^ I
PORT ROYAL, SATORTAY OCT. 18,1*62.
Promotions from the Ranks.
0 The recent letter addressed by Gen. Hal!eck to
the Governors of the different States, recommcnding
promoti n fiom the ranks of gallant and meritorious
m n in such regiments where vacancies
exist in consc jiience of the death or resignation of
commissioned 'officers, is so palpably just as to
seem almost supererogatory. We are aware, however,
th.t many of the ,e State officials are unmindful
of the just claims of soldiers in the field
in a selfish desire to propitiate for political ends
any aspiring civilian whose jersonal or family
connections make that sort of influence of sufficient
weight. Indeed, we need not look beyond
' * * 5 A ~ ^ ' ?l.? Iwntnn .AP <vf llio 111,
mis Cv/H1TUUUU IU UUU gliirmv; lliaiamvo vi una m'
justice, which, more than all things els.-, destroys
thewioro/c of a regiment; for as the General remarks
? Without the h. pe of promotion, there is
110 encouragement to a faithful performance of
duty and no stimulus to deeds of valor.It is
equally obvious that the appointment of untried
officers over well-disciplined, veteran troops, will
certainly destroy the efficiency of the soldiers in
act.'on.
History furnishes abundant prtof of the justice
of Gen. llalleck's suggestion. Let us take the
Crimean war as an illu. tnftion. Perhaps the
English soldier is second to none in pluck and determination,
yet in the eamj>aign before Sebasto]K>1
the British soldiers were constantly outstrip]>ed
by the French in the contests for reducing the
Kussian stronghold. Beyond a doubt the French
arfhv accomplished at least twice as much as theEnglish
in bringing about the final victory.* Why
was this i The answer is admitted by every military
man to be in the incapacity of the English
officers?young aristocrats who purchased their
commissions and were placed in command over
bat.lo-stained heroes, 'jhonsands of brave lives
were sacrificed in that campaign to blundering
incompetency, resulting from this system of purchasing
commissions. The secret of the success
of the Trench arms was in the opposite course of
promoting from the rauk*?the recognition of deserving
merit, 'lhe great Napoleon himself recognized
this principle, an 1 this in part accounts for
his signal successes. Wellington laid the cornerstone
of his future triumphs upon the Peninsula
when he dared to send heme hundreds of young
and incompetent officers and raised to the positions
they had occupied men of humble origin >\ho had
themselves worthv of advancement. These
. .
ex imples of two of the greatest generals the world
has produced should have their weight with those
i i w hose hands The appointing-power lies.
Gen. Mitchel and the Negroes.
There is nothing left to coijecture resj>ecting
the policy and sentiments of Gen. Mitchel in relation
to the negro, s. On Sunday last he made an
address to these people, alter tne <ivaic?iion 01
their new place ot won-hip, in which his Aiews
were clearly exposed. His lemarks were made on
the spur of the moment, at the invitation of the
presiding clergyman, but hours of preparation
could not have resulted in producing a speech
better adapted in simplicity and f rce to the understanding
of his hearers. These givords from a
man of Gen. Mitch el's position ar.d character
would in any case be interesting, but they have in
themselves such intrinsic value and importance as
tfl ye'ed tfo to our tvadvrr* for the space
r ' '
which they occupy. Tbeir very moderation, simplicity
and practical common-sense will recommend
them to attention, carry conviction of
I th.ir wisdom to minds which conld not be influenced
by any more labored production emanating
i. from the most radical fri-n&of the negro, who,
alas! is too apt, in bis intense sympathy for this
; < ppressed race, to become blinded in judgment,
i and injure where he desires to do good. Gen.
J Mitchel'has addressed a great many public assemj
bliesat the North and thousands have listened dej
lightedly to his eloquence, but we venture to say
that this short speech, delivered fo a small congregation
of po..r, unlettered negroes in the South,1
! will be productive of as much good to the cause of.
humanity as his more pjished eflb.ts in the cause
j of science.
