Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-06-24

lines and how are loyal slave holders to
continue to secure the unrequited labor Of
their slaves within our lines2 When the
hands on the adjoining plantations, belong
ing TO men a little more rebel than their
neighbors, have run off, these men cannot
expect to be able to compel their hands to
werk for nothing, while the others have
secured their freedom by running away.
The Post Commander here, General E.
A. Paine, having been applied to by the
overseer Of large estate, whose prOprie-
tors are dead, to come and make the men
work gave sketch of his plan in an article
in the New York Tribune, purporting to be
a letter from the General to Major Gener-
RI ROsecrans. This letter we have pub
lished-ED. LEADER That letter shows
but half the facts. General Paine himself
being large-hearted and whole-souled
man, in that particular instance doubtless
did we'll to make such contract as he did
in the presence of and with the consent OF
the contracting Cslaves) y freedmen, with
proviso inserted that if the employer
failed to comply with the letter and spirit
Of the contract, then the contract was TO
be void. The General being shrewd law
yer as well as On efficient General, knew
that such contract was virtually deed OF
emancipation For it is the law Of slavery
that " slave is one who csnnot make con-
! tracts-that he can possess nothing or
ACQUIRE nothing but what belongs to his
master" hence a recognition Of his right
| to make a contract is q virtual liberation.
There are those in this sub-department,
however, who follow the hearse that Is
hearing the American Slave System to the
grave. who are not as careful to guard the
! rights of these despoiled ones, as General
Paine. and these have been indiscriminste-
| ly compelling the slaves TO return TO their
former owners, under the pretense OF
| contract, when the contract itself had all
the odious features Of slavery. 1t was
contract made between A and D, to oper-
ale on C, in order to perpetuate little
longer the grasp Of the tyrant, as If the
highest object to be attained, by the logic
of the terrible events now passing was to
enable the pseudo Union Shareholders to
continue their grasp upon the throats OF
their victims a little longer; while the
Almighty in his controversy with us q ma
ton is calling louder than seven thunders,
d" Let my people 60"
Such contracts remind one Of story
told Of a old Quaker, who had an old de-
scendent of Ham working for him for
four or five years. The darkey supposing
his EMPLOYER owed him about one hundred
dollars tried for more than year to get a
settlement out of him, but was put of
from time to time, until finally he went to
him and said, Now Thomas ! have come
to settle and won't 60 away until thee
settles with me-" whereupon the penurious
old Quaker stepped into the back room by
himself, and, remaining about half an
hour. came out aud said TO his Ethiopian
namesake, Well Thomas, thee and l have
settled, andthee owes me 81 374."
Visiting the eontraband camp of over
three hundred women and children, sent
here from the front the other day, | saw a
likely mulatto woman among the crowd
of dusky faces, leading by her side beau
tiful little girl about three years old, whose
smooth aud almost transparent white com
plexion and soft golden ringlets, which fel
in rich profusion around her neck, would
have adorned the offspring of the bes
Anglo-Saxon "blood in the nation. NJ
one weuld ever have mistaken the child fol
a slave; but the taint of the "bloOd o.
the African" flowed in its veins, and fol
Ineiaw sRa qno4Gi0P4 O6.lts UlNtbeE~aJld- -hI
of the lash, the auction block, and beastly
prostitution Happily, the beautiful little
innocent was too young to be conscious o
her degraded position, and clung to tht
mothers dress for protection.
Where was the father2 Most likely OF
some one of these plantations anxious Il
make contract to have this very Yalua
bic house servant return home and he
would pay her." or probably she was the
property of some sulIen rebel, who haG
taken the oath of allegiance, for the sole
purpose that he might retain his grasp yet
little longer on his human chattels, and
cures this - abolition war;" or, perhaps, q
most malignant traitor in the Confederate
ranks, armed to the teeth 10 fight for the
divine institution and break up the Govern
ment, to secure the perpetuation of the
glorious privilege of selling his own off
spring into bondage.
Cases like this are not rare in Tennessee
In the town of Gallatin lives an intelligent
woman, respected and in good standing
whose body-serVant is her husbands own
daughter. She is married and has a very
bright little mulstto boy, Qooks as though
he might be the brother Of Fred. Douglas)
aud If educated would be an ornament TO
his race.
Being very smart and active 10 learn, a
daughter of one of the Federal officers
conceived the idea of instructing some Of
the little contraband children, and this
little boy was one of the number. When
this grandmother found out that her illegiti-
mate offspring and property, was being
educated on scripture terms " without
money and without price" she followed
and dragged him from school, and beat
him, threatening to kill him if he ever
dared to enter the free school again.
These cases of holding their own chill
dren in slavery, are not rare in Tennessee,
but can be counted by hundreds, so that
the white race are in process of enslave-
ment and yet, these very persons ask you
if you are in favor of amalgamation.
Numerous instances have been given
where slave breeders have sold their own
children; and yet, these fleeing mothers
are thrust back into this hell of slavery, as
1 saw, while General W. Y. Ward, Ken
tuekian, had temporary command at this
post in February last, a mother with a
baby at her breast was dragged out OF the
hospital when she was taking care of our
sick, and an order was given to carry her
back, which was done, amid tears Of an
guish. Such contract may be sport for us /;
but it is death TO them.
another instance, of a gambling horse
jockey who had just taken the oath Of
allegiance three weeks before, obtained an
order for his boy from the Provost Marshal,
not ten months ago. His plea was that
the boys mother was so very anxious to
have her dear boy returned whereas, the
facts were that the boy had visited his
mother by stealth at night, and she, like