Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-02-04

Ouf rOntrOl, We nave pfodlcld Only enough 10 suppy
our wants II would be hasardous to withdraw large
bart OF our labor II would be sad spectacle to
large arRy compelled to dsband give up its position
for want OF food The question OF supplies ~ question
of army
He then went into statistical calculation show that
the number Of male slaves betwee the ages OF Is aul 40
wagyery much ggeated and wod not exceed 800 0OO
after the number required for teamsters and cooks had
been raise and argued that would be most bwise to
take these nom the field without assurance, which,
far had been able TO give, that they would make
He then proceeded present other objections The
pertinent The Confederate government had no power of
emancipation. This conceded. The President did
not hold contrary doctrine in his Message he adopts
the report OF the Secretary Of War inwhch il is clearly
admitted II therefore emancipation l. necessary TO make
the slave good soldier and the Confederate Government
can't beate him It follows that State action is necessary
to the Success of the and the action OF the States
must be harmonious and unanimous. Will all the states
to the T sSt Sbs States win DO
And the currency bill lately passed by this House known
as Mr. Trenhoms scheme, rests ;ne'y on the products
of slave labor. Wheat and cottQn "immutably
pledged" Where will these come from after you inaugu
rate policy which not only takes productive labor from
the field now, but leads inevitably TO the destruction OF
slavery hereafter 1t utterly destroys this measure
But there are still other why this measure should
be put al rest II has created dependency among our
people who have concluded our condition much worse
than II really IT, II has frightened our negroes and made
many of them escape TO the enemy II the scheme Is I'M
practicable for any reason we should decide at once
and restore confidence far as we cam among our eo
Pile and permit our frightened slaves 10 RENAL ut home
But til asked viii you not fight slaves rather than be
subjugatsd. This is begging the question. II assumes
that are suhjugated unless do fight our slaves
deny this assumption, because verify believe that
by harmonious and united action IL Is in the power OF
these Confederate States to maintain successfully their
Independence Nat If we reduced toegttInity IL
has not been shown that lighting slaves in our army
would rescue us from impending ruin. II We have met
with reverSes have gained victories There Is no
cause for dependency if We are true, brave and pa
tent
NJ hi, .s,zt "a and
cruel The struggle Is gigantic, the prize priceless The
may yet continue the issue is not doubtful We
may have more TO endure more brave may be called
upon 10 seal then devotion to their country with their
blood More widows and oIphsas may be added 10 the
aheady fearful number. But let there be quailing
among Without all this, those who fall a. well as
those who survive would DO slaves at the most cruel
ana heaTtless tyranny These costly sacrifices are the
price Of freedom. Liberty Is the child OF OPPRESSION and
has ever been baptized in tie blood of the brave,
Let il not be asked whether Wo " not an our slaves
rather than be subjue ated Every true man will DO any
thin make any sacrifice rather than TAIL IN our present
stTuggle-yea, sacrifice life itself foT failure would be
than death But let w take that IN our i'm
patience and zeal not driven into doubtful and
runous experiments Priyaton aud want pain Sd sui-
fering affection and Sorrow are blessings when com:
pared with humiliation and shame We through
tins fiery furnace and come out refined but the H"od OF
yankee notions and Yankee rule we"!a consume aud
destroyus.
ever trials Providence may have in store for MS as PEG
pie Let Is DO 20 With aarS truSs and abiding ihth
Thar the tight shall prevail" aud though storm and tenn
pest come and the night be dark and dismal the morn.
ing shall presently come and bring with 1t the light OF
cloudless day Then shall il be manifest thstLfberty
is cheap though purchased With blood.
Mr.. GH0LSON knew that great names were quoted
as avorng this experiment If General Lee TO
smmend military movement he would not YrssHHe IL
crtcise it but this qussisn eSuli ee deidees well 5
civilians as military men Whether We could spare the
slaves from the field depends upon the wants -four peo
pie and the army WhetheT tbey TsRd make .rusty and
faithful aoaen or DOT ce only be decided BY actual
trial but those who familiar with the negro charac
ter are fully well qualified to judge how the expert
ment will turn out If it Is made as any General in COM
mand. Civilian therefore, ~ | am, | cannot let any
General decide for me this important question.
