Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-13

The Imperialists are becoming alarmed
at the increasing force of Lberal and ths
treachery of the Mexican commanders
and the troops in the service of Msximil
lian.
BROWNSVILLE REINFORCED.
General Slaughter, commanding the
rebel force at Brownsville, on the Bic
] Grande, is said to have received reinforce
ments 10 the number of 1, 100 men.
RAID FEARED.
Of late the rebels have feared that th
Union forcs at Brszos Santiago we're max
ing preparations toa3vsnce upon the town,
and the vslusbles Of the place we're re-
moved to Corpus Christi.
WAR MEETING IN RICHMOND.
The Richmond Whig, of the 9th, men
tons great war meeting held at Tallede-
qua, on the 2sth, In which the widest en-
thusiasm " as displayed.
The same paper says sixty-eight Yam
kee citizens held at Castle Thunder were
parOled yesterday preparatory to being
sent NOrthward by flag .of-truce steamer
this morning, and for whom we are to re-
ceIve an equal number of our citizens.
REBEL NEWS.
In debate on the bill to arm the ne
groes, Mr.. Hunter said, as he had been in
structed by the Virginia Legislature to
vote against his own conviction, it was
proper that he should give his opinion. He
said: When we left the old Government
thought we had gotten rid forever of the
slavery agitation that we were entering
into a new eoniederacy, where the agits-
ton Of the slavery question, which had be-
come intolersble under the old Union, was
to have no place in their domain
He finds that this government assumes
the power to arm slaves, which involves al
SO, the power Of emancipation agitation
of the question and assumption of this pow
eT, he stated as the origin of the gloon
which now overspreads our people. They
knew that if our liberties were 10 be schiev-
ed it was to be done by hearts and hands
Of free men. It also injured US abroad.
was regarded as confession of despair and
an abandonment of the grounds upon which
we started from the old Union. We had
insisted that Congress Lad no right
TO interfere with slavery; we also
that whenever two races were
thrown together, one must bs master and
the other slave, and we vindicated our
selves against the accusations of abolition
ists, by asserting that slavery was the best
and happiest condition of the negroes
This proposition admitted the right of the
central government to put slaves into the
militia, and to emancipste SO many as shall
be placed in the military service. It is q
clear claim of the central government to
emancipste slaves. IF we are right in
passing this measure, VIC were wrong in
denying to the old government the right
10 interfere with the institution of slavery,
and to emsncipate slaves. Besides If We
offer slaves their freedom, we confess thst
we were Insincere in asserting that slavery
Is the best condi ton for negroes. He had
been sincere in declaring that the central
government had no power over the insti-
tuition of slavery, and that freedom would
be no boon to the negroes. He believed
arming and emAncipating slaves was the
of this contest, and the
grounds on which it was undertaken
Not for all the gold in California would
be have put his name to such q measure
unless obliged to do SO by instructions.
Mr.. Hunter argued the necessity Of free
ing the negroes if they were made soldiers,
remarking that there was something in
The human heart which tells US that when
they come out SCARED from the conflict,
hey must be free, if we would make them
soldiers. We could make them officers,
perhaps, to command white men.
Mr.GrahAm opposed the bill. He consid-
cred the adoption of the measures as an
actual abandonment of the principles of
.he contest, and protested against the right
Of the Virginia Legislature to instruct her
Senators.
After mature deliberations of the Senate,
Mr.. Semmes advocated the bill as a neces-
sity, and said it was urged by Gen. Lee,
and the consequences of which that would
follow would not be so bad as represented.
The Enquirer, commenting on the pass
age of the uegro bill, says the influence of
slavery is more of apprehension; that the
vitality for slavery is dead in Virginia and
no surrender of tho principle of the contest
to emancipate slaves if We think proper to
do so for defence. The Yankees may be
fighting to emancipste the negro, but we
are not fighting to keep them in slavery;
we are fighting to preserve the great prin-
ciple of self-government.
The ErGmi1er says General Lee must
be held responsible for the enforcement
of law. In recent speech he said General
SoOtts programme q the beginning Of the
war for our invasion and destruction is fast
tending to contamination. We are cut in
two fragments Of territory, divided ky the
Mississippi and in every section driven into
the interior sndforced to self-relisnce apart
from the rest Of the world,