The New York herald., 1862-11-01
ABOLITION PHILANTHROPY Pur TO TIE TEsr.-

ABOLITION PHILANTHROPY PUr TO THE TEST-
For some time past t99s sso77SSgn%snt ss7Ssnt has been
seriously embarrassed to know what to do with
the large number of coptrabands who are accu.
mulating on its hands AT New Orleans Gen
Butler has more negroes to feed than he has
soldiers, and at Hilton Head and other points
occupied by our troops the difficulty of pro-
viding for them, if not quite az great, is con-
stantly on. the lnoreasa Although some can be
employed in the construction of Notifications,
or as servants or nurses, there is limit to these
occupations, and large number have nothing
to do but to live and fatten on the bounty of
the government. In addition to these able
bodied idlers, large proportion of the contra
bands who come within our lines is composed
of women and children, who cannot be put by
the military authorities to work of any kind.
These have all to be fed and clothed. and It
may readily be imagined what q source Of per-
plexity and anxiety they prove to a govern
ment which finds it difficult, through bad man.
agement or otherwise, to provide for the neces-
stiles of its own soldiers. And then what
prospect it offers in the future Their number
is increasing so rapidly that it will soon surpass
the aggregate Of the troops that we have in the
field. If to feed and clothe an army Of one
hundred thousand men it takes, as is calculated,
$4,000 900 annually we may have an idea
of what it will cost to support the enormous
number Of coutrabands that the government
will, by and by, have on its hands. And as
we have just shown, about two-thirds Of them
will be a dead weight from the impossibility Of
finding them employment
The problem involved in the question Of their
support has, as it may be supposed, preoccu-
pied tho minds Of all real friends of the negro,
and more particularly of the heads of the army.
1t has been thought by some that in Massachu
setts, Vermont and other States, where so much
sympathy has been lavished on him, and
where abolition has found its most Jealous par
tisans, some temporary disposition might be
made of such Of these contrabands as are use-
less for military purposes, until Congress could
devise some permanent provision for them.
Surely, 10 was argued, the heads of families in
the States which had distinguished themselves
by their theoretical philanthropy would en-
brace with eagerness this opportunity of prov.
ing their sincerity to the world by taking them
in as nurses, as servants, or even as pension
ers, until they could be otherwise dis
posed Of Impressed with this belief,
Major Boles, Of General Dixs staff, wrote to
Governor Andrew, asking him to provide an
asylum for them In Massachusetts until the
government could colonize them. What do
our readers suppose was the Governors reply :
He promptly and decidedly declared his dis
appreciation Of the whole scheme, adding that
the contrabands were not wanted in Massachu-
setts, and that they are or soon will be wanted
elsewhere. This is Instructive, and should
open the eyes, If anything will, Of those
who support the radicals in the belief thai
they represent and are fsh.;nc for . r-.n
oipls, The moment that their philsnthropicsl
professions in behalf Of the negro are put to
the test, they show tfst they are nothing but
rank hypocrisy, and that they care for him only
as . stepping stone to power and asa means
Of slevating themselves at the expense Of the
country.