Maryland free press., 1863-01-09

inc sisters OF our cltlZenS.
Helpless women have been torn from their
homes and subjected to solitary confinement,
some in forrasses and prisons and one cspec@
tally OH an islam d of barren sand Under /, trop-
cal sun; have been fed with loathsome rations
that had been copdemed as unfit for soldiers,
and have been exposed to the vilest insult:
Prisoners of war, who surrendered to the
naval forces of the United States on agree
ment that they should be released on parole,
have been seized and kept in close confimenti
Repeated pretext have been sought or inyen-
''' Pi"iidcrlnS the inhabitants of the cam
turcd city, by HtI1s IU''o,.
threats of imprsoning recusants at hard labor
with ball and chain. The entire population
of New Orleans have been forced to elect be-
tween starvation by the contiscation of all
their property, and taking an oath against
conscience to bear allegiance TO The invader OF
their country.
Egress from the city has been refused to
those whose fortutide withstood the test, and
even to lone and aged women, and to helpless
children and after being elected from their
homes, and robbed of their property, they have
been left to starve in the streets OF subsist on
charity.
The slaves have been driven from the plan
tations in the neighborhood of New Orleans
until their owners would consent to share their
crops with the Commanding Generals broth
or, Andrew j. Butler, and other officers, and
when such consent had been cxtored the slaves
have been restored to the plantations, and
there compelled to work under the bayoncts of
the guards of United States soldiers. Where
that partnership was refused, armed expcd-
tons have been sent to the plantations to rob
them of everything that was suEctptiblS of
removal.
And even slaves, too aged or infrm for work
have, in spite Of their entreatics, been forced
from tho homes provided by their owners, and
driven to wander hetI1lesssom the highway.
by a recent general orjcr, number 81, the
entire property in that part of Louisiana west
of the Mississippi River, has been sequcstra-
ted for canfiscation, and officers have been as
signed to duty with orders to gather up and
tt'fact the personal property. and turn over to
the proper officers upon their feceipts, such Of
said property as may be required for the use
ol the United States army; to collect together
all the other personal property and bring the
same to New Orleans and cause it to be sold
at public auction to the highest bddcrs-an
order wich; if executed, condemns to punish
ment, by starvation, at least a quarter of
million of human beings, of all ages, sexes aud
conditions and of which the execution. al
though forbidden to military officers by the
orders of President Lincoln is in accordance
with the coniiscation law of our enemies, which
he has effected to be enforced through the
agency of civil officials.
ON THE LIBERATION OF SLAVES.
And, fndlfy, The African slaves have not
only been melted to instruction by every IL
ccnsc and encouragement, but numbers OF them
have actuJlls EccIi afhlcd fora servilc war-a
war in its nature far exceeding the horrors
and mercilcss atrocities of savages
And whereas The officers under command
of the said Butler have been, in many instan-
ccs, active and Jealous agents in the commits
sion of these crimes, and no instance is Known
oithe refusal of any one of them to participate
in the outragcs above narrated:
And whereas, The President of the United
States has, by public and official declarations,
significd not only his approval of the effort to
excite servile war within the Confcderacy, but
his intention to give aid and encouragement
thereto, If these Independent States shall con-
time to refuse submission to foreign power
after the first day ofJanuary next, and has thus
made known that all appeal to the law of ma
tions, the dictates of reason, and the instincts
of humanity would be addressed in vain to
our enemies, and that they can be deferred
from the commission Of these crimes only by
the torrors Of just retribution;
Now therefore, l . Jefferson Davis, President
of the Confederate States of America, and ac-
ting hy their authority, appealing to the Di-
vine Judge in attestation that their conduct is
not guided by the passion of revenge, but that
they reluctantly yield to the solemn duty of
rcdrcssing, by necessary severity, crimes Of
which their citizens are the victims, DO issue
this my proclamation and by virtue of my
authority as Commander in Chief of the armies
of the Confederate States, do order
First That all commissioned officers in the
command of said benjamin f. Butler be de-
clarcd not entitled to be considered rs soldiers
engaged in honorable wa1farcj but rs robbers
and criminals deserving death, and that they,
and each of them, be whenever captured re-
served for execution.
Second. That the private soldiers and non
commissioned officers in the army of said But
Ter 10 considered as only the Instruments used
for the Commission of crimes perpctratcd by
his orders, and not as free agents; that they,
therefore, be treated when captured as pris-
oncrs of war, with kindness and luma lty, +,
and he sent home on the usual parole that they
will in 10 manncr aid or serve the United
States in any capacity during the continuance
of this war, unless duly exchanged.
Third. That all ncgto slaves captured in