Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-04-16
WHAT SHALL BE DONE FOR THE CONTRA
BANDS ."

readers as follow with accuracy the course OF po-
litical events during the present time that on the
3Oth of last September Major Bodies, of Massachu-
setts then serving on the staff of Gen. Dix, ad-
dressed communication to Governor Andrew, of
Massachusetts, stating that at that date there were
"large numbers Of 'contrabands' in the iinme-
date vicinity Of Fortress Monroe whose prompt
removal from that vicinity aeas very desirable for
reasons both military and humane" In this note
War, under date of September 10th, giving to
Gen. Dix permission to enter into correspondence
(. and tie authority to make all necessary arrange
ments with the Executives of any Northern States
for the purpose indicated. To this was added
letter from Gen. Dix to Gov. Andrew accrcditing
Major Bolles and I" Earnestly pressing" the i'm
portance of Immediately removing the contrabands,
whose safety and freedom were put in jeopardy by
the apprehended progress Of events in the neigh
borhood of Fortress Monroe. In an additional
communication from Major Bolles addressed to the
Governor Of Massachusetts,, under date Of October
9th, the former, after giving further details upon
the matter, added that "ther removal to friendly
and secure neighborhood is an imperative duty"
Thus approached by the proper military autho.
rites and earnestly invoked on the subject in the
name of humanity, Gov. Andrew, it will be re-
membered, declined to give hospitality to these
oolored refugees, who, having escaped from "the
house of bondage" were temporarily sojourning
near Fortress Monroe under circumstances which
rendered them, it was said liable to re-capture and
reinstatement
No one will suspect Gov. Andrew of being ami
mated by any inhumane purpose in thus refusing
to give these poor blacks an asylum on the shores
of Massachusetts,. Nor is he supposed to cherish
any unreasonable prejudice against the African
race because of the color of their skins. The rea.
sons assigned by him for denying to the blacks in
question the privilege of dwelling in Massachu.
sets, and of there enjoying the inalienable rights
of life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"
were based entirely on considerations of their own
personal welfare. To this effect he wrote as TO-.
lows "in declining to aid or countenance" the
plan of Gen. Dix:
Contemplating the possibility of their removal permit
me 10 say that the Northern States are of all places the
wort possible TO select for asylum these poor people,
aAoat upon the world, inhabitants of southern eli
mate and have habits and subject to needs and to
pecularties Of physical constitution accordingly Where,
then the prudence the humanity of subjectng them
at once 10 the rgors Of northern sky in the winter
season with the moral certainty Of mctng extreme suf
ferpg resulting probably in disease and DEATH II their
removal is definitely determined upon, would take the
liberty of suggesting for the asyum some Union oohod
m the South-as Hilton Head-where they could retain
their beah be trained soldiers, aud their labor be
dered economically available For them to come here for
encamp ment or um would be to paupe-s and
sufferers into strange lard aud climate trying 10
its babtues, Of homeless wanderers migrating
without ppose and not to Inc the trong
arm would suffice for maintenance, but to busy COM
mupy where they would be incapable Of selfbelp-a
cause rsze Themselves aud endaDger oners
Such an would be handle to all traitors and to all
oersoas eyy disposed We should be told that the expert
meut had been tried and had failed that the negroes
proved worthless and incapable of taking care OF them
when the truth would be that we hsd pursued the
psn most emnenty calculated to disable and corrupt them
meet with the motives OF humanity which have
dictated your proposed PLAN but from the very same feel
ugs must consider the plan mistaken 1t precisely be-
cause do wish the negroes to suffer- precisely because
would their and children from perishing pre-
csey because do with their freedom to become
to aid or counenance your plan for their transportation to
the Nerth"
When it was recently proposed by one branch
Of the Legislature Of New Jersey to prohibit by
law the importation or influx Of blacks into that
ssste the measure encountered the vehement op-
position Of a few presses in New York, which de-
nounced it as "barbarous and inhuman." The
measure was ultimately dropped and failed t, be-
come law.
It occurred to US at the time that these re-
proacbes were exceedingly maladroit in point OF
form and unjust in point Of substance il there be
any truth in what Gov. Andrew says when he rep
rsents that the Northern States are, Of all places
~. worst possible to select for asylum" in the
;n,er vt OF black men, Why should this be true
90 M... ~ehusetts and not Of New Jersey2 Or why
!. !. ;rbn ,as1 snd bsrbarous to do by statute in
Nov Jersey what The Governor Of Massachusetts
NAV wisely an piosay do BY his own executive
,u,bo,;,v? If it was prudent in Coy. Andrew to
nro,es, against q co use certain to demoralize the
blacks themselves aud to endapger Others" was it
criminal in branch Of the Legislative Assembly
Of New Jersey to manifest the same degree Of this
two-fold solicitude2
We have required 10 this subject because the
disposition that shall be made OF the refugee
blacks" who come within the lines Of our army, and
thence escape into this District or the Non-save-
holding States, is question at once OF humanity
and political economy which cannot be avoided
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