The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-26
A Conservative Gun Spiked.

n OVHoNA NhbANb buh y pAhShs
or all the numerous charges made by
the pseudo conservatives against the Adj
naturalization, none has been repeated
with greater gusto than the assertion that
II has squandered millions in taking care
Of few thousand contrabands al the
Port Royal, s. O.. settlement. 1t has been
charged that the President was draining |
the United States Treasury to feed and
olothe few runaway negroes, who were
Of no manner Of service, while our sol
disrs were suffering And from this as
sumed fact was drawn the conclusion
that the whole policy Of the Administra-
ton in reference to the slaves was fool
ish and extravagant, and that it,was i'm
possible TO make the negroes profitable to
the Government.
These charges naturally called forth
resolution from the House Of Representa-
tives, calling upon the Secretary of the
Treasury for information respecting the
expenses for the sustenance Of slaves,
&C, in the Sea Island cotton district Of
South Carolina, from the commencement
Of the rebellion.
From the reply of the Secretary, il APP
pears that there was expended for sgri-
cultural implements, in round numbers,
S77,081; for the purchase of the schoon-
err Flora, S3l,S50; for white labor, $751;
748; for colored labor, 1874, 527 total
expenses, S225,705.
From this expenditure has been real
lied $726,9s4. Deducling the above ex-
penses there remains on hand from this
fund $5O1, 279 This was up to June
last, at which time the business was
transferred 10 the War Department. The
schooner Flora was used for transporting
property TO New York, and for military
operations, and can noic Be sold at an ad-
rance on her cost. q.
The Secretary says that no expenditure
gohatever has been made from, Re Treasury on
account of be cultivdtion Of he plantations,
or he collection Of cotton, or the educational
or bsneroient care. Of The labOrers. The ra-
tiohs furnished by the War Department
were paid for by the use Of the Flora
Moreaan haya million Of dollars 'eas sared
By thSss operations, and is in The hands o
VI the Assistant Treasurer at Neto York.
So il appears from the statement o.
Secretary CHASE that the Administra'
ton has risked nothing at Port Royal for thu
benefit of the negroes, and has cleareC
$501,2 79; and this money is now in tn,
hands Of the Assistant Treasurer of New
York. The conservative organs stated
that the Administration was spending
thousands Of dollars 20 teach negro boy
and girls to sing thesong of JOHN BRowN
but Secretary CHASE says it has spen
nothing for any such purpose. Th
schools, churches, gardens, etc, were tn
result of individual contributions ant
labor entirely. We have made tn
negroes highly profitable to us in prose
cutting the war, and that, too, on tho in
p hospitable soil of South Carolina. Now
are there not other localities along tn
Southern coast, where the services o
slaves can DO made as proltabl
10 our Treasury as at Port Royal
A dozen or so ofposts yielding clear rev
enue TO the Government Of overhaul uil
lion, in less than six months, would b
acceptable, even to conservative, W
would suppose, at least when the Ia
gatherer came around. and it is to
considered too, that in these cases, by a
much as we increase our own revenue, b.
so much do we diminish that of The reb
els; while the relative value of the SUI
taken is far greater TO them than to Vi
The loss Of S5,OOO,0O0 to Richmond
more than the loss of 100000 would
TO Washington Let us reason aboI
these things, as we do about other maj
ters, and not allow ourselves TO be Il
slaves Of prejudice, and ignorance
Just so far as we can make the slaves
:he rebels useful to us in weakening Il
rebellion, or in strengthening ourselves
let US do it, always, without hesitation
or unwise scruples.