St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-06-06
FIeemen sold into Slavery.

It seems to us that no greater insult
could be offered to the government of the
United States than the seizure of the COL
orcd men in our naval service found on
board the steamer Star Of the West, and
selling them into slavery. X *
n report of Quartermaster McGrath
gives tho names Of two-one Of them,
Levi Mann, about fifty years of age, an
the other, Walter Good year, aged about
thirty-the latter having wife and family
in New York, and the former also the
Guartermaster believes. They were hur-
ried off to the aucticn-block without GER
cmony, and, in spite Of entreaty and re-
monstrance, disposed Of to the highest
bidder. The motive allodgcd for depriv-
ing their liberty was as mean and sordid
as the act was attrociously tyranical-
the poor fellows were sold to detray the
expense of sending out to the free States
the rest Of the crew, when it was found
they could not be bribcd to enter the rebel
service. * X
1t is to be observed that this outrage
was not committed until tho captured crew
reached Montgomery. Some hostile feel
ing was manifested in Texas when the
people Of the State saw the colored men
among the sailors, and thought them too
we'll treated by their companions; but it
was not until they arrived at the scat Of
the rebel government, where jeff. Davis
and his Cabinet are supreme, that this act
Of defiance to the American government
was ventured upon. The sale of our sea-
men, at public auction, was doubtless
intended to express, in the most deliberate
manner possible, the contempt in which
the heads of the rebel government hold
Northern rights an1 Northern feelings.
The men thus deprived Of freedom
were in the service Of the United States.
Looking at this act in It's relation to the
laws Of war, it is as fragrant a violation
of them as to have made slaves of the
white members Of the crow. If the Seccs-
sionists shall claim that these men, by the
decision Of the Supreme Court, are not
citizens of the United States, and are not
entitled, by the laws of war, to be dealt
with as citizens, they cannot, at least,
deny that they were the dependents of the
United States, that they were in its SER
vice and entitled to its protection. five
fail to afford that protection, we shall ad-
NIT a principle which the leaders Of the
rebellion themselves must see is full Of dan
ger to the Southern States.
For, if the chiefs of the new confedera-
cy insist upon selling the negroes of the
free States into slavery they virtually pro-
,s,lk L. e l.
$751; S GqF tn5 pe ca f fRas the he war in Which
they have engaged gives them right of
conquest over the bodies Of all the colorcd
inhabitants Of the free States whom thew
entrap into their power or capture in a
conflict, they conced the right Of interfe-
renee with their slaves as a means of retail
iation or prevention.
We have often referred to the evidences
which the rebel States are giving Of their
relapse into the practice Of barbarism-|
Here is another and most striking illustra-
ton Of the degradation to which they have
sunk. 1t is the hadit only of the most
savage tribes to make slaves Of those
whom they take in war.
If the United States submit to this in
dignity, they will allow the rebels, when
ever party Of citizens from the loyal
states may fall into their hands, to select
those whom they may fancy to be of COL
orcd descent, and sell them to pay the
expense Of guarding the others. Oar
government should lose no time in COM
ing forward to the rescue of these unfor-
tunate men who entered it's service RELY
ing on its protection, and who have been
sold away from their families in to what is
meant shall be lifelong exile and bondage.
1T should be made point of honor with
our government to redeem them. If this |
be not done, so far as lies in our power, we
shall deserve the scorn of the world
Evening Post.