Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-09
From the New York Herald.
Soldiers and Negroes.

Soldiers and Negroes.
Excitement at the City HaH-The Female Reta-
tires of the Volunteers Demanding RelieeIn-
terrisT With Mayor Opdyke, &c, &c.
Last week an immense crowd of women, young.
old, married, single, foreign and native, gathered
in the vestibule of the City Hall for the purpose
of consulting with Mayor Opdyke regarding the
money appropriated by the Common Council for
the relief of the families of volunteers. The
cause of the gathering was the exhaustion of the
relief fund placed at the disposal of the Comp
trOller. The unfortunate women were laboring
under the ~intensest excitement, and clamOred for
assistance in the most noisy manner, although re-
peatedly told that the money voted for their re-
lief had been all distributed. The poor creatures,
some of whom had infants in their arms and
seemed to be really in want, would not listen to
reason, and the more they were argued with, the
more boisterous and noisy they became.
Some demanded an interview with the Mayor,
and urged the rest to march into his Office for
that purpose. The usual quiet and order of that
Office we're somewhat disturbed by the Babel of
jabbering, complaining, threatening, and CRYING,
to which the women in their excitement gave
vent. Mayor Opdyke kindly cam out to reason
with his visitors, and addressed them in the most
courteous and feeling manner, explaining that
the Comptroller's funds had run out, and that
further relief was out of the question until a new
appropriation should be made by the Common
Council. He regretted, he said, their sufferings,
but held out no hope that the Corporation would
take any further steps to relieve them. The
Mayor then retired, leaving his visitors quite as
dissatisfied as before his appearance. The wo-
men were quite fierce in their threats, and some
endeavored to break through the door of the
Mayors private room, with the view, they said,
of getting "a civil answer" The police were
obliged to interfere, and put the women from the
room by the use of a little physical force. Up
to one o'clock the excitement continued, although
several of the women had left after the interview
with the Mayor.
The above is full of food for reflection. This
"crowd of women" consisted of the wives,
mothers, and daughters of the gallant men who
went out in the New York regiments TO fight for
the restoration of the Union and the enforce
ment of the laws. These noble fellows are now
with MCCLELLAN, or BANKS, or Mcdowell, in
Virginia, partaking of soldiers fare, away from
the loved ones at home. Their wives and chill
dren, relying upon the Justice of the Government,
ask for a suppOrt-for a pittance to keep away
want and starvation. They are told by Mayor
OPDYKE that further relief WAS out of the ques-
ton till a new appropriation was made by the
Common Council !" That was a hard sentence,
and must have fallen heavily ON the hearts of the
poor creatures who were hungry.
While these scenes were transporting in the heart
of a great city, and while the wives and children
of the soldiers of the republic pere begging bread,
there were other scenes enacting at the capital of
the nation and on the Southern coast. Mr..
RICHARDSON. of Illinois, (the lifelong friend of
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAs1 declared on the floor of
Congress, on the 18th of May, that the Admins
tration was expanding at the rate of 500, GOO per
annum for the ratiOns and clothing Of runaway
negroes, who had come within our lines on the
bidding of Abolition emissaries in the army and
out of it. "YOu have" said Mr.. RICHARDSON,
Gin this District abolished slavery, by adding one
million of dollars to the national debt, to be paid
by taxes imposed upon the laboring white people
of these States Not satisfied with doing this
much for your special favOrites, you extend the
freedom of this city and the hospitality of the
Government to all the runaway negroes in the
country who choose to visit the Distri of Co.
lumbia. You issue rafiOns TO them day after day
and teek after t1eek, and these rations must be
paid for through the sweat and toll of tax-rid-
den white menl" Mr.. RICHARDSON asks the
cowardly majority of the Republicans who had
thus squandered the money of the people:
"What have you accomplished for the l0hte
man? Have you provided for the payment of
pensions to the soldiers who have been dis
abled while fighting the battles of your coun-
try? Have you appropriated money to relieve
the wants and necessities of the widows and
orphans of white men who have persisted upon
the battle field defending the Constitution and
the flag of the country2 An, no! Your time
has been too much engrossed with the negro to
think OF these things. You have not apOropri-
ated one dollar for these Oses-purp
which should enlist the ability and sympathy of
any patriot in the land. If the Republican party
and its administration have ever made a single
effort in behalf of the MANNED soldiers single
appropriation for tie orphans and widows OF
slain soldiers. 1 hope some gentleman on the Re-
publican side of the House will correct me.
There is no response, and | am treasured in the
correctness of my assertion by your silence"
Here we have the whole story. 1t is a story
of shame and disgrace to the present abolition
majority IN Congress. The poor wives OF SOL
diers in New York and elsewhere are told that
"farther relief is out of the question, " till some
local corporation shall provide bread for the suf.
fering soldiers family; but the Administration
with high munihcence, squanders '%'rations" on
the negroes who flock to Washington for Repub-
lican sympathy. When the knavery of the Alb
clifton faction shall be exposed to the verdict Of
the country, we may expect these things to enc
not before.