Journal of freedom. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1865-186?, 1865-10-28
General slOcup at vioksburg and syracuse.

Genera1 SlOcU3m NJ V1ck1DnPg and Syracuse
|. On tho Oath of August of this year
General Sloeum issued an elaborate or,
der in the State of Mississippi, of which
he was military commander. Governor
Sharkey had invited the young men O.
the State to form militia companies. and
the order of General Slocum counter
nanded it. In his speech the General
says that he merely ebeyed command
OF the War Department But he for
gets that the very terms of his elaborate
order that show that it was not ttmere''
obedience to superior. commands; It was
an elaborate and hearty and conclusive
statement of reasons why such course
was unwise and perilous.
General Slocum says that those whom
Governor Sharkey invited to arms are
EFfhat class of men who have as vet
scarcely laid down the arms with which
they have been opposing our Govern
ment.'' He adds:
F'To permit the yeung men who have
so distinguished themselves to be armed
and organized Independently of United
States military officers on duty here, and
to allow them to operate in counties now
garrisoned by colored troops, filled, as
many OF these men are, not only with
prejudice against those troops, and
against the execution uf orders relative
to freedmen, but even against our gov
ernment itself, would bring about col
lision at once, and increase, in a tenfo1d
degree the difficulties that now beset the
people,
That there may be no misapprehension
as to the exact condition of affairs in the
State, of which, as military commander,
he was thoroughly informed, Gen. Slo-
cum continues
'It is remarkable fact that most of
the outrages have been committed against
Northern men, government couriers, and
colored people. Southern citizens have
been halted by these outlaws, but at once
released and informed that they have
been stopped by mistake and these citi-
zens have refused to give information as
to the parties by whom they were halted,
although frankly acknowledging that
they knew them
The General then says that Governor
Sharkey agrees that fthe people are uaa-
e0Szzing to give 1,eto1m0tio1e to the Uassted
States military authorities a0bich eOtU lead
to the detection Of these owttaa0s.' Yet
the Governor wished to arm those very
people, General Slocum thereupon says !:
ga better plan will be to dasarma all such
citizens, and make it for their interest to
aid those who have been sent here to re-
store order and preserve peace.
Here is vivid and warning picture OF
the condition of affairs in the State of Mis-
sissippi, both as regards the spirit of the
population and their treatment OF the
oolored men who were the only consider
able body of Unionists in the State. No
correspondent has made, or could make,
SO strong an argument for the necessity
of the maintenance of the United States
armed authority In that department..
Has that condition changed suddenly
within six weeks? Because the Conven-
ton has met, does anybody imagine that
the population are better affected toward
the National Government? Yet on the
I'd of October General Slocum, having in
the meantime resigned his commission as
an officer of the United States and be-
come Horatio Seymour's candidate for
Secretary of State in New York, says In
Syracuse:
ssI most heartily approve the removal
of troops from that State of Mississippi,
and I most earnestly hope that within
thirty days every soldier now on duty
there will be mustered out of service,
and that all attempts to interfere with
her local affairs will cease. Now that
the State has adopted a Constitution
which does not recognize slavery, l would
confide to her the settlement OF all ques-
tions likely to arise as to the means OF
supporting and controlling the freed
men. .,
Why is General Slecum ready on the
I'd of October to do what on the Gath OF
August he solemnly said "would bring
about a collision at once, and increase In
a tenfcld degree the difficulties that now
beset the people 2'' Why is he willing
to wink at outrages "against Northern
men, Government couriers, and colored
people? %
The reason is plain and painful. 1t ii
because General Slocum is now the can
didate of John A. Green, of the New
York Dolly Net0e, of every naughty un
repentent rebel in the unorganized States
and every one of these people whom n
denounced as "outlaws' and svillalhs
on the oath Of August.
These are the men who built and sup
ported the Chicago platform last year
They cried out for surrender to this re
bellious spirit then. They demand tn
same surrender now. De the people
New York trust this spirit and these mel