, 1865-04-13
UNION sen NTs.g EN TIN RICry.
NtnND.
Enit he'd FIsftoFs-Rccruftlnn Er ~
Iroops-The Truth About Rebel ssn.
4f8tnAcnt Dt Negroes.

| Mon4osD, April {, 1865.
Desiring to ascertain the exact truth vii,
Ie1tre nee to the alleged existence OF q stron.
Unlon sentiment in the city, ayailed m7sei
OF an opportunity to call upon cer,a n pen
| tlfmen heTe whom bad heard alluded to br
xsecessionists as Union men, and must - s.E -!
| that spent two Of the happiess hours Of nv
life In full and free conversation with ma =,
the most thorough and RADICAL Union men ~ u
the country men Of wealth and nosition
whose 1alth has neVer Wavered for an Instant
aud who. Shareholders as they are, denaad
Maf Fnginio shall Do taken 6ack into the Union
!" under TIC Emancipation Proclamation - I'M
no ta6tt1e Of the rebellion shall be tole,aked hat
tire usu,Potios, State aad Confsderatt. ,s1ieh ho,
trfeetxd Virginia, Mau not b 9eco1aiz.,i IN ~
single Tespees; that the State Government !
must be organized anew, BY convention ri
the people, as soon as that can BIZ nroneriv
effected, and the State and its lnhabytants
thoroughly purged Of treason In every sha ~
Union sentiments In this strong form erfst
here in'a far greater extent than has vet heen
conceived; not alone amoug the nnnrcr
c]as.e6-mechanics md 1ab0rera-hnt IN
wealthy and ii flnentiat circles, where nav ha
found men who have never lost fa,th In the
Union; who have confidently anticipated ,ts
triumph, and who greeted the old DAG with
teais vi Joy. They are men Of the JOHN MI.
nor Bolts school, mud they are the leayrn
which shall lenyen the whole lunp hare IN
this venerable old Commonwealth OF V;r,
glLia. They will delight to see the mass If
the people treated with magnan,miky. bnt
they have felt too deeply the iron heel Of des-
pot'sm to permit the amnesty Of the promi-
Dent leaders Of the rebellion. 1 am not At
liberty today 10 mention the names Of the
most prominent Of these men; but were to
do 81, many Of your readers would recognize
them as Ut the most sterling charncter.
III addition TO this there Is another element,
not 20 thoroughly Union, but ready to stop
and talk about the best terms Of rec onstrus-
tim. When the President was here q com
m1ttee waited Oh him headed by Judge Camn-
bell, Of Alabama, and late Assistant Secreta:
r. ol War, also late Peace Commissioner, and
asked him + hat wee the bese terms he could
otter to Virgn'a-what plan or action musr
the people adopt to secure reconstruction on
the mcst favorable terms? The President
wrote On slip OF paper, without address or
signature: 11at Tie Emancipation Proelama-
Ito" must sfand; that in otner matters the
people tcotdd Be treated soiA lae-al1y: that
passports might possibly be granted to The
Governor, members of the Legislature, or
any other public men to come to Richmond
and decide the destiny or Virginia.
This little document YVES the basis Of a pri-
vate conference held this afternoon ut The
Judge Campbell, Gen. j. R. Anderson Of tho
Trsdegar Iron Works, and the following
mt mbers Of the State and city Governments:
Senators Marshall Of Eauqu,er, Garrison Of
Acco1nac. >and Messrs. English, HILL, Burr
and Scot. OF the House OF Delegates; Joseph
Mayo, Mayor Of the city, William Thomas,
City Auditor, and Messrg. Walker,a Burr.
Sanndess and Scutt, of the City Council.
There were also several prominent Union cit
izcns present. Mr.. Anderson Was called to
the chair, apd Judge Campbell stated what
be had obtained from the President. The
meeting WAS intended to be private, aud /
have not been abts to learn fully what trans-
pfrfd.
Thoroughly loyal people here declare that
!" Billy Smith, the present Governor, Is q far
worse rebel thnn JEFF. Davis himself. and th3k
he must be 1epudfated, and the Legislature
with hin, for both were elected, not by the
people, but by terrible despot!am Under
Which no freedom Of choice could be exer-
cised.: Such signs are vastly encouraging.
T though the completeness Of our great victory
should never BE- msrred by any compromise,
~hen there Is an a5swute majority Of Union
men hire in the city Of Aiclnaond teddy.
The recruiting of negro troops goes On with
great rap!dity, TWO or three hundred per DAY
being enlisted. 4 branch OF Gen. Clsey's Ex-
amin'ng Board is already established. bY Col.
F1s dericks and Maj: Taggart, of the War De-
partment. The truth about the rebel enlist
nent Of negroes here appears to be that about
NO hundred only we're ever sworn into SER
rice. DO Inducements could tempt ne 1lack
nan 10 enter t3te ROD army.