Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-02-22

l.
contingency and prescribing forms and re
strictions; and the, consequence is tha
time passes, and the needfuI thing still re-
mains to be done. As we have a com.
mauder- in. chief-as this species of forct
is to be created at his express reQaest, and
as he will have the care of organizing and
dlsposing it-something should be trusted
to his discretion. And with this view We
should greatly approve the simple amend
ment proposed on Tuesday, enacting tthai
the General in Chief be and is hereby in.
vested with the full power to call into the
service of the Confederate States, to per
form any duty to which he may assign
them 80 many of the able bodied slaves
within the Confederate States, as, in his
judgement, the exigenciesro of the public
service may req1ire.n This makes no al
lusion to the future status of the slaves SO
to be employed. Congress cannot change
thst status, nor empower the General TO
change it. Therefore it leaves all that for
tat1Fe eonside tiongin State Legislatures.
= atso asoids al special provisions as 10
the propoEtiO1 of nose taken from par
Eacular plantation 70 those who are left,
trusting that to the practical sagseity aud
justice of General Lee. 1t clothes him
with great power, and loads him with heavy
responsibility. If he is willing to WELD
that power, and shoulder that respo1sibili.
ty, in the name Of God let him have them.
1t has been too generally assumed in dis
cussiog the matter that you cannot fairly
expect negroes to fight for the country
Without promising them freedom. Why2
Would they have more stake in the coun.
try as freemen than as slsves7 Would they
have better cause to fight for ss freemeu
than as slaves If SO then they would be
elevated and made happier by being made
freemen. II so, here is Rbolitionism again
abolitionism pure and simple. Those who
thus affirm either are Sbolitionists in their
hearts, or else they can give no good res-
son why they are not. We desire to see
this most urgent, practical question clear.
ed and disembarrased Of theories and ar.
guments. The thing to be done is to take
the slaves and to get their services. It
would not be the first time that slaves have
fought for their country; and certainly me-
gro soldiers have far stronger interest in
defending q country where they have q
master and protector and an assured home
than one in which they would be left exposed,
without defence, to the cruel benevolence
of Yankee abolitiouists. If we must use
negroes in defence of our homes, Us do
so but, for their sake as we'll as for our
own, let Us beware Of giving any consent
or adhesion to the doctrine that people of
that race gain by being turned wild-or
1" made Free" if we ere to use that impro-
per Yankee cant.
THE VALIANT SOUTH CARoLINIANs PROPOSE
TO LET suERxAN ALONE II he WILL ONLY
RETIRE. -
I'm, ~.
Whether Sherman's objective point is
Augusta, Charleston, Columbia or Rich
mond, or all four, does not, to unskilled
eyes, yet appear. One thing, however,
is certain, that every mile 70 ground
the federal army leaves behind it
provided the latter is promptly met
and attacked at the proper time-is so
much gained to US. We have troops, our
generals are watchful, and we firmly be-
lieve that within twenty days there will
be such concentration ofstrength and
assault as will make the Yankee com>
mander tremble for his safety. He may
be permitted to move on our railroads
and TO penetrate our interior, but these
triumphs must be short The condition
of the country will compel him to go
forward or back, and that right quickly.
1t he comes forward, a reception awaits
him unlike that which he encountered in
his career through Georgia; if he goes to
Charleston, he may find himself afflicted
in front and rear; if he returns the way
he came that will be just what we all -de-
sire him to do, and we shall be content to
let him alone. On the whole, though
some hearts are perturbed with expecta-
tions Of a sudden appearance of the ene-
my, we think the aspect not discouragiug,
especially if our people will but do their
duty. By all means, wherever Sherman
advances, let him find nothing on which
to feed man or beast.
TIE REBEL REPORTS OF THE BEHAVIOR OF
sHERNAN's TROOPS.
From the Columbia Guardian, Feb. Ill
We have conversed with planters from
Barnwell district, who have made their
way through the liues of the enemy's
advance, and who represent their con-
duet as still thoroughly characteristic of
the most brutal vandalism. The village
at Buford's Bridge has been burned to
the ground; the residences of the planters
on the route which were left unoccupied
were invariably destroyed. And where
the families still remained in their dwell.
ings, they were subjected not only to rob-
berry, but various kinds of insult Pistols
were clapped to the bosoms of women,
mothers and wives; the robbers refused
to wait until doors and drawers could be
unlocked, brokeopen ruthlessly the finest
apartments, destroyed or carried off
at pleasure, and, to enforce their de-
mands, threatened the house with FIRE
over the heads of the inhabitants. They
traversed the precinct, it appears, in scat.
tered bands of fifteen or twenty, some.
times with and sometimes without any
officer, the officer in general command o.
these predatory parties being understood
to be a Col Robbins, who evidently and
eminently deserves that the letter
should berestored to his name, as of nat
ural right belonging TO it. he was prob
ably chosen for his work because of his
merits as picaroon.