Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-11-05
Abolition Philanthropy put TO the
Test.


For some time past the Government has beer
seriously embarrassed to know what to do witt
the large number of contrabands who are accu
mulating on its hands. At New Orleans Gen
Butler has more negroes to feed than he ha,
soldiers, and at Hilton Head and other point,
occupied by our troops the difficulty of proyid
Ing for them, If not quite as great, is constant
| ly on the increase. Although some can be EN-.
ployed in the construction OF Notifications. or
ss servants or nurses, there is limit to these
occupations, and large number have nothing
| to do but to live and fatten on tho bounty Of
the Government. 10 addition to these able.
bodied idlers, large proportion of the contra
bands who. come within our lines Ia composed
of women aud children, who can not be put by
the military authorities to work of any kind. -
These have ell TO be fed and clothed, and Il
may readily be imagined what source of per.
plexity and anxiety they prove to Government
which finds IL difficult, through bad management
or otherwise, 10 provide for the Necessities of
its own soldiers. And then what prospect it
offers in the future. Their number Ia increas.
iDg 90 rapidly that Il will soon surpass the ap.
gregate of the troops that we have In the geld.
II to feed and clothe an army Of one hundred
thousand men IL takes, as is calculated, 400.
0O0, 600 annually, We may have an idea of what
Il will cost to support the enormous number Of
contrsbands that the Government will. by and
by, have on Its hands. And, az we have ius,
shown, about two-thitds Of them will be a
dead weight from the impossibility of finding
them employment.
Tho problem involved in the question of th cir
support has, as it may be supposed, preoccupie ed
the minds Of all real friends Of the negro, and
more particularly Of the heads of the army.
Il has been thought by some that in Massach;l-
setts, Vermont and other States, where 30 much
sympathy has been lavished on him, and where
abolition has found Its moat Jealous partisans,
some temporary disposition might be made of
such Of these c0ntrabands 90 are useless for
military purposes, until Congress could devise
come permanent provision for them. Surely,
II was argued, the heads of families in the
States which had distinguished themselves by
their theoretical philanthropy would en-
brace with eagerness this opportunity of prov.
Ing their sincerity to tho world by taking
them 10 ss nurses, as servants, or oven as PEN
posed of Impressed with this belief,
Major Bolles, OF General Dix's staff, wrote
TO Governor Andrew, asking him 10 provide an
asylum for them 10 Massachusetts until the
Government could colonies them. What do
our readers suppose was the Governors reply
He promptly and decidedly declared his dissp-
probation OF the whole scheme, adding that
The contrabands we're not wanted In Msssachu-
and that they are or soon win be wanted
elsewhere. This isinstructive, and should open
the eyes, II anything will, of those who support
the radicals in the belief shat they represents
aud are fighting for principle. The moment
that their philanthropical Professions In behalf
Of the negro are put to the test, they show that
they are nothing but rank hypocrisy, and that
they care for him only as O Stepping stone TO
power and % amoans Of elevating themselves
at Che expense Of the oounsrys-sM Y. Hsrald.