, 1862-11-08

GOV. Andrews Letter to Gen. Dix.

u0lEe 4n0nG Inc fe1nEA OF GQFG1n0F Andrew !
Of Massachusetts to receive into his State d
lot of contraband negroes from Fortress Mon
roe. It seems that Gen. Dix, By consent OF
the war department. entered into cores
pondence with several governors of the North
trn States to induce them to consent to 1e-
ceive Into their respective States portions OF
tie coRtrahanda collected in the vicinity OF
Fortress Monroe. z7ho are liable to be Cap
tured and sent back to slavery IT the enemy
should appear in that region- Very few OF
them arc capable O: being traiaad to bear
s.me. and none Of them are thus trained, or
would be anything but au obstruction in case
Of nj actual conflict. The desire Of Gen. Dix
10 be rid OF Them is therefore natural enough.
Tie correspondence that hes passed on the
subject is described as follows:
lst. a note from Afajor ollca, aid OF Gen.
Dix, to Cor. Andrew, dated September 30.
era1irg the purpose Of bis mission. Major
Bol1es Gays, ."Th-re are large numbers Of
'coptrabande' In the Immediate vicinity OF |
that vicinity is very desirable, for reasons |
both military and humane" tbs note
covers,
I'd. i latter from the war department, Sep
tember 10, giyfug to Gen. Dix permission to
enter into q coIrtsp pondence, and the au-hori- |
sy to make arrangements with the executives |
Of the several Northern Sts.es tor rne put- |
roEee indicated 80.
Sd, A letter from Gen. DIX to Gov. Andrew, |
sccreditipg Aslor Bollcs, aud s'earnes:ly press
ing'' the importance OF Immediately rttl9V-
,rg tie contrabands.
18th. 4 letter from Major BoIlcs to Gov. An
drew, October 6, giving further details upon
| the matter, and saying tha: e'theit removal to
a friendly aEd secure ne1ghboroood Is all 1n'
| peratiVe duty"
Gov. Andre1's reply to the proposition is as
| tollowa, and will be understood from its ia
| statement Of the case, without further exp.a-
| nation:
| EXECUTIVE DEPAETMEST,
| BusToN, OctOret 16. 1852.
| Dix:
MA5on: I have the hozor to &C.
knowledge the ipt Of your letter Of Sept.
| 80, accompa1Ied By letter from Major Gene
ra1 Dix, tcg1tlcr with the copy Of q letter ad
| dressed to the general from the Ear depart
ment at Washington 1u these coumun1ca-
1ioue it is propose ed to ne to take some active
measures for 1he reception In Massachusetts
Of portion of the escaped Slaves now At or
about Fortress Monroe, according to plan
proposed by AisjoT Geatral Dix and in which
| The general has ob!aIued the acquie5cnce Of
tie war department. This plan Il Represented
as t'rery desirahle for reasons bo-h military
ard humape.n II is sa.a the fortress is threat
tutd and probably may be attacked; that, it
SO, thtee people may ot swept back into sla-
very" OF that hasty retreat and Transports
lit n Of them will be attsEd'd inevitably With
Eevere sn1Ermg 10 the hei, ,less.
It Is imperative upon NE 10 say that, though
sym{a: Llzu deeply with the lumane moti7Is
) urcH which Gen. Dix is seeking to act, do
; a;ot cc1cuT in any way or to ans degrse in the
plan proposed. Thsse same motives OF hu-
| 11an;ty led me in different digrclion, and
10 point Where il general, a5 souul reason-
irg tthc1atE, and even In particuiar Casa, Is
; the caee in question 1uakes manifest, fad
tlat tic t.ue interests Of the Afric1n ard s ,X-
Oh are inter sovep, and their rights colse!t-
tvs: 1hey sre Identical so th1t the assertion
sHa maintenance ct the one become the salv!.-
} lien oi the oth=r, Ii, indeed, it ia true thai
+ 1eh'1 horiles are crllieg their traitarous
: let 81 tor deadly tpriug upon Fortress Non
I roe, and that rebtl iron clads are coming
: down The river; and if it be true tha: the
Unior forces to oppose the threatened assault
arc interior to the forces trat menace them,
I thin by listcEiig to your proposals shoaid
deprive the band Of hrroea now under com
7: m:nd Of Gen. Dix, and steadily awaiting the
/. storm, Of the s'rengrh of Eundred Of stout
3 arnis which would be pervtd 1lIh the desper
4 alton OF meH lighting for iiosrty, and I should
! deprive This sl.ndersd race OF the praise ant
. CT tie education ct iteir manhood to bs nc
: qu;red il Il bold struggle fcr tueir deaSe,
i rIghts- Hvfe Pfovi1tuee has given to tn.n
: cbalce 0 co;p;lete thrir emancipation fsjn
q slave rysby q victory over prejudice; aud it il
sje1ihG,lt that ii do ans rhih;. to deny then
/ z!a, c:rnce, by 1ae sanns acs may l.io!5 in
jure the c~u== # th: T;s:on arms. canno
|. bring E;yself TO do ANYTHING TO take away iron
. s1ae coIui15ald nn4.er Gen. Dix this great re
d fe1yed 4 rce. as kuo>f you would nad i.