The Expedition to Jacksonville, Fla.?We
are enabled t> give our readers the official
report of Brig. Gen. Brannan concerning the late
operations of the land and naval forces st : t. John's
9
Kiver, and to this admirable narrative we refer
them for complete details. Let us accept the successful
result of thisallair as auspicious of good
fortune in future movements.
LOCAL HEWS.
DEDICATION OF JHE NEGRO CIIURCII.
as address by najor-general mitchel.
On Sunday last the little Church, which Gen.
Hunter authorized to be built near the negro quarters
for the use-of that p:\rt of our population, was
formally dedicated as a place of Divine worship.
The Rev. II. N. Hudson, Chaplain of the New
York Volunteer Eng. Keg't, conduced the exer-j
cises, making a brief ad Iress in which he clearly !
impre. sed upon his hearers the sanctity of a building
which is appropriated to God's s.rvice. Gen.
Mitchel was present, accompanied by members of
his Start', ami after the dedication, upon the invi-1
tation ot Mr. Hudson he sp ke to the colored
people in nearly the following language :
1 have been requested to say a tew words to you '
by your teacher, who is a good man. Any good
man 1 likv*, regardless of color. I respect him as
much whether he is 1 lack or white If he be a
bad man f shall treat him as such whether he is
wh.te or bl ck Most of you know that I have
talked to all my s ldiers siuce I came here, and ;
now I am talking to you who arc another set of
soldiers, who have not yet arms in their hands,!
; I ut who arc under my protection and guidance,
and in whom i take deep interest. With ) oift pa-t
life 1 fully sympathize. I know and understand it
a 1. I was reared in the midst of slavery, born in
Kentucky ?nd know alia out it. While there are j
; many things connected w ith it that are pleasant, to 1
which you will testify, there are vast many other 1
things w hi 1i are not pleasant, and I think that Hod i
| intends all men shall be free because he intends i
that all men shall serve him w ith their whole heart,
i I think this is true. I am n??t certain. I don't!
know. But m any condition \\p can j.'l love and ]
: serve God. That privilege cannot be taken away, j
I care not how savage and w liked the ma ter may ]
be he cannot prevent you from* praying in the j
| midst of the night, and God hears and answ ers ]
the p aver of all, slave or free.
1 ut it seems to ine that there is a new time coin- <
ing f.r you colored people, a better dav is dawn- j
ing for you oppressed and down-trodden blacks. <
1 don't know that this is true, but 1 hope that the i
door is being oj ened for your deliverance. And i
I now, how deeply you should ponder these words.
If now you are unwilling to help yourselves |
nobody will be willing to help you. You must 1
trust yourselves to the guidance of those who have <
V. .1 on/1 ltot'n n/i/m i i?/wl oimn 1 .
i II II UCIIVft Uji|IUHUIIIIIV9(t?IIU liai V iivvjunvM oup- ;
: rior wisdom, if you would bj carried through this
, crisis successfully. And 1 believe the good G? d
w ill bless their efforts ami 1 ft you up to a higher
level than you have \\t oecupi d, so that you and ;
your children may become educated and industri- ,
oils citizens Y? u must organize yoursel.es into 1
families. Husbands must love tlieir wives and i
children, clinging' to them and turning from all i
| others, and feeling that their highest object in life, i
next to serving the good God, is to do all they can (
for their fami ies, working for them continually. ]
Good colored friends, you have a great work to 1
do and you are in a position of responsib lity. The j i
whole North,; 11 the people in the Free States, are 1
looking at you and the experiment now being tried i
in your behalf with the deepest interest. This ex-11
periment is to give you freedom, position, home ]
apd your owq fajujli"8;?wjves property, your i
own soil. You shall till and cultivate your own
crops; you shallgath r and sell the products of
your industry lor your own benefit; you shall
own your own earnings, and yoa ? hall be able to
feel that God is prospering you from day to day,
and from year t j year, and raising you to a higher
L#el it goodness, religion and a nobler life.
Supposing you fail down here. That w ill be an
ci^ot the whole matter. It is like attaching a
caAe to a stranded vessel, and all the strength
that can he mustered is put upon this rope to haul
her off. If this only r,,pe breaks the vessel is lost.
