Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-08-06


Gen. Hunter, commanding at Hilton
Head, shows himself to be a true soldier in
his disposal of the negro question. He
has written a very interesting letter 70
Rev. DR.. Tying, President Of the Freed
mans Association, In which he explains
the reasons for his course towards the
slaves in his department. Gen. Hunter is
STAKEHOLDER himself and was born and
reared in slave State, and can therefore
claim entire exemption from afRliatiOn
with the much abused 'AbOlitiOnists of
the North, 50 far as political antecedents
are concerned. lie is professional soldier
and expects to spend his life in the Army,
and hence no charges Of looking to pOliti-
cal elevation hereafter can be brought
against him. But as a soldier, with all the
military necessity before him, he looks
upon slavery and the slaves as an element
Of great strength to the rebels The true
policy Of course is to deprive the enemy Of
any and all elements Of strength they may
possess Therefore it is the duty of the
soldier to deprive them of their slaves, and
use them in the service of the Government.
He truly says that nothing can give us
permanent peace but successful prosecu-
tion of the war, with every weapon and
energy at our command. The fOmenting
cause Of. the rebellion must be abated; the
Ak must be laid to the root Of the Upas tree
which has rained down such bitter fruit
upon our country, before anything like n
permanent peace can be justly hoped.
Using thenegroes for digging our entrench-
ments is a step in the right direction,
though far short of what must be the end,
It has the advantage Of making the fur
ther step of arming them necessary, for
men working in the face of the enemy
must have arms with which to protect
themselves if attacked.
A correspondent of the New York Tri-
bune says that the negro regiment al
Hilton Head, was not at first popular there
The cOlOred men, although as well behaved
fellows as could be wished, were insulted
and sometimes struck on their way to theil
daily labor at the wharf, until Gen. Hun
ter directed that no details from the South
Carolina Volunteers should be made fol
that purpose, but that gangs of men from
) the regiments who had abused them should
, take their place. In this energetic way hc
put down ellsuch fraetiOds opposition.
Two paragraphs Of Gen. Hunters letter
: to DR.. Tying are worth consideration. They
are as follows
r' Our people are not dull of comprehen-
} sion in regard to matters about which free
play is given to their common sense. When
a FIRE is spreading through block of hou.
ses, they do not hesitate TO batter down an
intermediate house to save the remainder
of the block. When the plague occupies
an infected district, the district is quaran.
tined and every resource Of science and
industry put forth to rid the locality Of its
presence. The soldiers of health are by
Z no means ordered t. mount guard over
each smitten house and see that the YES
ted interests Of pestilenoe are protected
"Break open doors, if they be not opened, y
is tho order on these occasions. "Let in
fresh air and sunlight let purity replace
corruption
But in presence Of one great evil, which
has SO long brOOded over our country, the
intelligence of large portion of our peo-
pie would seem paralyzed and helpless.
Their moral nerves lie torpid under It's
benumbing shadow. Its breath has been
the pestilence Of the political atmosphere
in which our statesmen have been nur-
I tured; and never, I fear, until its beak is
L dripping with the best blood of the coun try,
and its talOns tangled IN her Vitals, VIII
the free masses of the loyal States be fully
aroused 70 the necessity of abating the
abomination at whatever cost and by
whatever agencies" .E