Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-09-03
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
DISPOSITION or TIE coNTRABANDs.

Adjr,aut General LORENZO THOMAS, who recently ieit
this city The duty assigned 10 him OF organizing
negro soldiers the Southw has promulgated another
order relation TO the disposition OF the conrabahd'
within the lines Of the Union armies By his ORDER "nch
we copy below it will be seen that all the abebodied
males are be mpresseda soldiers into some ehsng
or new regiment and that tho system of receiving all
negroes who msy sought the protection OF our Gov
ernment and allowing them many instances to remain
in state of almost inactivity is discarded because
it has become apparent that that system ia at times not
only injurious the interests Of the service, but to the
welfare Of the negroes Themselves. Hereafter only ne
proas who incapacitaed for labor by old age or III
health will be provided for in contraband camps All wo-
and children Of nfgro descent who may hereafter De
o seeking refuge within the lines oi the United
states troops are advised to remain the plantations
ess where where they have heretofore been in state Of
erstude provided such pacs be under the conr of the
Fede, al troops All such negroes promised the pro
lection of the Government while they remain in the oca
tons designated aud whilst remaining they are to be
employed at wages B such persons shall be authorized
to occupy the plantations ether places where they are
Here is the Special Order No As" making known the
adoption Of this policy:
"VicksBuRG (MIss) AUGUST l5 1868.
Under instructions from the Secretary Of War The IN
derspusd rrLy his return o this region o
the country purpose at continuing the oiganz
into the military service Of the United States OF all able
bodied male persnns Of African descent wh" may come
within eur nes who may be brought III by our troops
or who may already have placed themselves under the pro-
lection he eral Government; also to take such
may prove most benehciai or Tue welfare OF
all Women children, aged and niirm persons of African
who may have sought refuge within our ies or
who may hereafter do SO.
In uure all ablehodied male negroes of the above
cass win ut be organized by such officers us may be
detailed for that duty the military service cf the Uni
led stster when they wl be assigned to regiments com
posed persons of African desct ut now IN process t
formation to be- formed hereafter
1T has become apparent that the sysem Of receiving
all negroes who may have sought the protection oi our
Government aud allowing them IN many instances 10 re-
main in state of almost inactivity has become a. times
not only furious the interests Of the service but 10 the
welfare Of the themselves resulting I'D haots Vi
idlene-s sit knes 81, ,-and disease
ia further considered eXpedieDt that all children and
females Of negro descent who may hereafter De desrnus
OF seeking refuge within the lines o the United States
troops be advised remain the plantations or else
where where they have heretofore been IN state o serv
tude provided such place be under the control OF the te
dera troops All such viii receive the protection
of this Cove While they remain in the locations that
may dasi snatrd and al such persons as may De al-
tbozed to lccupy plantations other places will be per-
mtd t. npioy these females aud children III any caPa
city most suited to their ability
All male negroes who incapactated ny Old age,
ilGealth any other respect from serving IN reg-
nnents of African descent will be duy cared Tor and as
signed a. heretofore the nearest camp for such persons
BY order of the Secretary of War;
IL. THOMAS, Atutant General"
correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette who dates
his letter at Ycksburg the goth Of August and who
communicates foregoing order aludes to some OF tue
natural obstacles which stand in the way Of Gen Ihcmass
enterprise According to this writer who is evidently
well informed on the subjects Of which be speaks
Gen Thomss has been chiefly occupied since his late
arrival at yick sburg with reviewing the work done in his
and making for active operations The
duty l providing for cOnbasns the most arduous
and perplexing he will have to perform very small
proportion Of the ccntrabands is fit for military service
The women and children have to be collected camps and
taken care of In these camps they scken and die
fast for they will not take of each other Ihe nnu
ence of slavery nowhere more clearly seen than IN Inc
utter absence among the of all ideas OF social az
domestic duties Among thousand whites there will be
perhsIs one hundred aud fifty fit for military service, as
many able to support themselves and families aud the re-
nauder mostly dependent. To provide support for chill
dreu and for the aged aud nfrm sacred duty which,
in cases of extreme poverty is always observed IN civil
lied society But the education Of the slaves has not
taught them the existence Of such duties With them
each human being simply an item OF expense to their
master Raiions are attributed to each individual ss
forage is TO Lores The master the owner cares Tor all
No one the slaves supposed TO have any individual re-
sponsbItee The parent does not support bis Children
nor the child bis aged parents Whether they live or die
is simply question Of the interest or the humanity OF the
master.
way can be otherwise than purely selfish when they be-
come free Very many Of the contrabands refuse to work
at all Their only idea Of freedom is the advantages they
expect 10 derive from their escape from slavery to the
privilege Of luxuriang in ldeness Those that have as
pired to the true idea Of reedomindividua develop
meut-thnk solely Of themselves They have no care or
biy Tor others The duties devolved upon the
people Of the North aud the conquest Of the rebels to
care for and educate this unfortunate race which hos
suffered not for it's but for those Of athers
and which danger Of being ground to powder between
the upper milestone Of free society and the neither Of slave
society.
I'VE cannot decide at the policy to be pursued.
The whole subject and vast that experif
alone guide One thing appears quite clear the
recommendation Of Gen. Thomas that all negroes should
be advised to Remain plantations where they have been
rssed should be observed far possible. Efectusl
will be devised o protect all who willing to
keep their negroes pay 10 such worth pay
ng and provide in equitable for those who
cannot their living great many planters accept
ing without discussion the fact that rlaery is abolished
have already commenced operations on this basis and
where kind and just undertake to carry cut the
scheme the results will be beneficial But must recol
lect that the speculators The cruel aud harsh slave
holders and the secesonss will take every advantage Of
deceive the Government The only alternatives 10 some
scheme Of this sort system Of gradual emancipation
aud system "f apprenticeship Ether is liable to great