Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-01-01

General Garfield on the Negro Question.
Ths Louisville correspondent Of the
New York Herald furnishes the following
account of sn occurrence that happsned
in Louisville but few weeks since, and
the results of it.
The wickedness Of these Louisville
officials is an outrage upon the dignity Of
this Government. For months they have
been in the habit of stealing every freed
man they could get their hands on. These
-sapses men run of, and probably, sold
free cOlored boy whom the General took
west with him from Washington. The
boy in attempting to return through Louis
vile from Nashville to his home, was spir-
ited away By these rascally officials.
It is this fact which gave SO much point
to the Generals pluck:
A Washington military oficial-Gener-
/ al McLean-arriVed here few days since
on the special duty Of examining into al
legged abuses Of the State laws in regard to
free negroes. Itappears that the city police
men are in the habit Of seizing upon and
dstsiniBg every negro who arrives in the
city from the South, and eonfning him in
jail until it. can be determined by soms
official whether he is free or contrabsnd.
Il is alleged that many free negroes who
have been returning from the army to the
North, have been thus deprived of liberty,
their papers stolen from them, and they
sold into slavery. do not see how this
can be OF has been done. The purpose Of
the police appears to be to obtain the re-
wards generally offered for runaways
whom they may catch, nothing more,
though the contrary is alleged by some
At any rate, much trouble has been and
continues to be given to army officers who
pass through the city with their servants
A short time since, General Garfield, mem
Der Of Congress, and lately chief Of staff
to General Rosecrsns, passed through this
city with his free negro servant. at the
depot on his arrival, and mail-bost at his
departure, the General was beset by thest
officials, who insisted upon srresting the
negro. General Garfield denied the righ
cf the policemen, and refused to allow tht
man to be taken. General Boyle was ap
pesled to by the policemen. On being
IOlu lndI Ine servant was 0enefal Odf
fields, Boyle wrote note to General G.
requesting him to settle the matter by Civ
ing the negro his (Garfeld's) pass. Gen
J sral Garfield replied he would not do SO
7 that the thing was fsgrant abuse, anC
he would see the end Of it upon principle
He declared that the negro should go fire.
without pass, and that he was as willing
| to risk his life in solution of that ques
ton as any other. The policemen persist
ed but number of army officers gather
ing around General Garfield in his defense
the negro went free. Itsppesrs that Gen
: eral Garfield, on reaching Washington
made complaint of the abuse, and 81
official has now been sent to correct il
!. There is some law upon which the polio
base their action and justify their con
duct; but it appears that they suspec
/ every negro of being a fleeing crimina
until he proves himself innocent, q rever
; sal of the code of Justice which only
Frenehmsn, Chinaman, or rebel would at
tempt to justify, even when practices
] against " niger"