Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-11-02
Proves too Much.

A writer in the Atlantic Monthly for
November. who is member of one of the
Massachusetts Regiments of three m onths
men, contributes The Contrabands at
Fortress Monroe 70 that magazine. It is
a complete answe' to all the abolition
twaddle with whih the Atlantic or any
other publication Jas been freighted, and
we commend the careful perusal of the
following extracts from it, to those mock
philanthropists who desire to turn this war
into one for the abolition of Slavery instead
of the Legitimate objects announced by the
President, Cabinet and Congress. 1t
seems that the writer of the article was
put in charge of "a escaped slaves, en-.
! ployed upon the military works, digging
! trenches, &c In the course Of his article
occur the following passages which the
writer failed TO see contradicts lis aboli-
ton theory, and proves entirely too much
for the incendiary agitators, who have
caused, and are still causing, ruin and
desolation to our beloved country. He
says:-
"Thc contrabands worked well. There
was public opinion among them against
idleness which answered for discipliue.-
There was one striking feature in the con.
irabands, which must not be omitted
did dot hear profane or vulgar word
spoken by them, II remark which it will be
difficult to make of any sixtytour white
man taken together anywhere in our ar.
my! Indeed, the greatest discomfort Of
u soldier in the camp is the
perpetual rciteratiou OF language which no
discreet, ,hps would utter--the negroes to.re,
j., t.iS respect, MoscS for those who make
high boasts of civility of manners and
Christina culture Out Of the sixty four
who worked for us, all but half-a dozen
were members of the Church, generally
Baptists. Although without pastor,
they held religious meetings on Sundays,
which were attended by about sixty coll
ored persons aud three hundred (of our
own soldiers The devotions we're de-
corously conducted, their prayers and cx-
hortations were fervent and marked by a
simplicity which is not unfrequently the
richest eloquence."
Their masters, when i'll. tempered, had
used rough language and inflicted chauce
blows, but no one ever told he that he had
suffered from systematic cruelty. ;
Many Of them bore testimony to the great
kindness Of their masters and mistressos.
/ { bnl 1
Ihey are by nature religious people -
They have received an education in the
Christian faith, from devout teachers -
Some have been taught (let US believe ii
by the precepts of Christian masters, and
some by the children of these masters, re g.
peating the lessons of the Sabbath school.
The slaves assured ne that they have all
been well taught. If that be so they have
no wrongs to ayenge.
What volumes do these extracts tell Of
the great agitation which has been liac an
earthquake upon the untold blessings OF
our once happy, thriya glorioo, Union. --
They require no comment, tAoy speak for
themselves
: he writer c5Dt,HBcs
( " | spoke to them briefly. thanking them
for their candid work. and complimeutiug
their behavior, rotAarking that had heard
no profane or vulgar word from them, in
which they aecre crampleto n "S--adding,
that it was the last time ] should meet
them; that ! should bear to my people a
good report OF their industry aud morals.
There was another wold ! could not leave
without speaking" should bC
false to al that is true and sacred if / let
il pass. l said to them that any man O
them was as much entitled y lis freedom
, as | was, and hoped they would all now
secure it" lin order 10 come North and
improvs tbcar morais.)
Now whether these people are better of
where they are, or would be improved by
chance of riotiDg in the pollution of Bed
ford street, Philadelphia, the beastly Fiy,
Points, Of New York, or the beggarly pur
licus of Boston, taking the bread from ou
hard working, sorrowing sons of toll, is no
50 much the question in this hour Of peril
as IS the question of right, in a magazine
claiming to be respectable, to thrust it
incendiary frebiauds into such a life
struggle as cur Union is now sustaining
In the face of the civilized woril, this abo
litiouiam is an infatu alton, a fahatlcisn
that is appalling
pha State l.eoislatIIre