Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/615

I86i] Fugitive slaves. Fremont's proclamation. 683 could not, however, be applied to the individual cases of runaways from loyal masters in the loyal border States ; and these instances also became quite common. The negroes had an irrepressible longing for the freedom, the variety, the adventure of camp life, while soldiers and officers appre- ciated not only the personal service they were able to render as servants, cooks, and teamsters, but more especially the useful information about local topography and sentiment, loyal or disloyal, which they were able to impart or obtain. From first to last there was and remained between the Federal soldier and the "contraband"" a bond of mutual sympathy and help ; and, as a rule, the protection which the former gave the escaping slave in his camp was amply repaid by the information, concealment, and guidance which the latter afforded the escaping Unionist prisoner, or the Federal commander in march and battle. When the loyal Marylander, Kentuckian, or Missourian, who was supporting the government, asked that his slave should be returned to him, it was impossible to deny his equitable right. The rule laid down by the War Department therefore was that, in loyal States, claims to fugitives must be prosecuted through ordinary judicial proceedings, and be respected alike by military and civil authorities. Here again, however, the law of military necessity generally baffled the claimant. The Fugitive Slave Law was difficult of execution under the most favourable conditions of peace. Under even preliminary conditions of war it soon became practically obsolete. The treatment of each case had necessarily to be left to the judgment of each military commander. While Butler therefore, at Fortress Monroe, was virtually freeing coloured fugitives, Dix at Baltimore was declaring that " we have nothing to do with slaves. We are neither negro-stealers nor negro-catchers." Sherman and Buell in Kentucky issued substantially the same orders as Dix, and Halleck in Missouri employed nearly the same language ; while subordinate commanders at the multitude of small posts and camps found all sorts of pretexts to evade general orders according to their individual sentiments or wishes. At the very beginning of the war, President Lincoln was much perplexed by the numerous complaints on this score, brought to his notice by members of Congress from the loyal Slave States. These however came to a sudden end after the first defeat at Bull Run. In the excitement and consternation which that seemingly overwhelming disaster created, small annoyances were lost sight of. The escape of a Maryland negro from his master became too trifling a circumstance to be noted in comparison with the possible danger to the capital or fate of the government ; and military emergency and necessity were accepted by public opinion as the dominating rule with a better grace than before. It was not long before President Lincoln was called upon to deal with the question of slavery in its larger aspects and relations. Greatly to his surprise and dissatisfaction, General Fremont, commanding the Department of the West, issued a proclamation on August 30, 1861, CH. XVIII.