall withouta manly
blow in its defense" He did not consider that
the word manly was meant to apply 10 Gen.
Johnston or any other officer. He was replying
10 the imputation that he president Davis)
intended to abandon Georgia to her fate. The
speech of the President was wrongly reported
in the Georgia papers.
Mr.. Orr deemed it very unfortunate that the
President didn't it of sufficient importance
to have a correct report of that unfortunate
speech. He desired to call attention TO fe " of
the statements M ade by his Excellencv on that
occasion. Mr.. Orr here started TO read from
the speech of the President, as reported in the
Georgia papers
Mr. Hill said that the President on that occa-
sion spoke about an hour, and he called atten-
tion to the fact that the slip of paper which the
gentleman held in his hand was not over six
inches in length
Mr.. Orr. This is simply "a few extracts from
the Presidents Macon speech" The original
speech which he read was two and-half col
nmns in length. But enough about the Presi-
dents speech. He removed Gen. Johnston,
and the country knows the result He hoped
that Gen. Lee, who is now Commander in
Chief of the Confederate armies, will at once
take the proper steps to place Gen. Johnston
in q position worthy of his genius. He was
glad Commissioners had been appointed to go
to Washington to negotiate, ifpessible, an hon.
orable peace. They had gone with the olive
branch, and he trusted in God they would
bring back the glad tIdings OF peace. But his
dvice to the army and to the people was, not
to relax their energies, but to go on preparing
during the next six weeks for vigorous pros
ecution ef the war.
The debaue was continued by Mr. Maxwell,
of Florida, who was opposed to arming ne
groes. Mr. Oldham would leave TO Generals
Lee and Beauregard the whole discretion in
the premises. Mr.. Burnett said that every city
and town captured by the Yankees had been
garriscned by the negroes of the town or city
1t was to pre- vent subjugation that he was in
favor Of armi ng the negroes. Convince his
mind and his judgment that we haven't white
material sufficient to win this fight, and ne
would vote to put the last able-bodied negro
| into our ranks.