The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-04-24
I, II mite timc, Mr.. President, that

some definite policy should be established
for the treatment Of escaped slaves; and
am OF the opinion that Congress has
been grossly derelict in permitting the evil
to go so long unfegulated and unchecked
We have almost as many diverse systems
of dealing with this class Of persons as we
We military departments. In one mil
itary district fugitive slaves have been
pursued, logged, and returned to their
masters by our army; in another they
have been simply pursued and returned
Without Jogging; 10 another they have been
pursued and shot in the attempt to return
them in another they have been termed
"contraband" and received within our
lines in the mixed character OF persons
and property. In the absence of any au
thoritative declaration OF Congress, none
of these modes may be held to BE- ia con-
fict with law other than the law Of COM
mon sense and common deceney.
1t IL obvious that the article of War
which have quoted does net meet the
case presented by Major Gen. Halleck in
his order No. 3. That celebrated mani.
festo declares in substance that all per,
sons from the enemy's country shall be
excluded from our lines. The plain pur-
pose Of this order is to prohibit fugitive
slaves from escaping. from the rebellious
districts, and thereby securing their free
dom. 1t was doubtless competent for
Gen. Halleck to issue such an order, and
it is equally competent for Congress, which
has made and continues to make articles
Of war for the government Of the Army
and Navy. to eountermand it. Aud, sir,
it ought to be countermanded. will not
pause to discuss the humanitarian features
Of the question. Public policy, no less
than popular feeling, demands that order
No. 5 be forever erased. There never
was war waged in the history of the
world where the means of acquiring infor-
nation of the enemy's position and mum.
bers from people in his own midst was
more ample than here, and there never
was one where the commanding officers
have suffered more from lack Of such in
formation. Order No. proposes to in
corporate the fatuity and blindness which
remained unwritten in other military de-
partments into historical record and pub
lie advertisement 1t proposes to warn
all persons against bringing informant on
oftae enemy's movement to our camps
under penalty Of being turned back to re-
ceiYe such punishment as the enemy
may choose to infict for betraying them.
or for running away and betraying com
bined. No organization of secret service
can meet all the requirements of an army
operating in an enemy's country unless
aided by some portion of the inhabitants
of the country. What folly, then, to
wall out and rcpel the very inhabitants
who might bring us the information we
most needed, and who have everywhere
shown an eagerness to do SO.
1t ID the undoubted right and the duty
Of every nation. when engaged in right
eous war--and no other than righteous
war is justi6able ut ALTO avail itself Of
every legitimate means known to civilized
warfare 20 overcome the enemies. What
will be thought by posterity of this ma
tion, it, in the present emergency, We not
only fail TO employ the agencies which
Providence seems to have placed at our
disposal, but actually seek every oppor-
tunity to exasperate and drive from our
support those who are anxious to serve
usl Were the Russian mobiles now en-
gagged in rebellion against their Govern
meut, would We not regard their emperor
as guilty OF the greatest folly if he not
only declined to enlist the serfs of his en-
pire to aid in suppressing the instruction.
but repelled them from his service and
allowed his generals to return them to his
rebellious mobiles, to be used by them in
overthrowing his authority And can any
one tell me the difference between the
case have put and our owny
The whole history of the world does
not exhibit a nation guilty of such ex-
tremc faulty as has remarked the con.
duct OF our Government in its treatment
OF the colored population since the pre- sent
war began. 1t seems to be impossible to
convince ourselves that scar, with all Of
lu attendant responsibilities and calami
ties, really exists, and that future gen.
erations will not hold those guiltless who
refuse to use any Of the means which God
has placed in their hands to bring it to
speedy and successful termination. His
tory will pronounce those men criminal
who, In this crisis Of the nations fate.
consult the prejudices of caste or color,
and regard the interests Of property Of
paramount importance to the unity Of the
nation.
Il is useless to attempt to blink out Of
sight the great issues before US; issues
that must be settled. and settled By us. 1t
were wise and more manly to meet them
squarely and at once. We are in the
midst OF the greatest revolution that ever
occurred in ancient or modern times. Such
armiesas are now marshaled in hostile ar
ray on this continent,in point Of numbers,
ouuiDmenf and az naneo h. o. ka. h;.l