Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-11-26

~ uoA RhiinnsnroPs
Manv Of our readers will recollect that some
time since Mrs. FRANcKs d. GAGE, sometimes
called "Aun. Fanny" went down to Port
Royal, South Carolina, on cOntraband mis-
sIon 10 a recent letter to the New York
Tribune, she says: t5l
Saturday night, November 8, the Darlington
brought 10 Beaufort one hundred and thirty Of
those who were chattels week ago, from Flor
ida and Georgia. Sunday, the 9Ih, the Beau
de Ford brought In (some say three hundred
others) two hundred and fifty from Georgetown,
8. G. What shall be done with them3 They
have como flying 70 us for protection; they
come poorly clad, most Of them In condition
that renders Immediate aid necessary. NO
homes, no kettles, no pans, no wash tubs, no
beds, no clothes except those that cover the
body to-day. Government will apportlon ra'
tione, and give out blankets and closhing TO o
limited extent (and here let me say that the
Government stores provided for the contrabands
are, 80 far as have been able to observe, kept
for them, and them only, and sold 10 them at
the same prices which were paid for them
year eince, and which Is much less on many ar
ticles than the came can be purchased Tor In
New York now
So 1t seems that the Government ID sort Of
merchant tailor and Is selling blankets and
clothing to the conirabands at less prices than
the same articles can be obtained In New York.
OF course its profits mast be small. But, then,
the poor contraban6s have nothing to pay With,
and go the goods must be sold on credit. Won
der If these slles will increase the credit OF the
Government with Abolition cspitalis.sf And
wonder, also, il the Government would make
sales Of blankets and%clothing to poor white
people on credit
"Aunt Fanny" makes the following appeal
on behalf of the poor suffering eontrabands,
and thus exposes the mock philanthropy OF
come of her Abolition brothers and sisters OF
the North in sending donations of old worn out
shoes, cast-off and worthless fnery, etc.
| Many even on the estates are suffering now
for clothing, because most of the supplies sent
are cotton and light goods, while woolens for
the Southern winter seems absolutely neces-
sity. To ell, therefore, interested In this more
than missionary work, we would earnestly ap.
peal. Send rs all you can spare In the way of
woolene, cots, jackets, shirts, dresses, cast on
garments for children Of all ages and sizes, IL
worth the transportation. Shoes. Oh! the
bare, pinched feet these frosty mornings, and
the shiyering forms of the old, make us cry out
nightly for help In that quarter. But while
we ask for help, we repudiate the old saying,
that "beggars must not be choosere;" and we
implore you, readers Of the Tribune or any
other journal into which the prayer Of the pc.
titiuners may fall, do not send oil your old
shoes. We have cart-load in our store-room
now, which serve no other use than to draw
forth the calculations which We have heard
from the waiting sufferers, "My good God,
Missis, who dem people at de Norf tink gWine
to wear dem old ting2" Utterly worthless are
they except to swell the report OF 30 many
"bsrels or boxes shipped TO Port Royal Tor the
use Of the contrabands We have plenty OF
old bonuets also; bonnets of cause and bonnets
of lace, bonnets glowing with ell the folly Of
cheap flowers or tinsel ribbons, such as might
date their artistic getting-up anterior to the
election of Father Abraham some twenty yeare,
which would be q century Of fashion. Send no
more, for we have barrels madeinto jam already,
not one of which would break one ray Of sun
shine from the bump of parsimonious benevo-
lence that prompted the donor to send them to
South Carolina.
Foolish finery, in utter dilapidation, is another
useless bequest. We have no desire TO develop
In this rich soil any Flora M'Flimseys. They
come up themselves, as naturally as cotton
weed, from the seeds already plentifully streWn
by the mistresses of the South, whose liberty
amounted to nothing more in the eyes Of the
poor Ignorant slaves, than fine clothes, enough
to eat, and idleness.
1t will, we apprehend be found no easy task
to divest the negroes when free Of that inborn
idea of liberty-freedom from work, and fine
clothes, plenty to eat and los of fun. "AuNr
FANNY" closes her letter with the following
paragraph:
All are not alike needy; some escaped with
their own goods, some brought away-more,
perhaps, than belonged to their quarters. 9th
ers have pots and kettles, and wash and cook,
and make money. Nearly every house, shed,
and shelter in Beaufort is full, and the mass
must suffer before Spring If they are not helped.
And it will not be strange If such should turn
with longiHg eyes back to the old plantation,
with its csrtainties, and think il preferable to
the crowded home of freedom, with all its dis
comforts and uncertainties.
There are many poor contrsbands in Ohio
and other States who are turning with longing
eyes to the old plantation, prefering 1t to
starvation and death where they were furnished
plenty and freedom.