Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-08-14
Gen. Butler on the Negro Question.

The telegraph gave just enough of Ger
Buffers letter relative to slaves that hav
fed to him for protection to give a relisl
for his argument in full. 1t is said tn
late visit of the General to Washington i
connected with the question of the dispo
sition of these slaves. The General in hi
report to headquarters says that the ordel
for removal of large portion of his forcl
to Washington compelled him to abandon
Hampton village, at which point he wa;
employing these slaves in throwing up en-
trenchments. He says:
| had employed the men in Hampton il
throwing up intrenchments, and they were
WORKING zealously and efficiently at that
dutv Swing our soldiers from that labor
under tbe CLEAN of midday sun. The wo-
men were earning substantially their own
Subsistence in washing marketing and Ia
kinp care of the clothes of tie soldiers,
and rations were being served out to the
men who worked for the support of the
children But by the evacuation of Hamp-
ton rendered necessary by the withdraw
of troops all these black people were oh.
Iiued 10 break up their homes at Hampton
fleeing across the creek within my lines for
protection and support. Indeed it Was a
most distressing sight, to see these DOOR
creatures, who had trusted to the protec-
ton of the arms of the United States and
who aided the troops of the Unite1 States
in their enterprise, to be thus obliged to
flee from their homes, and the homes Of
their masters, who had deserted them. and
become fugitives from fear of the return
of the rebel soldiery, who had threatened
to shoot the men who had wrought for us,
and to carry off the women, who had serv-
ed as, to a worse than Egyptian bondage.
l have therefore now within the Peninsu-
la, this side of Hampton Greek, 900 ne
.gToes, 800 of whom are able bodied men,
80 of whom are men substantially past
hard labor, l75 women, 225 children un-
der the age 10 years, and 10 between 10
and Is years, and many more coming in
The question which this state OF facts
present are very embarrassing
First, What shall be done with them I?
Second, What is their state aud condition?
Upon these questions L desire the in
st.uctions of the Department.
The first question, however, may be an
swered perhaps by considering the last
Are these men, women and children slaves?
Are they free? Is their condition that of
men, women and children, or of property
or is it mixed relation? What their
status was under the Constitution and
laws, We all know. What has been the
effect of rebellion and state of war upon
that status? When 1 adopted the theory
of treating the able-bOdied negro fit to
work in the trenches, as property liable to
be used in aid of rebellion, and so contra
band of war, that condition Of things was
in so far met as | then, and still believe,
on legal and constitutional basis. But
now a new series of questions arise. Pass
ing by women, the children certainly can
not be treated upon that basis; if proper
ty, they must be considered the incum-
brance, rather than the auxiliary of an
army, and, of course, in no possible legal
relation. could be treated as contraband.
Are they property? If they were so,
they have been left by their masters and
owners, deserted, thrown away, abandon
ed like the wrecked vessel upon the ocean.
Their former possessors and owners, have
causclessly, traitorously, rebelliously, and
to carry out the figure, practically aban-
doned them to be swallowed up by the
winter storm of starvation. If property,
do they not become the property of the
salvors? but their salvors, do not need
and will not hold such property and will
assume no such ownership; has not there
fore all proprietary relation ceased ? Have
they not thereupon become men, women
and children? No longer under owner
ship of any kind, the fearful relicts of fu-
gitive masters, have they not by their mas
ters' acts, and the state of war, assumed |
the condition, which VIC hold to be the |
normal one, of those made in Gods image?
Is not every constitutional, legal, and NOR
al requirement, as well to the runaway
master as their relinquished slaves, thus
l confess that my own mind
is compelled by this reasoning to look upon
them as men and women. If not free
born, yet free manumitted, sent forth from
the hand that held them never to be reclaim
ed.
"Of course if this reasoning thus i'm
perfectly set forth is correct, my duty as a
humane man is very plain. / should take
the same care of these men, women and
houseless, and homeless, and un-
provided for, as l would of the same num-
Der of men, women and children, who for
their attachment to the Union had been
driven or allowed to fee from the Confed-
,rate States. | should have no doubt Oh
his question, had not seen it stated, that
an arder had been issued BY Gen. Mellow