, 1862-11-29
Gbs Grih,111e.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1862.
WHAT TO Do WITH THE NE.
GR0ES

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1862.
WHAT TO n .oIr ETH THE ME-
Quite recently Gen. Butler aent strong
expedition under Gen. Weitzel, up the
Lafourche River in Western Loulsians,
whipped tho rebels and took possession Of
an extensive sugar district. a part Of the
force employed was the " first regiment OF
colored guards" negro regiment Of
$50 strong, They behaved eplendidly.
Among other articles captured were
1000 contrabands, which the rebels
had collected, and were attempt
ing 10 carry eff to Texas or Cuba. The
presence Of the troops was q signal for q
general "snike'' upon the part Of the
slaves, who laid down the shovel and the
hoe, and made a.bee lire for the "blue
coats" Gen. Weitzen w1ote back to Gen
Butter for Instructions, as to what he should
do with the contrabands. The number
OF his bands was five times IS great IS his
army. He would not gire them back to
tL.n rebel masters, and he could not keep
and tud so great host in idleness.
Ben Butler is not the man to be caught
on the hons of dlcma. He solved the
problem in about five minutes which had
puzzled Weitzen so much. The case pre-
scented was one which gave old Ben delight
He had been waiting for just such an
aopeni1;g" to Try 81 experiment. and see
if there was not an easy, simple solution
Of the "nigger question" When the
slaves arc freed, what SHALL be done with
them? Are you going to turn them loose?
These are the standing questions Of tho
opponents Of emancipation Butler has
hit on method of disposing OF the
liberated blacks at once simple, efficient
and practicable. His first step is to Sc
questrate the plantations Of the rebels, un-
der tie Acts Of Congress and the Proclama-
ton Of the President Secondly, to appoint
three commissioners to take possession Of
the District comprising all of the State
west Of the Mississippi excepttxo parishes
Third, TO gather up the lsose personal prop
crty found on the estates, and sell it al pub
lie auction in New Orleans; the proceeds
10 go into the treasury Of the United States.
Fourth, to employ loyal white men to su-
re1intcnd ana cultivate the sequestercd
1lantasions for the benefit Of tho United
States. Fifth, to place on these estates the
con11ahands that have come within the
a1my lincs, and set them at work to secure
the growing crops Of sugar, cotton, rice
and other products, and to pay them fair
wages for thei1 1aoor, bus to Keep them
constantly employed.
The crops when secured are to be sent
to New Orleans and sold at the highest
nlakc1 price Food and clothing are to be
purchased by tic Commissioners and the
saEc to be issued to the contrabands in
proper quantities. Sixth, loyal planters
are allowed to remain in possession
Of 1aci1 plantations and to hire
conuabands to cultivate them.
There are other details, but the foregoing
embrace the principal features Of the plan
The sugar crop, now ready to be gathered,
is estimated to be worth twenty millions
Of dcl]@rs, ard other Louisiana crops ser
cral millions more. Butler thus solves the
wht!le problem Of what shall be done with
the negroes after they are freed. He sets
them te work On the plantations, and
rays them fair wages for their
work-charsing them with tic food
'lsy ccrsunle and pays them in cash
Tie balance due, TO be spent or invested Us
tic Gamer may choose. Under Buffers
Supc.iutendence there is no doubt but the
plan y III work first rate. Thcrebel owners
are disposscsscd, and t',cir property passes
into tic possession OF the United States, to
be used or sold, and the proceeds devoted
10 paying the expense Of putting down
the rebellion, thereby saving tho
pockets Of loyal tax payers. The
colorcd people from being slsycs become
free labo1crs, and are paid for their work.
Loyal planters art allowed to keep their
plantations, and to employ the black people
to work their estates paying them reason-
dp1e "aScs 1ol suCA eefFlcc. AHu tnHs
tho whole question is solved On princi-
pies Of justice and common sense.
The guilty rebel is punished, the loyal
slave is cmarcipatcd, social order and in
dustrY are secured, and the United States
is iDucmnifed for the cost to which it
has been put in quellipg the Shareholders
revolt. Why may not Buffers method he
applied Eith equal facility and success to
Alabama and all the rebel cotton States?