Nor can heed the admonon that vnes9 we take and
6ght the slaves as soldiers the snea Wit for if this be
true we shOua II snce pat all our negro men into the
army, all that we do NOT put IN the army will be
lost.
But il is asked said MI c. "what do you propose if
you win notSrm the slaves We want more soldier. p;
lie replied that be would the vigorous means to
hrilgai men into the Drmy who should be there To that
end he would vtalize the conscrpt system and appoint
commission Of three able in each state aud author,
ze them to to every post and county and send right Of
to tho army every man WHO could now be found in soft
places u 6e would do more We have army in
the field larger than tho combined forces OF wellington
an Napoleon at Waterloo. He would nurse this army
feed f. cothe II and pay it, if ittook all the property in
the Confedeya States to DO So Yes he would have
every field cultivated with view to feed every sheep
sheared with view 10 cothe and every hide tanned with
view TO shoe our soldiers If aDy suffer for food
who stand sentnes our liberties In the cold bitter
nights put thpse who can saek shelter from the storm and
warm themselves By the bright burning fire In the Ian
guage OF the gentleman from MisSssippiwhose speech,
delivered t early day In this session, did honor not
only to himself but to the people who sent him here
our army must be sustained by tho steady corporation
OF all Glasses at home" tie Was GLAD to say that many
lad thus sustained CUR ormyour noble womep our gen.
erops men, our clergy and The press had rendered power
full assistance he regretted that all at homo had not cor
daily cooperated Every man or woman who counte.
nandes encourages deseters suke advises the
furloughed soldiers to oge,ay their time assists os enc
my The man who EFFORTS upon the country-upon the
soldiers or their ames-ights against us The planter
who Eeepsback part of his 1.-THE Is fobbeT. and steals
from the soldiers The man who gives in a.faise list of
his property aud thereby avoids taxation cheats the gov
sggpepti
assist our citizen soldiers BY steady eO-opt alton
aude 10 that class Of fauh-inders and critics VINO
would have won every battle we hayelosiIayoded every
error We have commttsd-who declared Beauregari no
Genefs because the inst battle e Manassas he did
not with small and untred army pursue and take the
whole Yankee force and capture Washington TO boot
who were yocerous for the removal Sidney Johnson
because he did successfully defend Fort Doneson mud
Nashville against overwhelming forccszwho pronounced
Lee ncOaIetent because be could not control the sea-
sons aud oSerwhem Roecraas in the mountains OF Viz
euia-who denounced Joseph T. Johnston because, with
an insufficient force, he did not storm the breast
woTks cut the lines of Grant and rescue Vicksburg-
who denounced the conscTipt UNCONSTITUTIONAL
the tax in kind outrage the mpresSment laws oppres
siye our government despotisin and President t
rant This class had rendered no assistance but had VIZ
tnaly waTred against u.s.
Nr G. thought it was the duty of every oppose
measures hs Judgment could not approve but il should
be done in scl manner during this struggle At least
not TO weaken our Government We cannot strike the
President without striking ourselves UndeE him,
chosen leader we must win glorious INDEPENDENCE,
under him, 90 down and live under CALLING and hnpiis
ating iosposm, lie wand, therefore sustain Mr., DAYS.
as onr President if he were his yeres enemy But he had
entire confidence his purity his patriotism and his
cacy No could have done what he has been called
upon 10 do wifi
bunders No one he supposed would sooner admit than
Mr. Davis that many and great errors aud mistakes had
been committed .,
powers Under Constitution and laws the President
alone can exercise these powers Congress has conferred
them II seems me therefore that il is most unjust TO
indulge in enuncation and inyective against him n
count OF the exercise Of these extraordinary powers
II wasthe duty OF the Legislative Department TO give