St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-10-17

from the imposition Of any unnecessary n.
|.rtrictions, they we're more favored daring
their Incarceration than they had any res
son to expect when they were sent z, Fott
Lafayette. >. =. ~ F..
The New York .B.ening sPest q, 500
historical reimbursement Revolutionas1
days, that are not without great talds Is
the present crisis. The. POST 1sps ding 81
the action of che; New Yprt. q tgiphtQsp.
sags:i : ~ 4, /. ~ "a Isl
! For open traitors they, made no allow
ancc at all. Al act Of 'l779-almost tie
first on the statute; books Of New York
proclaimed every one; 10 natter what his
position, who adhered in any way to s..1sthe
cruel King Of Great Britain" tie enemy
Of the State. The more conspicuous men
Of this GLASS, such as Earl Dphpore, the
colonial Governor, Willistn I'ryon,; late
Governor. Sir John Johpson, knight, o.
liver de Lancy, Ohm Harris Crugsr, .coun-
Gilman, David Matthews, late !, Mayor,
fCh"rles lng!is, clerk, and Margaret biz
wife, and many others, were denpuncedis
the statute BY name. They were ali ban.
ishcd from the State their property vas
declared the property Of the State aud
Commissioners were appointed 70 ,dminis-
ter the iorfcitures !. 9. TO keep record It
the property, real aud personal, and in due
time offer it for sale. Five. years later
I764) another act was passed to expedite
the sale Of these con6scated estates, and
finish up the whole business. Il win b.
seen that tue old patriots hsdzuos puerils.
and tender regards. for persous: who could
be base enough t. lot the rain Of the rc-
pubic. If thei1 lost intimate friends
and neighbots 9.vv: ard to the foe, they
were classcd 1T once rs enemies, and all
they owned Vas taken possession Of BY
the State. 1t was sold to the highest bid
der, with 4 State guaranty Of the deed of
transfer.
But among the personal property Of the
rebels; tho COMMISSIONER Of those days
found, what our Generals do now, great
many slaves. New York State was then
a save State nearly thirty thousand out
Gifts three hundred thousand inhabitants,
ore-tenth Of the population, were: bonds
men, held to service, under laws similar to
those which prevail in.the. cotton raising
States. They were negroes, who enjoyed.
no civil rights, and in the eyes Of the law
we're, no better. than cattle or .hings.-
Their labor, ike Their bodies, Was the
property Of another; none Of the priviltdges
Of civilized being was accorded to them,
and their lot seemed to be Z permanent
one-helpless and. without hope Of change.
The first ray Of lis lit cast upon their
gloomy position cane from the outbreak
Of the revolutionary war Men were need
ed to resist the invaders Of the country,
and :: was then discovered, that negroes
were men. It WAS discovered even thu.
they might make soldiers, and the legRl,-
turc of New York, in 1881 S1n passing au
act to raise two regiments for the defence
Of its exposed ftontiers,. provided thar
slaves might BE- enlisted with them, ;.lez
enact3d "'that. any person who should do
liver one or more Of his able-bodi<d malas
slxves, to any warrant officer, to serve in
either of,,tAc: said. regiments, OF in indie
pendent corphs,' SHOULD be Z entitled to the
location and grant Of one right" in thu
public lands. This gave bounty to slave
masters on the enlistment Of their slaves.
but it enacted further that "such slaves
who shall serve three years or until regu-
larly discharged, shall, immediately after
such service, be. aud are hereby declared
to be FREE MIN OF 1uE SrATB." Fro
mont has not yet reached. the standard Of
New York.
At the same time the. slaves Of these
rebel masters, whose property he's BEEN
confscatcd, were taken possession Of by
the State, aud supported Tor time out 81
the proceeds Of the forfeited estates. But
subsequently, by an act passed May 1876,
the able bodied were manumitted, and the.
in6r'n and disabled provided for at tie ex-
pcnsc ofthe commonwealth: ) Here are
the words :: t'Be it enacted" &C., that
all negro slaves become tho properly of the
people Of the State, by the attainder Or
conviction ofany person whomsoever, and
now in possession oe the commissioners OF
forfeiture: be and they are hereby MANS
mitted. ..4.... -, .,.,G..,,
Again : ''That the Commissioners Of
Forteitures for the several districts be and
are hereby required to provide for the COM
Portable substance Of all slaves IS BY age
and intirmity are become unsble to gain
subsistence. atths expense Of the people
OF this State Those were the Just, hu-
name and generous principles which eui-
ded the carly legislation Of the Empire
State. Its statesmen were in earnest. -
They refused to temporize with men Who
had taken up arms against the nation
They smote them hip and thigh, until
success had crowned their efforts and the
country Raa .saved r EnSinAnX. ..1spxn1..s