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January, 1863   DOUGLASS' MONTHLY    775
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lives of our own people saved from slaughter on the battle-field. By the occupation of all their forts on the Mississippi and the sea-coast, a market will be opened in every rebel State for the industry of our people to supply the wants of the army, and also of a loyal population, in exchange for the valuable products of their labor.

Another point of attach is by armed settlements upon the vacant government lands in Florida and Texas. Thousands in the Northern and Western States are impatiently waiting the signal of military movement to plant their homes in the best territory of this continent, and bring it back to the Union, as loyal States. So far from the Southern States being invincible, no enemy was ever so vulnerable, if the means at hand are employed against them. If you proposition for compensated emancipation and a voluntary return to loyal be blindly rejected, still the proper application of the means at command of the Government cannot fail to accomplish the suppression of the rebellion, and a restoration of those peacesul relations which were designed to be established forever on this continent by the union of the States.

Edwin M. Stanton
Secretary of War,
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SLAVE-CATCHING UNDER DIFFICULITIES.
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Hermann, Mo., Nov. 26.

Editors Missouri Democrat:-
Opposite the town of Hermann, in Gasconade County, in Loutre Island, an exceedingly fertile bottomland, occupied by slave owners. The property of these has conceived the idea of emancipation, and had stampeded accordingly. The recent election triumphs of the Democracy inspired the slave barons with new courage, and they followed their chattels even into German Gasconade with foul intent. The following letter tells the sequel:
"HERMANN, NOV. 19, 1862.
"To Maj. Gen. S,R, Curtis, etc.
"A case occurred in this town to-day which may give rise to a conflict between State laws and Federal authority.  For this reason, we refer at once to the highest tribunal in this department - to you, General, for you decision, or orders on the subject.

"A stampede of slaves had taken placed from beyond the river, Loutre Island, Montgomery County, some of whom had crossed the river, and had been in this town.  To-day several of the respective owners, for the most Fart (sic) avowed secessionists and enrolled sympathizers, came across and demanded of John B. Miche, Justice of the Peace, a warrant, according to the statutes of the State. We advised him to refuse it on the ground that the matter belonged before the Federal authorities under the order declaring martial law over Missouri, and under subsequent order from the President and Department commanders.  We just find the following parallel case in the papers:
"'PROVOST-MARSHAL'S OFFICE
Memphis, Nov. 11, 1862
"'The Judge of the Criminal Court having charged the Grand Jury on certain points where a conflict of authority might arise, all persons will take notice that any attempt to execute State laws at variance with the orders of the President and military commanders will be construed as a comtempt (sic)of the authority of the United States, and will be summarily punished.  The statue of the negro is involved in the war now existing. And will in its progress be clearly determined.- In the meantime runaway slaves must be treated as free, and people encouraged to five them employment as such. So far as the Court confines itself to punishing murder, arson, burglary, and crimes [[italics]] mala in se [[\italics]], the Provost-General is requited to co-operate.
"'D.C. ANTHONY, 
"'Provost-Marshal of Memphis.'
"The disappointed owners now threaten to prosecute the above named Justice. The act of Congress confiscating rebel property and liberating their slaves, now in full force, places it clearly beyond the power of a Justice of the Peace to decide who is a loyal owner and who not; and, in consequence, they cannot be required to issue warrants to any of them. 

"It is to be expected that many similar cases will occur within the next few days, and in order to protect the unconditional supported of the government against mischief from tee (sic) hands of its avowed enemies, we would respectfully request an authoritative order or republication of orders already existing touching on the subject.
"if a few loyal owners shall suffer under the circumstances, it cannot be avoided, as little as 
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the injury done by a battle to thousands of loyal families; besides, if the loyal owners would emancipate their slaves voluntarily, under the condition that the thus liberated hands would remain with them in the position of hired laborers, they would neither lose their services not the compensation which our Legislature certainly will offord then, etc., etc."

Finding thus nobody in Hermann willing to act as slave-catcher, the aggrieved owners looked about the country, and, at last, got hold of an obscure country Squire, who issued the warrants asked for, and placed them in the hands of a Deputy Sheriff. On Tuesday, the 25th inst.,at noon, four negroes were brought in by him and put into the County jail for safe keeping. It so happened that the identical contrabands had sought protection in the camp of some United States volunteer company, stationed along the Pacific Railroad, but the Captain, having no employment for them, advised them to hire out to some farmers in the vicinity, assuring them of their safety. 

No sooner was it know that the fugitives were in jail, and were to be taken across the river than the citizens became terrible exasperated; they quickly assembled with arms, and were determined that the negroes should never be returned to their disloyal owners - Already it became manifest that the strong arms of our brave-hearted mechanics would open the jail by force. Just then the afternoon mail brought the answer of Maj. Gen. Curtis to the letter already quoted, in which the General says:
"The Justice did right in withholding his warrant under the facts as stated. He should arrest and bring before Provost-Marshal these slaveholders, if they occasion any more trouble. By the laws of Congress, officers of the army and navy are forbidden to return fugitive slaves under any circumstances."

