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JUNE, 1863 DOUGLASS' MONTHLY. 847 [[line]] [[column 1]] of laboring men. As fast as received, let them be organized into companies. He was authorized to form into regiments all suitable men, and place white officers over them, and put them to proper use in quieting the rebellion. Gen. Thomas will visit all the posts in Gen, Grant's command. --The destruction by fire of the Bath paper mill, near Augusta, Ga., is a most serious loss to the Southern newspapers. It was the largest paper mill in the South, and supplied the Charleston Courier, the Augusta Constitutionalist and other journals with their paper. Both these papers now announce that they expect they shall be obliged to stop their issues for want of material. The Constitutionalist declines for the present to receive any more subscriptions. --A planter, disguised as a negro, (having his face and hands blacked,) was lately discovered attending church at Hilton Head, by one of his former slaves, who informed the guard, and he was arrested. It is thought there are many such spies about the camp. The device is equally ludicrous and humiliating. --A Beaufort correspondent of the New York Evening Post makes serious charges of cruelty to the Union exiles from Jacksonville by Col. Higginson. This will not be credited by those who know Col. Higginson. Higginson is as humane as he is brave, and he never feared the face of clay or anything else. --Gerrit Smith, with his characteristic charity, has just given $1,000 to the New York Irish Relief Fund. This is not the first time he has generously contributed in aid of starving Ireland--getting, in return, nothing but abuse from Irishmen here! THE 54TH REGIMENT.--We are informed that a circle of young ladies are exerting themselves to procure a suitable flag for the Massachusetts 54th (colored) regiment. Communications for the Committee may be addressed to Miss Addie Howarh, 40 Poplar street, or to Miss Mary Louise Lockley, 31 Garden street.--Boston Transcript. --The Elmira (N, Y.) Daily Advertiser says that the colored recruits who have gathered there left for Massachusetts on Tuesday evening, a little less than forty in number, They went off amid the congratulations of a multitude of friends and relations, who had followed them to the depot to pay their parting salutations. --Francis Burns, the colored Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Africa, died on Sunday last in Baltimore, where he arrived a few days previously. He has been a missionary in Africa since 1834. --Judge Rice, of Illinois, has decided that colored persons are not privileged to teach school in that State, and that the public moneys cannot be appropriated to pay their salaries. Shame! --The newly commissioned black surgeon, Dr. Augustine Canada, has been assigned to Ullman's brigade. [[line]] A PALPABLE HIT.--Dr. Cheever lectured in his own church on Wednesday evening in refutation of the novel position lately assumed by Horace Greeley, that a State had the right to enlave its own citizens. In the course of the lecture Dr. Cheever made the following clever and selling hit: He said the course of the Tribune and other journals on this subject reminded him of an old preacher in Edinburg, who was rather absent-minded and much given to the taking of snuff. One day he was going two miles from his house in the face of a very strong wind, to preach, and when he got near the church where the congregation were waiting to hear him, he turned about with his back to the wind to take a pinch of snuff. But by the time he had put his snuff box in his [[/column 1]] [[column 2]] pocket he forgot that he had changed his position, and so marched off straight ahead home again, leaving the congregation without a sermon. [Great laughter.] So these people take a pinch of their old ideas, and forgetting they have changed their positions to old exploded theories while their congregations are waiting and longing for the truth. ['True, true.' Applause.] NEGRO REGIMENTS AT BATON ROUGE--We make the following extract (says the Boston Journal) from a letter recently received in this city from an officer in one of the Massachusetts batteries, a very intelligent and judicious man. The letter is dated Baton Rouge, March 23d: We have here three negro regiments. I am acquainted with many of the officers of one of them, and I see the regiments every day at their duties. The officers are all white. Formerly they were black, but as they had little command over their men, they were mustered out, and white officers put in. Encamped close to us here is a New York regiment, who are infinitely inferior as well drilled soldiers, or workers, to the negro regiment of which I speak. This negro regiment have with their spades and picks built extensive fortifications here under the direction of their officers, without any assistance from white labor. Besides, they drill as soldiers and keep their clothes and arms in better condition than many white regiments. Of course, this is mainly due to their officers; but when I see such valuable assistance rendered to our cause by the blacks, I regret that the bill to arm negroes did not pass Congress. THE ENFRANCHISEMENT COMMISSION.--The Washington correspondent of the Times, under date April 21, says; What is popularly called the 'Contraband Commission; is in session here, composed of Dr. Howe of Boston, Robert Dale Owen, and Colonel McKaye. They are charged by the President to organize a comprehensive plan of taking carc of the Africans whom this war shall free, and enlisting them as soldiers. A great deal of testimony has been carefully taken about the distribution of the contrabands to work, the labor to which they are best fitted, and their feeling toward the war and for active service. Their only hesitation to enlist appears to be the apprehension of being shot if captured, instead of being treated as prisoners of war. Notwithstanding [[??]] a negro regiment is in [[???]] -ments into it are brisk. The attention of the President has been called to the difficulty arising from the rebel acts of Congress authorizing the killing of negroes taken in arms. It is probably that a proclamation will soon be issued that will have the effect of putting captured blacks on the footing of prisoners of war. [[line]] CONTRABANDS AT NASHVILLE.