God help you all and help us all to help you. If
you are i.lle, vicious, indolent and negligent you
will tail and your last hope is gone; if you are not
f.Jtliful you rivet eternal y the letters upon those
who t -day are fastened down by fetters and suffer
by the driver's goad. You h.ve in your , hands
the rescuing of those sufferers over whose sorrows
you mourn continue] r. If you fail, w hat a dreadful
responsibility it will ho when you come to die
to feel that the only great opportunity you had fur
serving yourselves and yo..r oppressed race was
allowed to slip.
And you women, you must be careful of your .
children. You must teach them to be cleanly,
obedient and dutiful at hll times. You mu.-t keep
your hou es neat and tidy, working all day, if
necessary, to have them 111 the best possible ionditi
ji, always thinking and contriving to make
them cleaner and more comforfable. When your
husbai d comes home from the labors and fatigues
of the day, always have something good and nice
for his supper, and speak kindly ti> him, lor these
little .acts of love ami attention will bring you hap
piuess and joy.
An I when you meff go out to work you must
labor with diligence and zeal. It seems to me,
had I the stimulus to work that you have, that I
could iabor like a giant. Now, you know who I
am. My first duty here is to deal justly ; second,
to love mercy, and third to walk humbly. First,
justly 1 shall endeavor to get you to do your
duty faithfully. If you do I shall reward you ; and
if you refuse, then what comes next? Why tho
wicked must be punished and made to do right.
I will take the bad man by the throat an i lorce
him to his duty. 1 do not nuan that I will take
hold of lutn w ith my own hands, but * with the
strong arm of military power. Now, do we uiidei>tand
ea^h other, lam working for you already.
1 am tol I by your Superintendent that a
gang of fifty men are building your houses at the
rate of six a week. These houses are to make you
more comfortable You are to have a patch of
ground which you can call your owp, to r.ise your
own garden truck, and you may work for the
government fo: good wages And you women
mu.-t make your houses shine you must plaster
them, and whitewash them, and gradually get lurniture
in your cabfus, and a cooking stove I
have arrrnged in such a way that you will get
your clothii.g oh aper and beiter than before, and
! A_ t - 1 _ 1 A?. -1 51 J _ t 1
you are 10 nave a scnooi ior your cnuuren evnu
you must have flowers in your gardens and blossoms
before your doors. You will hec in .. little
while how ratuh happier you will be made Are
you not wjling to work for this ? Yes, Lod helping,
you will all work. Tnisis only for yourselves,
but if you are successful this plan will go all
through the country, and we will nave answered
the question that puzzled all good thinking nun in
the world for years. They have asked '\vi:at will
you do with the black man after liberating h.m ? '
Wo will show them what we w.ll do. We wi 1
make him a useful, industrious citizen. We w ill.
give hiin his family, tfiis wife, his children give .
him the earnings ot the sweat of his brow, and as
i man we w.ll give lii:n what the Lord ordained
liim to h ivc.
I shall watch everything closely rcspqjfing tliis .
experiment. It is something to be permanent?
more than for a day, m >re than for a year. Upon
roil depends whether this m ghty result shall be
worked out, and the day of jubilee come to God's
ransomed people.
The audience received the Generals remarks
rt iih perfect attention, and oxprc sed their interest
in all that lie uttered tiv no Is of assent and
Approbation.
Capture of Valuable Prizes.?The schooner
Fanny Corey arrived on the 8th in_-t. from New
Vork. On her way to this port she was boarded
l>y the gnnboat Slate of Georgia, and re piested to
re])brt the capture by that vessel of an English
deamer loaded w.th arms and ammunition, while
lttcmpting to run the blockade at iNew Inlet, N.
C. The prize steamer came f.om Nassau. The
British steamer TfacAi//#?,Capt. Gilpin, wasbrouglit
to this port on Thursday, and is now at anchor
under the {uns of the guardship Vandalia,a prize
to the U. S. gunboat Memphis, Commander \VaU
inaugh. The Wuchuta is an iron propeller, brig
igged and buHt in London. She was last froni4
Bermuda and was attempting to make her way
,nto some port of North Carolina, wjon tho Me n