Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-07-10

the expedition. L ou VIII, however, IN gen. |
eral, avail yourself of the services OF any |
persons, whether fugitives from labor or not,
pho may offer themselves to the National Gov |
ernment. You will employ such persons in
such services as they may be fitted for, either
as ordinary employees, or, if special circum-
stances seem to require it, in any ether ca
pacity, in such organization, in squads, COM
panies, or otherwise, as you may deem most
beneficial to the service. This, however, not
TO mean general arming Of them for militia |
tary serUice. You will assure all loyal mas
ters that Congress will provide just compen-
sation to them tor the loss of the services OF
the persons so employed. 1t is believed that
the course thus indicated will best secure the
substantial rights of loyal masters and the
ben efts to the United States of the services
of all disposed to support the Government,
while it avoids all interference with the social
! systems or local institutions of every State
beyond that which instruction makes una
voidable, and which a restoration OF peaceful
relations to the Union, under the Constitution,
will Immediately remove.
Respectfully, SIMON CAMERON,
.'.fs Secretary OF War"
1t seems that Mr.. Edward L. Pierce,
the special agent appointed by Secretary
Chase to supervise the labors of the blacks
in and about Hilton Head, writes to the
Treasury Department that Gen. Hunter
issued an order " compelling the able bod
led blacks to 90 to Hilton Head on the
l2th, where they were enlisted " against
their oiH" Mr.. Pierce entered Il protest
against the order, deeming it harsh and
unjust, but the civil, being subordinate
to the military power, no further action
could be taken
Thus stands the case upon the facts as
at present developed.
We fail TO discover any such authority
for organizing and armirs fugitive
slaves" or " escaped slaves" in the in
structions of Mr.. C" .merop as is claimed
Oy Gen. Hunter. On the contrary the
INSTRUCTIONS seem to have been drawn with
sPeciai reference to excluding any infer
EN- e lllat such authority was granted. J he
) language is q" This however, not to mean
general arming Of them for military
) sercice." How in view of this explicit
language, Gen. Hunter can claim to have
authority to raise and equip forty-eight
to fifty thousand of these blacks, is be-
yond our comprehension. And we fail to
see, too, by what authority he forces black
; men to enlist. Mr.. Cameron authorized
the employment of such as might " offer y
their services to the National Government.
But while we are of the opinion that
the organization and equipment of negro
regiments by Gen. Hunter has been done
d without warrant of authority from the
War Department, we are as decidedly Of
z the opinion that such authority ought tc
e be given, and that the course pursued by
Gen. Hunter, so far as his Department is
o concerned, is wise and ought to be approx
q ed. 1t is idle to say the negro will not
i make good soldier. The experiment
: has been repeatedly tried. 1t was tried
d during the Revolution; it was tried by
u u Gen. jackson at New Orleans it ha!
/, been tried by the British Government
J and it is being tried successfully anC
rs boastfully too, by the rebels in the pres
ent war. twill soon become a seriou
10 question, as our armies progress and thou
- sands of able bodied negroes are aban
0t doned by their masters and left within tn
,e lines of our occu patton, what shall be don
d with them ? Shall they be sent North
I'd We confess we would not like that disp6
r sition of them. Shall they be driven ou
,e of our lines further into secessiondom ?
- Such policy would be infamously crue
I'd and barbarous. If a planter fees fror
IN South Carolina to Texas, leaving hi
4 slaves behind him, the constitution u
r where requires our armies to carry HI
n. slaves to him, even were he loyal, niue
T. less If he be traitor to the Government
r. What then? Shall they be supported i
ce idleness by the Government No ths
We will not do, Already Mr.. Richardson {
W. Illinois, denounces the Government fc
IL taxing the people for the support of id
fugitive slaves. What possible alte rnativ
is left then, but that seized upon by Ger
ms Hunter? Let them go into the servic
c. of the Government, and pay for thei
r. support. Let them earn their bread b
es the sweat of their brows." Their trainin