Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-06-02

The conservatives and the "anti-
fanatics" have always joined with the
super-scriptural shareholders who claim
that the Hcurse of Ham" rests upon the
negro, and that he should therefore bear
the burdens which are too heavy for the
white race. Very well; now let them put
their doctrine into practical operation in
our armies. There are forts to be built,
roads to be constructed, teams to drive,
stores and forage to be drawn, and artil-
lery to be handled, and there are tens of
thousands Of loyal negroes ready to do
the work willingly and gladly, if they can
only have in return food, clothes and pro
lection. That is all they ask, and yet that
is denied them. They may be loyal, but to
take them would hurt the feelings of our
enemies. They may be strong, but the
fraternal tics" of our generals to the reb-
els are stronger. They may bring infor-
nation of the eneloy's movements to our
camps, but they will also bring taint of
"abOlitiOnism, and that our generals are
more afraid of than they are of a defeat.
Gen. Mcclellan would not hear to the re-
ports Of the contrabands, and so the rebels
evacuated Manassas unmolested. Gen.
Hnlleck forbid them coming to hislines, and
he advances upon the deserted Corinth,
whose late occupants have gone, nobody
knows where for two days after they
leave. F.
But here is chance to assist the south
ern shareholders in their great work of s'ele-
vating the negro race" the same lever of
labor being used in the elevation. If the
curse of Ham" means anything, help
the southern missionaries carry it out by
setting the slaves at work. If the "nor-
NAL condition of the negro is that Of a Ia
bOrer," for Heavens sake give him some
labor to do, and so keep him in that normal
condition II God designed the black race
to do the labor under southern sun which
the. white race cannot do, give them that
work to do in our camps, and do not en-
deavOr to thwart the Deity. Ifthe negroes
"have muscle but no brains" give them
chance for the development Of that muscle
in our armies. In short, so long as the
acelimated slaves are forbid coming into
the lines of our guards, so long must our
generals bear part Of the responsibility
of the sickness and death which will come
to our over-worked soldiers in the southern
country. -
Now read this, from the Chicago Tribune
of Saturday, which has cometO hand since
the above was written:
nOnce more We may tell now. The
necessity for retieence on this point is re-
moved. The enemy has taken the paddock
of our lips. Our army, since General Hal
leek took command at Pittsburg Landing,
has built, incredible ss the story may sound,
more than fifty miles Of iRtrenchments, and
full two hundred miles Of wagon roads
-Four parallels each more than twelve miles
in length; three or four roads-wide, cor
duroyed and bridged-leeding from the
landing to each corps d drnies-all thework
Of our men, many Of whom never before
handled a spade or an axe in ali their lives.
No wonder that, with such labor as they
were condemned to do, they were siek-no
wonder the hospitals we're filed, and that
the reports " died Of fever" "died Of dys-
enteFy,0 died Of pneumonia" filed every
puf Of air from that quarter. Yetall the
while there were, within sound Of the re-
port Of a siege gun, thousands and thou
sands Of the hardest labOrers in our land,
waiting and praying to be permitted to do
this work for their good Alone Strong
men willing to carry a spade or musket,
or WELD the axe or pick, to cook, to dig or
fight. Strong men and earnest men, who
viii, when they have On opportunity, vim
di0sts the bravery Of theirrace, WsmeaR