The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-03-05
Must have Negro soldiers, Law or no
Law.
From TIE Richmond Enquirer. Feb. 20.


From TIE Richmond Enquirer. Feb. 20.
If it be correct that the Confederate
Senate decided definitely against negro
soldiers, then il has deliberately and
defantly disregarded the earnest sp>
peal Of General Lee and the well ex
pressed viii Of the people; II has Grim
inally jeopardized the liberties of these
States, reelciessly bazarded the success
Of our cause, and pTesumptuously set
its judgment, or rather the judgment
of thirteen men, against the will of the
people, the earnest appeal of Gen Lee.
the request of the army, and with in
different eyes looks upon the calamities
that now beset our cause and the i'm
minent danger that now imperils these
States
The liberties Of these States must be
preserved; we should rejoice If this
could be done and the legislature OF
the country remain intact; but the pub
lie safety is imperative, and since the
Senate viii not consent TO the use of
great element Of strength, there re-
mains but one thing for the President
70 do--see that the republic sustains no
detriment-and, for this end sSithout las0,
call upon The people to send their Slaves 10
The front; aye, take the negroes and
use them. The public safety is above
laws and constitution, and if .nistak-
en- respect for the laws and the consti-
tuition permits the public safety TO be
compromised, there will attach an awful
responsibility to the Executive, which
will be transmitted through all times
II the miserable slavery OF these people
and their descendants.
When the assumption Of extTaordi-
nary and supra constitutional power is
IN accordance with the win Of the peo-
pie, and exercised for The protection of
Ehe government and the defence Of the
nublic liberties, it Is right and will be
ia tilted.
It may be said that this is revolutions
airy, dictatorial But Il would be revo-
lutionsry only in form, not in truth
The will Of the people-certaia of
Rirginia-has been expressed through
her press, her soldiers and her legisla-
ture. Her Senators have underts ken
70 disregard that viii; they are IN Tev0ls-
aioa against their own people. The
President may exercise this power, and
would do so, with "the consent" of the
Virginia Legislature 1t is not desira-
bic that any convention Of the people
of Virginia should assemble during
the excitement of this war, but if the
supposed interest of shareholders is to
be permitted to stand between the use
Of any and every means Of public de-
fence and the preservation Of the lib
critics OF these States, then a conven-
ton ought TO be assembled and the in
stitution abolished. III the will of the
people is not to be regarded by Sena-
tors, then they set themselves up as an
obligarchy, superior TO the people This
cannot be submitted to- The Legisla
ture of Virginia should see that the
will of the people Of the State is Obeyed
and respected. These States aud this
cause stand to-day in need Of a dictator--of a
man who will take the power Of the
people and use il for their preservation;
aud such q man, whether President
Davis Or Gen. Lee would be borne on
the shoulders Of 3 grateful psople, if
either of them would with strong hand
seize power and exercise IL vigorously
for the pubic safety At such a time,
and amidst such perils, it seems like
mockeTy 70 hear the action of the Con-
federate Senate called conservative.
Sherman IS rushing through he CzoHaas
ike an avalanche, and report says la.
oaphlrea one hundred thousand bales Of cot
ton al Colombia; Grant is gradually aud
perhaps surely extending his hnes around
Petersburg and Richmond, and threatens
every moment to burst over the lines
that intervene, and the Senate is doing
the conservative History furnishes
no parallel TO this.