Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-03-14


Vantsges of position, She has seen then
conquer a Braddock, q BurgpYne, a Corn
wallis, a Packenhsm, aud everywhere defy
in the everglades of Florida. tor more than
twenty years, the whole powered the Union
but enough of proof and examples. God
is God of battles. and tits he that pre-
scribes their conditions and determines
their issue. The SHOWS of Russia, the sands
of Africa and Arabia, the mountains OF
Switzerland, the marshes of eWalcheoer,
and the expanses and .pf America,
are but instruments in His hAhds He has
bestowed upon US the physical guarantees
OF independence, and we are 5certain to win
it, unless We turn dogs and isltek the dust
under the feet Of our deadly ers.aies.
TIE NEGRO SOLDIER QUESTION --eapgEBpues
IN The CONFEDERATE sENAEEc-NR. EUH-
TER's sPEEcH.
In the Confederate Senate, 7th inst, the
House bill to increase the military forces
of the Confederate States, better known
as the Negro Soldier bill was taken up and
read. The following is the bill:
"A Bill to Increase the Military Forces of
the Confederate States"
"7he Congress of the Confederate States of
additional forces 10 repel invasion, main
tain the rightful possession of the Uonfed-
crate States, secure their independence and
preserve their institutions, the President
be and he is hereby authorised to ask for
aud accept from the owners of slaves the
services of such number of able. bodied ne.
gro men as he may deem expedient, for and
during the war, to perform military service
in whatever capacity he may direct.
"Section Q. That the General in Chief
be authorized to organize the said slaves
into companies, battalions, regiments and
brigades, under such rules and regulations
as the Secretary of War may prescribe,
and to be commanded by such officers as
tho President may appoint.
Sec. 3. That while employed in the SER
vice the said troops shall receive the same
rations, clothing and compensation as are
allowed to-other troops 10 the same branch
of the service.
Sec. A. That if, under the previous sec-
ton of this act, the President shall not be
able to raise sufficient number of troops
to prosecute the war arsuccessfully and main.
tain the sovereigntyo of the States aud the
independence of the Confederate States
then he is hereby authorized to call on
each State, whenever he thinks it expedi-
and troops, in addition to those subject to
military service under existing laws, or SO
many thereof as the President may deem
necessary, to be raised from such classes
of the population, irrespective of color, In
each State, as the proper authorities thereof
may dstermine.s "a fsS-E
Sec. g. That uothiaE I'M this act shah Be
oonstrued 10 AuthorieS q stange in the res:
lstiou OF the said slaves"
Mr.. Hunter said that as heIhad been in
structed by the Virginia Legislature to vote
against his conviction, it was proper that
he should give public expression to his
opinions. Since his first appearance 10
public lie he had recognized the right of
the Legislature to instruct and upon that
body he desired TO place the responsibility
of the measure should it become law
Uotil this morning he had abandoned the
idea of publicly expressing his views but
his friends had suggested that justice TO
himself required that he should do so. He
would necessarily have to go over much
the same ground as when kindred meas,
ure was recently under discussion in secret
session. -,
When we leftthe old GovernmetfsVe had
thought we had gotten rid forever of the
slavery agitation that we were entering
into new Confederacy of homogeneous
States upon the agitation of the slavery
question, which had brcome intolerabIe
under the old Union, was to have no place.
But to bis surprise be finds that this Gov
ernment assumes the power to arm the
slvaves, which involves also the power of
emancipation. To the agitation of this
question, the assumption of this power, ho
dated the origin of the gloom which now
overspreads our people. They knew that
il our liberties were to be achieved it was
to be done by the hearts aud the hands of
free men. 1t also injured US abroad. II
was regarded as Il confession of despair and
an abandonment of the ground upon which
We had seeded from the old Uoion. We
had insisted that Congress bad no right to
interfere with slavery, and upon the COM
ing into power of the party who, it was
known, would assume and exercise that
power, we seeded. We had also then con
tended that whenever the two races were
thrown together, one must be master and
the other slave, and We yindicRted ourselves
against the accusations of Abolitionists by
asserting that slavery was the best and hap
pineSt condition Of the negro. Now what
does this proposition admit? The right OF
the central Government to put the slaves
toto the militia, and to emancipate at least
so many as shall be placed in the military
service. 1t is clear claim of the central
Government to emancipate the slaves.
If we are right in passing this measure
we were wrong in denying to the old Gov
erpment the right to interfere with the iu-
stitution Of slavery and to emancipate
slaves Besides, if we offer slaves their
freedom as boon we confess that we were
insincere, were hypocritical, 10 asserting
that slavery was the best state for the ne
groes themselves. He had been sincere
in declaring that the central Government
had no power over the institution of sla
very, aud that freedom would be no boor
to the negro.
He now believed, as he had formerly
said in discussion onthe same subject, tha
arming and emancipatiug the slaves wat
an abandonment of this contest-sn abau.
doument of the grounds upon which it hat
been undertaken. If this is 80 who is Il
answer for the hundreds of thousands o
men who had been slain in the war7 VIII
was to answer for them before the bar o
Heaven2 Not those who had entered intC
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