St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-06-13
THE WAR AND SLAVERY.

i UNI hEND NltN uu
Secession is abc!:;::,n in it, most dangerous form"
So said the Richmond Wing some
weeks or months since. The text is
a good one for letter, and the argu.
mcnt more convincingly enforced now,
when illustrations are becoming frC-
qucnt, than when, as first uttered, it
was liable to the exception that it
was only theory. All men of sound
mind are fatalists to some extent.
When the soldier tnlists, he does so
usually upon the belief that he at
least is to be saved harmless from the
enemy's bullets. BY the same sort of
mental process, Inc STAKEHOLDER who
acknowledges in general terms, as
did Mr.. lancey in Faneuil Hall last
October, that they are living in a
state of society which is "bascd up
on a powder magazine" is equally
well assured that his own plantation
contains no explosive material; and
in accordance with this sort of rca-
sonlng, every Southern gentleman
talks politics, discusses aboIitionism,
and dcnounccs Black RepuLlicanism
as freely as lie would before SO many
dogs. Familiarity has deadened his
sense of fear Of his negroes he is
the perfect master; of them he has
no fear his own private and personal
magazine is without powder, and he
secs no danger in smoking his segar
within its very walls. Such warnings
as that quoted at the head of this ar
ticlc have been mhccdcd the result
is civil war and one of the incidents
Of the result illustrates the text. Yes
tcrday, eight negroes, belonging to
various planters in this ncighborhood.
came into this camp, one of whom had
been employed in the erection of the
encmy's sand batteries. They all
told the story that they had left their
masters because they believed they
were to be sent South one objected
that he didn't care to be employed
in fighting Oh the secession side, as
he had been heretofore and one sta
ted very frankly that he supposed the
gentlemen in Fortress Monroe were
friends of the colorcd population.
" We had heard it," said he, in the
genuine field hand dialect, since last
fall, that if Lincoln was elected. YOU
would come down and set us free.
All the white folks used to say so,
but they don't talk that way now the
colorcd people have talked it all over;
we heard that if we could get in here
we should be free or, at any rate,
we should be among friends" This
morning II came in one squad, en-
bracing all ages from three months to
eightyfvc years. Most are owned in
this neighborhood, but a few came
from beyond-one from we'll up to-
ward Richmond, and one woman
came from the other side of Hampton
Roads. There were in this lot half a
dozen entire families. Another lot of
a dozen good field hands, many from
points far in the interior, also came
and expressed their Willingness to en-
roll in the new corps of "Nirginia Tn
ion Volunteers" and were forthwith
accepted. These negroes see u great
deal further into the milestone than
the politicians. Without arriving at
the conclusion by any process of rea-
soning, they understand perfectly well
that, whatever be the wishes of the
powers that be, whatever" interesting
correspondence" may pass between
one official and another, no matter
what may be the theory, practically,
an army marching from the North to
the South, upon such an errand as
that upon which Gen. Butler, for in
stance, is engaged, must become a
great emancipation society. And in
saying this, l make no accusation of
John Brownism against anybody
Certainly General Butler cannot be
accused of any leanings towards
abolitionism. Gen. Cadwalladcr is a
property holder, and | believe a slave
owner in Maryland Capt. r, Ii. Hare,
who distinguished himself somewhat
in the Department of Annapolis, as a
member Of General Butler's staff, is
Baltimore stakeholder But all this
is nothing to the purpose. No matter
what Governor Andrew may suggest,
General Scott order, or General But
ler do, slavery must so down before
the advancing host. Can anything
be more clear? There isn't negro
in Virginia, this side of the Blue
Ridge at least, SO stupid as not to un-
derstand that this fight is ultimately
upon his account, and whether the fu-
gitives are returned or retained, the
effect will be the same, and the
South will soon be able to see it.
There is now 100000 worth of this
sort of property in camp, and the
stock is hourly increasing. The sub
ject is becoming one of very great
moment. AS long as only property
contraband of war-that is to say,
negroes adapted for, and about to be
employed in military movements
came into our possession, the question
was comparatively simple; it was
simply military. But when women
and children come, as they have 10y
the score, it became a Humanitarian
question. And somcin Massachusetts
who have been afflicted by the "An-
drew and Butler correspondence will
find solacc in the fact that the Massa-
chusetts stores havc-by order of the
General in command-been taken to
feed the painting fugitives. For the
present all until better advised by