Year: 1865

IN H w O4tA 41I1t&11Il<y w
The Dil 10 Put Negroes fn the Rebc
Army-Thc Rebel Government Conn.
mfts Suicide.


The bill TO put negroes In the rebel army
which was some time ago defeated in the rebsl


Senate by one vote, was again taken up by


that body and passed by majority of one on


the 9th instant 4 his change in the result was


due 10 the fact that the two Senators from yir.


ginia voted on the last occasion in favor of the
measure, having been instructed TO do SO by the


Virginia Legislature. Mr.. Hunter. in casting
his vote for the measure, spoke very strongly
against it, protesting that he voted in opposi-
ton to his own conviction Of what was expe-
dent and proper, and only because he was in
struoted to do SO by the power that he has al
ways thought every representative should obey.
The rebel advocates Of the measure concede
Mr.. Hunters great devotion to the rebel cause,
his "thorough knowledge Of the country and
acquaintance with the negro character" and
admit that these entitle his opposition to great
weight. Wigfall, Of course, spoke against the
measure with his usual violence Of sound and
fury. Mr. Graham, of North Carolina, the candi-
date for Vice President ON the ticket with
General Scott, also opposed the bill He de-
clared that its passage would be violation Of
State rights and an assumption Of powers by
the central government that would indicate to
the States that the Confederate constitution was
no better for them than that Of the United
States had been. -,


There is in this question moral point and q
practical point; and in both points Of view the
passage Of this bill is tho greatest blunder yet
committed by the rebel leaders Mr.. Hunter, In
his speech-which is really an opcn, honest and
forcible one--considered the measure in both
views, and was against it in both; showing
that he, as true and consistent seceder and
rebel, is still with the real rebellion, that now
only exists where slavery does-in the cotton
States-and that he is just as ready to uphold
the rebellion against the rebel government as
he was to make it against the government Of
the United States. In the moral view we see
this matter simply as a question Of rights and
theories and principles In that view the rebel
government by the passage Of this bill, very
distinctly changes sides upon the great issue
that it has been fighting upon. That is, it
abandons its cause. Hunter, Graham and Wig
fall three very strong rebels, declare this to be
the case, and in those very words. Southern
men did all that they could to break up this
Union, assigning as their cause q specific rea-
son. And now the same men recant that rea-
son, and declare that they were wrong, and
hat tvy nO
right. Hunter, Wigfall and Graham, high
priests Of secession, slavery, and State rights,
declare that the rebel government has aban-
doned the cause Of the Southern people. What,
then, are the Southern soldiers now fighting
fort Is it merely for the ambition or the safety
of Davis and his retainersf Are they only
fighting for terms?


But when we come to the practical view Of
this bill we find that It is Q still greater
Governments, even rebellious, may
stand If they uphold cause deeply rooted in
the prejudices, the ignorance, the necessities,
or the affections Of q people; or they may
stand without any cause by the will Of few,
If there is great material power. But there
must be either great material power or q cause
widespread with the people. No government
can stand without one or the other. And we
can understand why the rebel government, see
ing natural decay Of its cause with the peo-
pie, should wantonly kick that cause away as
broken toy in the grasp for great power by
means Of which to do without IL But here we
see that, having kicked the cause away to grasp
the power, it has not gotten the power after
all. For this ignis tdtsrus Of negro soldiers
that has tempted the rebel government out Of
its road and kept it houndering In the mire
until it is lost and does not know where 1t is,
will prove an ignis fasuus still when the rebel
authorities attempt to seize It This bill will
never reinforce the rebel armies. It does not
order the negro soldiers into the army on
the only terms on which General Lee de-
clared he could use them. It is already
making stampede to our lines. But few will
be caught, and that few will never be depended
upon. Senator Hunter even showed by sta
tistics that no considerable body Of troops
could be raised by the law, and instanced the
fact that the authority given last September
to impress twenty thousand negroes had only
gotten four thousand in FIVE months.


The Change I'm British Opinions-What


Should Como Next.


The recent articles in the English press as
well as the recent debates in both houses Of
Parliament on the Queens speech, in which de-
bates there were frequent illusions to Ameri-
can affairs, have attracted some attention in
this country. 1t is observable that the tone
Of the principal speakers moderated from
the high key in which it has been SO
frequently pitched during the present rebel
lion, and is so far very satisfactory. The
ministry has reason to congratulate itself that
1t did not yield to the clamor of the blockade
runners, to the urgent requests Of the rebel
agents, or the suggestions Of the French gov
ernment to recognize the South. 1t is now