The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-04
NEGROES TO BE KEPT IN
THE SECOND REGIMENT ALSO
TO REMAIN INTACT.
OFFICERS DESIRE THAT IT Be DONE
But The Men are Sick of Their lob and Want TO
Come Home. Wishes of the Fif-
teen Dollar a Monh Private
Don't Count.

"You may count on Governor RusselPs
doing the wrong thing has become
an axiom in North Carolina. And His
Excellency usually proves It a true one.
That is most certainly what he has
done in regard to mastering out the
troops.
The War Department ordered the ne
gro regiment mustered out and the
people said, "Well done" The Governor,
though, objected and sent Loge Harris
to Washington to have the order rescln
ded. Loge has succeeded in his mission.
Then the Second North Carolina regl-
ment was ordered home and the people
applauded; for the men, realizing that
the war was over, and not being IN
comfortable camps, were anxious TO get
out of service But yesterday when the
news. came that the order had been
revoked and. on Governor Russell's re-
COMMUNICATION the First ordered home
instead of the Second, there was very
severe criticism of his action.
The people have already seen so much
politics in this war that they are pre-
Dafpu IOE dlIbSl any LHlhS' w hth 'A'
Governor and his man Friday We're
swapping horses over the Negro regiment
nobody said word; but when it comes
to traficking and trading in the young
white men who have volunteered their
services-that is more than they. are
willing to submit to.
Why should the Governor choose the
First to be mustered ouy rather than
oil
in accordance with the wish of its men.
had already been ordered out of service!
There is but one answer-politics.
The records of the War Department
show that the First North Carolina is
one of the best organized, most thorough
" drilled and compltely equipped volun-
teer regiments in the service. General
Lee himself has said that he had no
better men in his corps than the Tar
Heels. Yet the Governor OF their own
State singles them out as unfit for ser
vice.
Again. the Second and Third regiments
are broken up into companies, scattered
on garrison duty and very poorly equip
ped. The First on the other hand. has
all the time been together. is well equip
ped and on the point Of being sent to
Cuba.
1t is in the face of all this that Cover
nor Russell asks the War Department
to order them home and keep the Second
regiment and the Negro regiment in SER
vice. At least % per cent of the Second
regiment desire TO get out of the service,
few of the First regiment wish to be
discharged. The reason for this is that
the First has been pretty sure of going
to Cuba, while the Second has no pros
pect ahead but that of dreary garrison
duty on our coast.
But where does the politics come ill.,,
as regards the First and Second?
1t is not the men but the officers that
the Governor is trying to take care Of
With the exception of Major Butler and
his adjutant Ga nephew of the Governor
all the officers of the First are the reg
ular officers of the State Guard. The
Governor attempted to turn out some of
them and make political appointments,
but Col. Armfield refused to allow it.
With the Second, though. this IS not
true Politics played an important part
in the appointment of some of the Off
GERS. and now either as matter of spe-
cial favor to these officers Of the Second
or of spite to the First regiment the
Governor asks the War Department to
keep the Second in srvice and turn out
the First.
The Governor and his party will be
likely to hear from these things again.