The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-12-22


Aessrs. ". a. Foster 4 Co.:
have read the appeal of His Honor, the
Mayor and twenty-one more Of our fellow
citizens for aid in behalf of the liberated negro
families of the Mississippi valley. They GER
tsinly stand among the most respectable Of
our towns-men, most of them having held in
the past or now hold in fact important
official or ecclesiastical positions. To the sub
stance of their appeal heartily respond.
certainly hope that Portland will do some
thing substantial, not as a matter of charity,
but as debt we owe to these'people, and to
furnish them temporary relief in their present
condition.
1t was my misfortune to be deprived Of the
pleasure OF hearing Mr.. Fisher. But we can
all readily understand that great suffering
must follow in the region Of the armies, and
wherever they move, destroying houses, de-
stroying the growing crops and all other
kinds OF property. In addition to this we
know that the traitors have treated all Union
men In the slave states with extreme cruelty
wherever they have had the power; and that
their iendishspirit has been especially directed
to those slaves who have made efforts to reach
the Union lines. The mildest treatment has
been to shoot them.
In the early part Of the war one Of our
Generals issued proclamation to the slave
holding rebels, declaring that he did not come
among them TO interfere with their slaves, and
using this expression: ave are ohristians as
,ceu as you." The christianity of slave
holder does not induce him to shoot slaves, SO
long as he can compel them to stay with him
and work without wages. But if the slave
refuses 10 do that, his christianity permits him
to use any instruments of torture or to burn
his victim at the stake, and to exult in his
barbarism.
Take into account the fact, that according
TO the usages In the south, the slaves can own
no property, not even the food they eat, nor
the clothes upon their backs; and that by
slavehnnters they have been prosecuted for
stealing their cheap and scanty wearing APP
parel, VIC can easily see that they must have
been brought into e new and unhappy condi-
ton in many instances by the liberating pro-
cess Of the war There must be danger that
many of them will perish with cold and hun
ger, unless they have relief and that imme.
dately.
In view of these temporary sufferings, the
copperheads have affected TO be greatly dis
tressed, and are very anxious to prevent the
liberation Of any more, and TO thrust the
freedmen back into bondage to the traitors,
there for themselves and in their posterity to
suffer the horrors of eternal slavery. They
who never sympathized with these freedmen
while they were slaves, are overwhelmed with
sorrow TO have them endure the temporary
walton TO manhood!
These same coppeiheads are also exceed
ingly moved at the sufferings, of the Union
men of the rebellious states, and in order to
remove their su1erings propose that our Gov
eminent should SO far recognize the rebel gov
ernments as to open negotiations with them
for peace, to the end that the ringleading
traitors may once more be recognized as the
lawful governors in those states, and have full
power to relieve those prosecuted Union men,
or hang them, according to their own good will
and pleasure!
Let II be fully unders TODD, that / will not
advance a cent TO relieve these freedmen and
women, because believe the new and un-
happy condition into which they have been
brought by the war, is more distressing than
that from which they have been delivered.
Not l. In my judgment the crushing severity
OF the despotism over them for one day, has
been greater than any Of our forefathers suf-
fered from the tyranny of the Georges of
England before the revolution,in whole life
time This war has put an end to the delu-
sion that the slaves do not want their liberty,
and that they will aght for their masters. Un-
less they are returned again to bondage, the
worst that can befall them now, will be death
from cold or hunger. In view of the posi-
bility of that severe alternative, no doubt
every one Of them, Of the age of discretion,
with the great American Orator, would shout
with all his might: "Give me liberty, or give
me DEATH"
What do,wil not be done because believe
the present unhappy condition OF those freed
htCu duh nOuAou udS bCtH m1uc huict W buCii
deliyerance under the war power; but to pay
them for their long endurance of incompara-
bly, greater sufierlngs in the past; to make
some compensation for the services of their
warriors who are nobly lighting ow battles;
and TO relieve them from their momentary
distress. We raise money to supply the faml-
lies Of our white soldiers in the army, and do
not call 1t gift, but debt. Whylshould not
We do the same for the families OF the freed
men?
They will probably prove the best soldiers
We shall have, on account OF their greater
aptitude for the climate, where the scenes OF
warfare are situated Moreover they win be
peculiarly liable to hardshlps on aeecun. OF
the barbarlsm Of the slaveholdlng traitors into
whose hands they are liable to fall.