St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-07-18
Southern Refugees.

lhe telegraph tells US that " ashlnytOn
is at present, inconveniently crowded
with tugltives from Virginia, who we're
driven out by the rebels on suspicion of
entertaining Union sentiments, or else
have had to fly to av id being pressed into
the rebel army Similar stories come
from Fort Monroe and points on the bor-
der
The fugitives in Washington, to whom
the telegraph makes allusion, are for the
most part, white men. On the other
hand, those who come into Fort Monroe
are nearly all black men But all are
saidto be Union men, and all have alike
been prosecuted tor their fidelity to the
cause for which the nation is in arms.-
This Icing the case, it is clear they have
also an equal claim on the protection Of
the government and its agents.
White men and their frmllies receive
this protection without question; we no.
tice that some Of our officers refuse it to
black men, whom they return on demand
of persons who conc from the encmy,s
camp. Now, we conceive this to be
wrong. 1t is wrong to think these black
Union men are slaves. Every man, what
ever his color, Is, in the eye of the law,
free until he s proven slave by regular
trial before United States commissioner.
Until the proper officer declares him, after
fair hearing Of evidence, a slave, the
presumption is that he is free man; and
he who, without such trial and decision,
sends man, be he black or white, into
slavery, commits serious offence.
1t is the duty of government to guard
from injury all Union men who claim is
protection. But it is not necessary that
the authorities should charge themselves
with the maintenance of such refugees,
whether white or black. If Washington
is uncomfortably crowded, it would b.
prudent to secure such of these persons as
are too poor to pay their way, a free pas
sage to some place where supplies are
cheaper and work more easily obtained.
This care should of course be extended to
refugees at all other points. No South
ern Union men will lack friendly assist
ancc at the North. Beyond this VIC can-
not see that the government or its agents
have any business with these people.
But there is another way in which
those of our officers who arc sending back
fugitives to the camp of the enemy are fall
ing into error. Grant that these persons
are savee-though this fact was not IN any
instance proven-and the question arises,
Whose property are they? A rebel comes
into our camp with flag ST truce, and de-
mands the body Of certain negro who
has taken refuge there. lie says it is his
slave; and the man'is given to him. Is it
not manifest that this is without warrant
Of law? No United States commissioner
would dare return slave to one who did
uot prove by satisfactory evidence that he
was his owner. A man VINO should ex-
pect to'get possession Of a slave on his
mere assertion that he was his property
would rightly be sent out of court. How
wrong then, to give up these men who arc
not even proved to be slaves, to the FIRST
vagabond of traitor who comes without
> proof to claim him!
We do not say what the governmt
and its agents should do with these bla
} men. But it certainly should not ret,
any, the least one, without satisfactory
proof before the proper officer that he is
| slave, and that he is the owner who en-
ters the claim.-Eveniny Post.