--The Nashville Union says large numbers of contrabands continue to arrive there from the South: "We counted yesterday, eleven wagons in one train, filled with negroes, who seemed to be in great glee. Most of them were of unadulterated African blood, while others gave evidence of the Caucassian mixture. We saw one very fine-looking woman, with straight hair and a bright olive complexion, in the dusky procession. Before the war, the band would have brought over half a million dollars on the block." [[line]] DISGRACEFUL PROCEEDING--COLORED LABORERS ASSAILED BY IRISHMEN.-- A disgraceful riot occurred among the longshoremen at pier No. 9, New York, on Monday, May 29. A number of unoffending negroes were brutally assailed, while quietly pursuing their labors, by a body of Irishmen who had struck for higher wages. Most of the negroes took refuge in flight, but not until many of them had become severely wounded with the stones and clubs employed by their assailants. One of them, in self-defence, drew a revolver, which he fired several times, and succeeded in wounding one of the rioters. The arrival of the police checked any further hostilities. Two of the rioters and the negro who discharged the revolver were arrested. The latter was afterwards discharged, as he had acted only in self-defence. The two Irishmen were committed for trial. Soon [[/column 2]] [[column 3]] after, one of the mob endeavored to intimidate some of the colored men of the establishment. He was, however, arrested and committed, in default of $200 bail, to answer. Such are some of the fruits of copperhead teachings!--Principia. [[line]] --Handbills, of which the following is a copy, were posted up in the most public spaces of Mobile on the 6th inst.: "BREAD OR PEACE." "It has not yet come to the question of bread or peace with us, but we are fast coming to it. If our government can compel a man with a family of children to fight for it at $11 per month--it can compel, and must, those who stay at home and enjoy their ease now, and will enjoy our freedom when achieved--to feed the poor children of poor fathers--the widows, whose only sons are fighting the battles and enduring the terrible hardships of the march and camp, foodless, clothless and shoeless. Forbearance will soon cease to be a virtue. "Our wives, sisters and little ones are crying for bread! Beware!! lest they cry for blood also!!! We have enough of extortion and speculation. It is time the strong arm of the law was extended. "The people will rise, sooner or later! There are lamp-posts and rope enough to cure this worse than treason--and the remedy, will be supplied by an outraged people. "[Signed] BRUTUS II." [[line]] STRIKE AMONG THE NEGROPHOBISTS AT THE NAVY YARD, BOSTON.--The Navy Yard is a great institution for strikes among the workmen, and if they don't have something for excitement at least once a month, it is set down as a remarkable event. A very respectable colored man from Baltimore, a day or two since, applied for a situation as a caulker and grayer, being recommended by parties who knew him as a good workman. He was hired and went to work. There are about two hundred and fifty men in the caulker's department, and yesterday, without taking any preliminary steps in the matter, such as a meeting or a consultation among the members of the whole gang, about one hundred and sixty of the workmen came to the conclusion that they would not work if a colored man was allowed to remain in the yard. [[??]] to answer to their names at the roll call. The Captain of the Yard, Mr. Taylor, who is acting Commodore, in the consequence of the death of Commodore Montgomery's daughter, upon learning the facts of the case, ordered the discharge of these men who refused to answer to the call. There are now about one hundred caulkers left, and most of these did not know the intentions of their brother workmen until they learned of the discharge. A few strong-minded ones led on the rest and the result was, instead of compelling Uncle Sam to accede to their demand, they all lost good situations.--Boston Traveller. [[line]] PAYING OFF THE BLACK SOLDIERS, &C. A letter writer from Hilton Head, March 8th, says 'At last the paymaster has arrived. Three thousand negroes in the Commissary and Quartermaster's Departments are being paid off.-- The amount paid to them will reach $30,000.-- Many of these poor fellows have been waiting for their money until it seemed to them as if they were not much better off with their Northern than their Southern taskmasters. The sight of clean, fresh Treasury notes in their own hands, to be disposed of according to their own inclinations, has, however, dispelled all doubt and gloom, and a more cheerful hopeful, satisfied set of beings, I think, cannot be found upon this continent. It is quite an amusing spectacle to see these poor creatures crowding around the paymaster's office. But one negro of the entire number can read or write, and that is the Rev. Archibald Murchison, the negro pastor of whom I have written you before. In olden times when negro slaves were employed by the Government, they were registered as Dick, and Tom, and Jim, &c.: but now the United States is indebted to Richard Jones, Thomas Pope, and James Smith, and not to Mr. So-and-so, owners of Dick Tom, and Jim. The negroes are proud of their titles. They walk up and answer to the name of William Pope, &c., with almost as much assurance as their asters could have done three years ago. The only mystery connected with the whole operation of receiving payment is that of singing their marks. They are general told by the clerks to touch the top of their pens; but as two-thirds of them don't know the top of their pens from the top of the chairs upon which the clerks are sitting, are quite as likely to touch one as the other. [[/column 3]]
