Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-02-26
NATIONAL iNTELLlGENCER.
EMPLOYMENT OF SLAVES IN LOUISIANA

Banks and few of the planters in the military department.
for the employment Of the slaves on the plantations OF
their masters We copy the following from the corresPon
ence of the New York World" aordins the clearest
view of the matter Gen Bankss order of January 29h,
referred to in this extract published in the Integen
Ger of the l2th of February:
NEW ORLEANS, FEBRUARY 8, 1868
You have already received and published Gen. Bankss
order mo I of Jan 29) promugatng the emancipation
Of the President The text both OF the order
and the proclamation b liable such construction Of
widely different opinions may put upon it, loyal planter
in the excepted districts will naturally suppose that the
proclamation guarantees to him the protection of his pro-
periy in slaves. At the time he is sneeringy in
formed by Of the local daily papers that if he supPoses
Gen Banks was sent here 10 catch runaway niggers,
he has only read Order No H. and he will find himself
mistaken.
Now "No ~" says that the proclamation designates
portions Of the State of Louisiana which are mot to De
a cted by its provisions 1t certainly does go But the
next sentence in the order resdsThe laws OF the Uni
ted States however forbid officers OF the army and navy
to return slaves to their owners or to decide upon The
claim Of any person to the service labor OF another
In other words while the proclamation expressly declares
certain districts not be a cted by its provisions
the laws of the United States forbid the only ofcers
now in authority the not affected parishes to enforce
the State and police regulations with regard TO the return
of runaways.
Within the past week thirtyone loyal planters princ.
pay from the parshes of Lafourche and Terre Bonne
have held three informal but private meetings at the st.
Charles for the purpose OF presenting their views 70 tne
commanding General and of endenvong TO ascertain
him the TO be pursued under the prociama
ton and the promnlgation order
Gen Banks gladly availed himself of this favorable OPP
porunty to with the planters bis plan for the
Inauguration of proposed new system of labor on plan
inqs Of the planters meetings. but after much discussion
as to what the General required and what the planters
should demand the following proposition was submitted to
the meeting:
aHEA5quARIERs U, $, SEquEsrRArIos CoMaIssIoS,
"New Orleans, February D, 1858.
1.-THE officers of the Government will induce the ares 10
fnf
lies when returned will require them and those remain
ing upon the plantations 70 work dgeny ana So, u
their employers and perfect snbordnatioh 70 er
dues upon that the or p a y tem
at the en- the year 2O part OF the
crop fixed monthly compensation in ca es where may
be nient, as follows: =,
Mechanics r-makers, drivers, eaeh
AbIs boded field women house servants nurses &c. Z"
Tbe proportion reserved the slaves sha be divided
into distributed according to the value of their Ia
bor as follows:
mechanics sugar makers drivers &C. -.3 shares each
Able bodied field men. en..--...-.-.............--2
Able bodied field women, house servants,
All negroes not otherwise employed will be required
labor upon public works and person capable OF labor
will lie supported at the public expense In dleness
E. g. bEcKwITH, Colonel,
- President Sequestration Commission
This was submitted to the planters for their accept
and the following form attached to the circular
for signatures
The undersigned hereby accept the arrangement above
proposed and agree carry out their part for
yea from the date thereof being distinctly understood
That the crop the commercial and the
acceptance does imply the surrender Of
any right Of property an The Stare or other right OF the
owner"
The planters in council adopted resolution that the
proposition should be sent circular to all the planters
10 the excepted district for their signatures to the clause
of acceptance.
Accordingly Gen Banks issued the following circular,
which Is to be to all the district provost marshals
and provost judges who will present both papers to the
Headquarters Department Of the Gulf,
"0fee Of the S,qnestration Commission
4" February 6, 1863.
In accordance with the agreement between the military
authorities and the planters based upon al Orders No
~ N nsnsI, to d "a printed copy Of which
il herewith incosed ordered carry out in good
faith provisions of the agreement on the part OF the au
You will in good faith e6er all far and legal induce,
en the nesros' within % On5 70 ern IN W % a
and the plantations rhere they belong
Won will see that he uls his engagement for year
good faith shall be required to remain upon The planta
ton which heis bound to work faithfully and ndurousy
and maintain respectful and subordinate department toward
hi. employer. ,.-,.., -, o.,ou
Z eut Of negroes ring upon plantations under this
nept by other parties, either civil or military.
Tha nat all nsg Gss e@poyrd sD, Sa mmey be put
labor the public works and that all negroes found In the
country cities villages about ,he military stations with
out visible occupation OF subsistence shall be ar
rested as vaQans put labor the public works
the qua, te rrnaster's plantstions.
ou will that the agreement entered into by the
planters in regard to negroes faithfully and fairly
By order of the u 8 Ssqusstration Commission.
fAnnroyed. N p BANKS,
Major eral Commanding
The italics in the proposed agreement and in the circu
lar are niue With disposition to crfcse or hnd fault
with what the General honestly believes to be the
beat mode Of dsposing Of annoying question: let me cali
your attention TO single fact The South has been more
than half century in persctng system oil laws and re-
Cuatons for the control slave labor In State have
the slave laws been carefully enacted and where
do they afford much protection to the slave as IN Lou
isana Yet there scarcely Northern colonel in the
Federal army who does not think that he sit down and
write on drum head in fifteen minutes new theory and
sysem which ha at and forever settle and dispose
OF question which has been the study OF statesmen and
political economists for years Even so able and clear
headed Gen. Banks cannot issue an order on THU
subject which not contradictory IN itself or 10 respect
some previous order 10 conflict with the President,
procl 4nation or some law Of the United States.
Let me give you a single example The planters meet
ins adjourned Friday evening Yesterday morning Mr.
David Pueh accompanied by acquaintance went to the
m ovos. masha and showed him the papers copied above
T6erev said Mr.. Pugh, " have complied with my part
Of this contract fully accept it. apd have signed the
agreement am going back to Lafourche in the morn
inc and wish to take with runaway slave negro
,emsn INV property now in this city, Gen. Bowen read
the napers and replied, This is all very well cir; but
ann an limited States officer aud the laws Of the United
STATE, forbid officers the army and navy to return slaves
10 their owners" He quoted the very words oil Order
No and the phrase is not persons cam'ng ther ser
vice, but in good, honest Saxon, " their o'oners Zen
Bowen was right, yet he actually the--Wel lndVr
dual between two bundles 81 hay The agreement says