You will have heard, by the time this reaches you, of the manner in which Gen. Butler disposed of Col. Mallory, who came into the fort under a flag of truce, to claim three of his loyal slaves who had fled from his kind and hospitable roof, and taken shelter in Fortress Monroe among strangers.
Who will say that General Butler, so far as he went, was not right?
This Colonel Mallory had met General Butler in the Charleston and Baltimore Conventions, and with that impudence and assumption characteristic of the oligarchy, he came into General Butler's camp, and, though engaged in open treason against the Government, demands that he shall enforce the Fugitive Slave Law upon the soil of Virginia with United
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States soldiers, and return him his happy and contented slaves.
General Butler says, “ You hold that negro slaves are property, and that Virginia is no longer a part of the United States? ”
The Colonel answered, “ I do, sir.”
General Butler then said, “You are a lawyer, sir, and I want to know if you claim that the Fugitive Slave act of the United States is binding in a foreign nation; and if a foreign nation uses this kind of property to destroy the lives and property of citizens of the United States, if that species of property ought not to be regarded as contraband?
”
This was too much for the Colonel, and he knocked under and withdrew.
This was but the beginning at Fort Monroe, and is but the beginning of a question which this Administration must meet and determine, viz., “ What shall be done with the slaves who refuse to fight against the Government of the United States, and escape from the traitors and come into our camps for protection?
” If the Administration meets this question as it ought, well; if not, it will prove its overthrow.
It is a question of more magnitude and importance than the rebellion itself; and woe to the public man or the party who proves false to the demands of humanity and justice.
On Sunday, eight more stout, able-bodied men came in. General Butler said to me, “ As you went to see John Brown hung, and have some claim to control Virginia volunteers, I authorize you to see who and what those colored men are, and decide what is to be done with them.”
He added, “ You had better examine them separately, and take down in writing the material part of their answers.”
Contraband negroes.--General Ashley, member of Congress from Ohio, writes to the Toledo (Ohio) Blade the following account of the reception of the “contraband” slaves at Fortress Monroe:--
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