Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1862-04-17
ICOMMUNICATED.1

[CoMMUNICATEp.
Mr.. EDITOR: There is no man in South rn
Maryland as you are aware, who stands more
flrmy by the Government of the United States
than l, or whose antecelents cou,l possibly ill.,
d'cate more loyalty than mine. There are but
lew who have incurred more odium e,el for
devotion to the Union. than myself But when
see the flag that | always regarded as a sym
Dol of protection to American citizens furnished
and degraded, by having committed under it's
folds gross outragcs upon the rights of property
and the persons Of quiet citizens, feel it to Ge
my duty, as a Union man. to demonstrate at
least against such atrocities.
| am STAKEHOLDER and look upon my negro
as my property, as much so as any species of
property around me.
Inc existence OF property in slaves is reco.-
nlzed by the Constitution in allowing Congress
to pass laws for the return of fugitves fir, m
service: it has always been recognized as such
by the Government of the United States: it
Was SO recognized in the treaty of Client, where
the English Government was required to pay
for all negroes taken from their owners in the
war of 1912. The Constitution of MARYLAND
makes it property, and the laws of the State
recognize it as such. We have special enact
| ments against the harboring of runaway slaves
their masters; yet, in violation of our laws and
every principle of honesty, morality, or fair
dealing, negroes are enticed by unprincipled
men into the camps of the military, and when
the master applies for them he is invited within
the lines merely to be insulted and blackguarG-
ed. had never been able to to believe this,
notwithstanding had heard good deal said
about the bad treatment of parties who had
visited some reg iments to reclaim their proper
ty; had too high an opinion of our army to
believe such things would be under any circum-
stances tolerated. But had an ocular demon
stration of the fact a few days ago, and now
have no further doubts upon the subject.
Some of my neghbors in pursuit of their ser
wants obtained an order from Gen. Hooker to
visit his camps. They proceeded to the End
Regiment, Excelsior Brigade and inquired for
the commanding officer; Major Tolen presented
himself the order was handed him; he permit
ted the parties to enter the lines promising
them protection he however peremptorily de-
clined to return this order The finale of this
was, they proceeded to about the centre of tho
regiment, when an officer, whom they took to be
General Sickles, approached, waved his hand to
his men, and Instantly volley of stones were
discharged among them accompanied by fierce
vociferations of blackguardism, when, without
being permitted moments time for delay, they
there were negroes in this camp there is no
doubt, for they were seen fleeing into it from
the woods upon the approach Of those gentle
men. ! was not in the company who were
stoned, but sitting on my horse at the edge of
the lines saw the whole of it.
Instances sometimes occur where negroes
voluntarily return to their homes and give as
an excuse, that they were persuaded and led off
by offers of reward. There are other cases
where they allege that propositions were made
to them of so much a head for all they could
bring into camp. 1 hope this, however, is not
so. The army is not here to destroy, but to
protect. Not to weaken our resources, but to
strengthen us in all the elements of prosperity
consistent with those arrangements of military
necessity, (which must necessarily be resorted
to for the accommodation Of an army
There is not officer tLa-er who does
{ not Know that we are dependent entirely upon
slave labor for the cultivation Of our lands
Deprive us of this even mporariIy-and in
loyal State that gave a majority vote of 81 900
for the present Union Governor-we are more.
seriously desolated than any of those States in
open rebellion against the Government.
Those miserable tools of Wendal Phillips. who
are scattered about in some of the Northern
regiments, and who are tampering with our ne
groes to entice them to leave their own families
and their quiet homes, are by no means actuat-
Ell by feelings of humanity, for then they would
open their arms to receive the women and chill
dren, the old, inirnl and decrepit, and not con-
fine their humanitarian feelings" exclusively to
the young, the stalwart and the active for the
master who had lost his effective bands and had
also lost confidence in the fidelity of the negro
after he had been corrupted by the contact of
the cold-blooded Yankee Abolitionist, and con-
sequently felt as much disgust for the negro
character GS he had fol
Yankee, might say to the first, that had been
left upon his hands, go thy way-"root hog or
die"
! was glad to see, Mr.. Editor, call in your
last paper for a meeting of the citizens of the
county to take action in this matter. The con-
dition of things in Chickamuxen and Naniemoy
are truly distressing. Some persons have lost
all their laboring hands, others feel they have
no security and consequently can make no cal
culation as to the future. Gen. Hooker, who
represents the gentleman well as the soldier,
says no Maryland negro shall leave with his
Division. This is encouraging, to be sure but
with all of Gen. Hooker's sterling honesty and
high-toned feelings, it may be impossible for
him to prevent negro-stealing as long as he has
the material that will do this dirty work in some
Of the regiments attached to his Division
l have always contended, as you are we'll
aware, that the Government had no design upon
the institution of slavery l still believe So
further believe that such position assumed
now by the Government would cause those gall
liant men of the West, who have done the fight
ing and who have planted our flagstaff upon
every conquered fort or embattlemeut that has
yet fallen into the hands of the Federal army,
to ground their arms in disgust and 60 to their
homes. 1t would disband every regiment in
the Border States.
Our negroes, however, are taken from u.s. and
the only course l can see for US to pursue is to
demonstrate with the President of the United
States, and Gen. Hooker who commands this
Division. AS an injured people we have right
to do this If our fields are to 60 uncultivated
and our children are to cry for bread we have
a perfect right to ask and to know of the Pre-
sident whether he is carrying out his first pro-
gramme to put down the rebellion, or whether
the war has degenerated and come down to tho
negro. For the first have always contcnded,