Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-03-04
Gen. Mansfield on the War.

! O6Ui lAelAGl4oA'A Oli CLlC w al
Correspolcnce Of the New York Tribune
NrwoRr News, Va, Feb. 0, 1862
The gods 5. chastse us for neglecting Dc.
eember aa --riir--ran--unti one would
expect that D.uge No. , was upon us, were it
not for the 81 dy, stately flow Of the noble
James river, inch shows that the fountains Of
the deep are opened yet
told You I'D, | would write you On the
Contrabaud jet These poor refugees are
ut present" 10 the Trying pan out OF the fire y
only They YORK hard aud get no pay. They
came to be frcnen, and we hold them slaves
slaves Of the ,1lted States
The Generain command Of the department
sent down to lIcct the money these poor fellows
had earned he3 and Gen. Mansfield, L. S. A.,
resisted, on I'll ground that they were neither
slaves nor c0nraband OF war
\ commissn was therefore appointed to in
quire into the natter, and be wrote them his
views IN letr copy Of which | enclose. 1t
disposes Of tb.wholc matter most ably and con-
clusyely. Ii was bomb-shel thrown into
highly consecutive Fortress Monroe bomb.
shell from bltery served by a brigadier-gen-
eral OF the regular army.
CAAp Bull NEWPORT News Va, Feb. g.
To the Commission, Cot. Cram, lieut. Coi
Cannon, al MAJOR Joaes appointed per-
General OrorS No 5, from headquarters De-
pariment Of 'Uginia, 70 impure INTO The con-
dltion of cerHH cOHtrSbands:
GENTLEMEN BY invitation Of II member of
the Commssl0r take the liberty to express to
the Commission my views on the subject of the
contraband negoes, 50 called. These can be d.
yided into four classes
LIST, Those abandoned BY their Rebel owners,
aud compelled % ask for work and support.
>. Those vii. have run away from their own
ers. the Rebes. 10 obtain their freedom from
control
I'd, Those wJ have been put at work by
their Rebel matars on the Qualifications, sc.
70 resist the Government, and have made their
escape.
4th Free neroes who seek work for a support
The question now arises as TO these negroes
Is the United States bound to hold them as
slaves, add deprive them oi their right % %
where they pIast? lt is clear thai taey are
not prisoners var, lor they have never been
found ia arms. md have made their escape to
avoid taking PIT against the United States, or
have been abaaoucd TO the Unlted States, us
the rebels hgyea94ud1nel lands, houses, cittlt,
&c, ana are human beings east on thl world
with nothing BIO thoir hands to obtain llye.i
mood. S0me'o .Jem having worked on rebel
lortlicat1ns! g., are released (uudcr Tie 4th
Section vt tllf ct Of Congress OF the 9th Au.
gust, 1861, % eui!5cat2 property from further
service to their nasJers-and 10 such eases what
Is their p0sin Nhy, simply that OF any
person IL - dutry released by law from toe
payment of a~oblgatiOn--a free person.
All these negroes with Che exception Of The
fourth cass are, or have been claimad ~ prop
erty by lhe very rebels who have taken up arms
against the United States, and are lawful plum
der, j property Bat they are not property,
but pe'sons held 10 labor under the Constitution
in certain States, and nowhere else and are
not bound or held 10 labor Tor the United States,
consequently they are not slaves to the United
States 1t IL clear the condition OF slaves with
them WAS cJexlstant with the obligations Of the
Confederate Slave States TO the Constitution
and laws Of the United States, against winch
they are 10 open armed rebellion.
Now wha. are these negroes Are they not
freemen by this state OF rebellion? By the act
Of Secession, the Confederate States have volun-
tarily broken the Constitution and laws OF the
Unl0n, and have taken up arms against that
Constitution and those laws and the United
States are Thereby absolyed from the enforce
pent Of the iuguitiye slave law, even il 50 ab.
surd a claim were put forth If this statement
be trnc they are enti,led as aborers to all the
wages they can earn, and TO 90 where they
please, and would recommend that all their
earnings be paid to them while in the United
States employ, and that all officers and all Others
who employ them in this departmeutbe required
to pay them Just compensation, and that they
be allowed to improve their condition il oppor.
tunity should admit
You are at liberty to use this letter as you
please.
am gentlemen, very respectfully your ODE
dent s.rvant.
MANSFIELD, BRIG. GEN. t. S. A.