To the Provost-Marshal, then, a committee was sent, to ascertain what he should do.- The individual who had hitherto acted as Provost, and also occasionally sported a Lieutenant Colonel's uniform, in St. Louis, was, however, not to be persuaded to put his hands into this pie, and declared he could do nothing since he was not clothed with any authority. Being pressed to furnish tangible proofs for his singular action, he at least, very reluctantly though, produced a letter from headquarters, ordering his removal from both positions which he slyly had kept a profound secret to himself. That was another triumph of the radical Emancipationists, and many a hurrah was shouted when the dismissal of the odious individual became known.

Gen. Curtis was immediately requested by telegraph, to appoint the intrepid Representative elect of the radical Emancipationists, Capt. C.C. Manwaring, Acting Provost-Marshal.

Upon this the citizens agreed to abstain from any violence until nine o'clock at night, but guards were posted, and the excitement ran high. Nine o'clock struck, but no message had been received from headquarters.- The citizens got their tools ready to open the jail, and it was useless trying to stem the raging current. Then, just in the nick of time, appears the messenger with a telegram; Gen. Curtis appoints Capt. Manwaring Provost-Marshal; and with three thundering cheers for Gen. Curtis, the citizens march to the residence of the new officer.  An order for the immediate release of the contrabands is issued; they are set free, at once, hired out to farmers, and quiet reigns supreme over our little plucky town. 

No disgrace could be more rankling in the breasts of our staunch citizens than to have Gasconade County converted into a slave-hunting ground for the enemies of our government.

County Squires will please notice this "precedent," and not meddle with the authority of Uncle Sam. - Anti-Slavery Standard.  EMANCIPATION.
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VIEW OF AN INTELLIGENT NEGRO.
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Samuel Wilkeson, Esq., of the New York Tribume, in a letter from the Penisula, relates the following remarkable conversation
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held with an intelligent negro on the subject of the slave policy of the Government:-

I have talked with many intelligent men of color on this subject. The superior man of all is known as "Tom." I one day drew him out of his guarded silence on this theme by saying, "I am surprised, Tom, that the negroes in this Peninsula don't fight for us."

"I reckon you ain't, Mr. W.; you know too much."

"Why don't they fight for us, Tom?"

"They expected to, sir, and all the colored men, from here to Texas, expected to."

"Why didn't they?"

"You know as well as I.  We were driven from your lines and camps, and pretty plainly told that you didn't want anything to do with us; that you meant to carry on the war, and leave us in slavery at the end of the war.- So we left you to carry on the war as you could, and a pretty poor fist you are making of it too, Mr. W," said Tom, warming into earnestness. "The North can't conquer the South without the help of the slaves. We men of color, who have communication with each other through all the States, (the leading men, I mean) know this. We know, too, that if the war lasts, one party or the other party will give us our freedom."

"What is that you say - the slaveholders free their slaves?"

"They certainly will do it, if they can't whip you otherwise. You may depend on that.  My friends in the South all tell me so. Our position, M.W. is like that of the San Domingo blacks. They put their and in the market between the white and mulattoes - Put it for sale.  The price was their freedom. We mean to sell ourselves for freedom - we hope to you Northern men, If your politicians and Generals kick us away, we will try to make our market with the rebels. But you had better bargain with us - had better free us, and arm us. How long would this war last, if we were freed by act of Congress and the President {{unreadable]]ratified in General Orders by the Commanders of all the Union armies in the South? - Why, the rebel armies would melt away in a week. Every officer and every private who had any interest of any kind in a plantation, or village even, would run home to protect it against imagined injury. Consider us armed: There's no use of talking, Mr. W. The revolution at the South is accomplished, and the Union is saved: and you can't save it without the social revolution. And, mark by words, Mr. W., the attempt to save it without doing us justice will end in your own political slavery, and your own ruin, and in this England will be the principal agent. 

There are colored men in Washington who know the value of the dinner-table talk of great men, and Jeff Davis, and Keitt, and Floyd, have always made much of the jealously in England of the manufactures of your North. You have got to have us, Mr. W. Our climate will kill your troops, save in December, January, February and March. The South is a wilderness. You are ignorant of it, and can be ambushed every day.  And it is so big that, if with half a million men you overrun it, it would take a million men to occupy it. And then, what sort of Union will you have saved, in which the people of the thirteen States refuse to take political action, and have but to raise their fingers to their slaves to set them loose upon you, and drive you northward? You had better take us, Mr. W. Indeed, you have got to take us. For if you wish to back out of this war, you won't be permitted to do it.  You have got to conquer or be conquered. I know the slaveholders. They went into this war for power; and if you don't whip then in Virginia and South Carolina, they will whip you in Pennsylvania and New York, and then reconstruct the Union, with themselves at the top, and you at the bottom. You white men of the North will go into slavery, unless you take us black men of the South out of slavery; and Mr. W., you have not a great deal of time left in which to decide what you will do!

Tom speaks the sentiment of his race - Statesmen and soldiers will heed them. 
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