Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-20
Murtester 4ailg Spp.
THE DAILY SPY.
NEWS FROM THE WAR.

secret meeting of Shareholders held recently
in that city to consider the present condition
of the institution, and devise some scheme for
making runaway slaves go back to the planta-
tions and work. He says
''The room in which the meeting was held
was arranged for the accommodation Of forty
persons, and nearly every seat was filed
More than thirty planters were present. One
could recognize them, as they pOstured in
groups around the stories of the st. Charles,
by their manner and appearance, which were
quite different from those of the Yankees,
who have now pretty full possession of that
hotel. They are generally men of swarthy
hue, and there is about them an indeScribable
something which says 81 am a Louisiana plan
tor" just as plain you can print it. The
landlord knew them; the walters knew them;
L knew them, although had never seen one
OF their faces before and it did not require an
introduction to distinguish every one Of them
in the crowd. You could no more mistake
them for Yankees than you could mistake
Frenchman for an Engshman.
''Ihey represented two classes Of slave
hoders-those whose slaves have been de-
clared to be free by the proclamation of JAN
uary l, and those who live in the parishes
which have been excepted from the effects of
gathering, stated in the fewest words, was
this how to make the nggers work. The
meeting represented over fifty millions of
properly. Among those who attended it was
Mr.. Tobias Gibson of Bayou Black, who is
reputed to be worth the handsome sum OF two
and half millions There was also Mr.. Fo-
ley, worth million and half and Mr.. Walk
er also, another millionaire. Some of them
were registered enemies of the United States.
DIR. Perkins of Baton Rouge was also pres
ent The doctor recently thought he was
rich man, and so his neighbors thought; but
since the occupation of Baton Rouge by the
Union forces no small portion of his property
has taken to itself legs and run away. He has
in fact lost more than two hundred slaves;
and two hundred slaves, before the south got
up the rebellion, were equal to about $780,
000. The doctor, having seen these black
treasures slip through his fingers, not one by
one, but in squads of tens and twentes, natu-
rally enough became anxious; and so he
came down to the shareholders meeting to see
what could be done about it. The parish of
Baton Rouge, it should be borne in mind has
not been excepted from the effects of the pro-
clamation of freedom to the slaves; and UNI
der that edict the doctors slaves are all free.
1t is difficult, therefore, to see how he ex-
poets to recover his departed Africans. New
ertheesS he was on hand to discuss the ques
ton with his fellow sufferers.
DIR. Knapp, gentleman who owns large
plantation, was prominent in the meeting, and
was called to the chair. The doctor recently
had some northern visitors at his place, and,
in order to show them how happy his slaves
were, ordered one of them to sing, where
upon the fellow struck up the Old John
Brown song, more to the amusement Of the
guests than of the host. The meeting was
rather inf orpnoI and Snnlsn his ind
freely. Gen. Banks order was denounced as
a violation of the presidents promise that the
people of districts represented in congress
should be protected in their right of property
in slaves The meeting was unanimous III
the opinion that Gen. Banks ought to compel
the slaves to work upon the plantations of
their owners.
"'What good is our property to u.s., it was
asked, so long as the slaves are allowed to
work or not, just as they please?' 1t was said
that Cen Banks offered the planters no equi-
valent for their loyalty unless he would con-
sent to keep their slaves at work for them.
A committee of three was appointed to wait
upon the general and confer with him, in the
hope OF hitting upon some plan which would
be satistactoryto all parties.
The result of the interview was laid before
another meeting Thursday also held in
the parlor OF the St. Charles Hotel. The COM
mlttee reported that General Banks had pro-
posed that the slave owners should pay their
slaves each two dollars per month, in addition
to their keeping and clothing, or that one
twentieth of the proceeds of their plantations
should be paid over to the negroes instead of
any stipulated sum. The proposition was de-
nOunced in the most violent terms. The slave
holders did not recognize the right of the gov
eminent to compel them to pay their slaves
TOR labor and were all of opinion that it was
the duty of the government to compel them to
work without wages. The general sentiment
was that such a proposition could not be sub
mitted to, and it was proposed to adopt an adj
dress to the president, and series of resolu-
tions, setting forth the grievances of the slave
owners, and forward the same to Washing
ton. Finally the meeting adjourned until
Friday evening, without coming to any def
mite result.
son Friday evening it was decided that
compensation should he given for the labor of
the slaves, and this as matter of policy.
And this appears to be about the upshot OF the
business"
ABOUT CoPPERHEAD NEWSPAPER.
letter from Cairo has the following in re-
gard to the Chicago Times, which is now
generally cursed and outlawed by our western
soldiers Ito the great joy of loyal men
through the west and in the army, General
Hurlbut has at last forbidden the circulation
of the Chicago Times within any post uuder
his command; and as Gen. Hamilton has en-
dorsed the order, it also will be SUPPRESSED in
this depaI tment, which includes Cairo. Cane
Girarreau, Columbus and Paducah. new
fact with reference to this paper has come to
light recently, which is it has been furnished
to subscribers in the rebel army. A bundle
of papers, say fifty, would be thrown off at
the river towns, the secesh agent would re-
ceive them, and then watch his chance to
smuggle them through to the regular rebel
mail carriers. The Cincinnati Enquirer is
circulated in the same way; so also is the
New York Herald. The number of copies of
the Times, which have been sent south, may
be gathered from the fact that one news deal
er in this place has daily received fifteen hum
dred copies.
81 notice that the Times, in speaking of its
suppression, says if it had been guilty of trea-
son it ought to be prosecuted, and it invites
prosecution. Certainly there is at least one
Union man in Chicago who will do the coun-
try service by accepting the invitation 1t
is disgrace and a burning shame that it was
not done long ago. Not only has the Times
been deeply taaitorous, but frequently it has
given intelligence of important matters which
was untrue. For instance, it stated a few
days ago that Gen. j. A. Logan refused to
leave Memphis for Vicksburg with his con,-