Is yen would or1s .:t il. Kyoa are attacked ls
% t tie blseks Usht to preserve 1hsis frsedo:n
~ THY arE ne: deJ If hing could a.rengt
IS III ll5 previous oIinis:s on this psta*, i
Is wcuEd be just such 1acss Us you narrase i
m your ttttr, 1t t1= uegrars have wives ana crl
p, den to Ii .al for III addit,oa to their f:esioI
~ they wiI not SLOW themselves iuseas:bis t
hs | The motives Which Eave Inspired al os:lt
races. Il is one Of their rights to strsk2 f
their t-ares1 ntker rights, as VI races nav
done. should Hsleome crerJ blow of iheit
4, 9l;eh might At 1nce carry succor to patrIo
death to = traitor, cs:ntusion To ti.+Ir elaade
a eIs, rsnewed lie to their OWL vcias, aad ii
81 tory to our flag
= Contemplating, however, the possibility
lis their 1.ut'vsi, permit ne to say shat tt
be Northern SEites are, Of all places. The Hor
POSSIBLE to select ior -, asylum. These po1
people, a1icat upon tie @orld, are inhabitan
is' If a Southern climate, and have habits, 81
he are SUBJECT to to needs and t. Pecuiiar;t.es
physical constitution ecc,rdiuEl3- Wner
then is the produce or The hunaatty Of sn
| jtcting them ct once 10 the r7gors OF Q
~, NtrLbe1n sky, in the winter seasou, With t
1uorel certainty Of iul:c.!ng extreme shi1'
90 ing, resulting probably in c,s:ase and deas
the It this removal is definitely determined upo
TIA HOH1H lAhls ADtIt9 tOA @uSACa1'st1 AL 1
-, asylum, some Uaion ioo1hold in thu 5outi
'ol as Hilton Head--where they could retain III
End health, be trained ms eOidiers, and their Ian
ov- be rendered cconotnica:ls available For Jst
a=e TO come here for tnc7mpment Or asylt
- | would he to come as paupirs 6nd satfsr
NY into strange land and climate trying eE
eyi- to its labtues. as swarm OF homeless II
less dirrs, migrating without purpose, aad !
.za to the wilderness where the strong arm w0
aho suffice fer maintenance. but to busy &C
4hsaty Ts7R1
lder ee1l-be1p--a course certain to denoEll
n-a. themselves and endanger others. Such
~ ~, event would be handle to all traitors and
lets all persons evi)lS disposed. We should
very told that the experiment had been trisd
, do had failed; that The negroes we're PRO
x.. worthless and incapable OF taxing care Of til
5ea- selves, when the truth would DC that We
cks, pursued the plan most eniucntly calcula
ded, TO disable aud corrupt then- I meet =
ome pleasure the motives Of humanity which b
dictated Jour proposed plan; out from
nade very same feelings must consider the !
:, bF mistaken It is precisely because do
opIe wish the negroes 10 suffer; precisely bec1
COT as;eh;,,f1 s,reo;sa1v hac,usa d. n1t
tai their freedom to become license, corrup
d in and iEfamy, that I respectfully decline to
iers' or eourtenanee your plan for their transp
alton 10 The North.
Inaemueh as the letter Of Maj u General
corn is accompanied by cry OF letter iron
'hese var department grautivg permission to
~, - respond concerning the plaa proposed, I
~ = it incumbent up7n NE TO STATE taat
more since receiving yeur letters, conferred
the the teFartmen upon this subject, and !
sncn su,e that there ID not any difference OF Cpl
80 between the department. aud myself thect
is'cn- ror do find there the existence Ut any
the aFprentpsioDs regarding The satety OF
7iuz D,S's position al you seem to entertain.
rarn. on. .ht to add that, even were mg =
cosnc1d Mt With your own, uuder the
error ab.ciu ely rnwerless IN my official cap
l5ht to promote them. .-.. :,
this j lba.e the honor to be, vary respect
/, 49, your cbe6ient evrvant. JouS a. ASnRE
LIE Governor Of Massacaus= It
e the
: is The Co11traband Trade with r
t ten inona.
f,aa | Washington Cor Of the Missouri Repu3l
tha~ In the past ten days not less shan ten
; 'nee 1idnals have arrived 1r1m Richmond wht
many ENGAGED in smuggling goods from this
Gle OF and Baltimore to rebeidom. Tue facilssJ
| 60 aNn nn&vN AEn