The Union cause in St. Louis in 1861 : an historical sketch

Preface

The object of these lines is to give a comprehensive History of the St. Louis Union movement of 1861, and of the general conditions in the State of Missouri and the Union, which reacted upon local events. While the statements of details will be restricted to the spring and summer months of 1861, even their remote causes will be sought. This seems to he all the more necessary, because in a community of freemen, where every one does his own thinking, and acts upon his own feelings, the disposition of the masses makes History, whose way stations onlv are signalized bv the names of the leaders.

When two antagonistic momentous issues arise in a nation, only the one which is conducive to the welfare of the entire country deserves success, notwithstanding that persons who stake their lives upon these issues, are honestly convinced of the righteousness of their cause. Besides this, it may be considered as an uncontrovertible axiom, that no party should ever rush into a hostile conflict, in which inherent conditions of power entail its inevitable defeat. Thus it is that through the study of History, we may be enabled judiciously to shape our actions, in order to meet present exigencies and forestall individual and national disasters. Our era may properly be designated as the epoch of the assertion of human rights, as divisions in History have generally been made by the leading and originating cause- and resulting events Thus the patriarchal sway of Abraham established the rule of experienced age, the monotheism and theocracy of Moses, the priest rule in Palestine; on the Dualism and utilitarian tendency of Zoroaster rose the Persian realm, the beautiful naturalism of Greece culminated in a Periclean age; the stern realism of Koine paved the way to a world's empire; the divine doctrine of love laid the foundation to modern civilization; Mohamed's consequential fatalism broke rotten empires; a second edition of priest rule under Gregor VII. bent the knee of the feudal knight and curbed the passions of Kings, the reformation of Luther and his coevals freed the conscience of men and the; radical philosophy of the Eighteenth Century established rationalism while the war of Independence, the French revolution, the popular upheaval of 1818. vindicated national independence and natural rights and by the aid

iii iv Preface.

of the free press of the nineteenth century, liberated downtrodden "humanity from privileged oppression, which the cohesive power of plunder, had legally saddled upon it. All these past epochs only confirm the lesson, that there is nd -lasting greatness without truth and no lasting happiness without morality It is the object of this sketch, to inculcate a thorough appreciation of the heavenly twins of truth and morality, and great stress hao been laid upon their value, pointing them out by calling attention to biographical relations upon important actions. Nevertheless great liberality is claimed from the .reader, for even with the most sincere intentions, no one can free himself from the bias of his own individuality and no one can claim to stand on the balance beam of the historic scale. Observing the sequel of dates, as far as possible, portions of the work present special phases collectively Thus, Chapter I gives the Introduction to the leading ideas and political measures in the Union bearing Upon the great questions at issue, to the year 1861. Chapter II treats upon the people of St. Louis and those features of their past History, which shaped their convictions and character and shows that the ancestors exhibited qualities of virtue, worthy the imitation of the most ambitious genius. Chapter III gives the events in the Union immediately preceding Lincoln's taking office; and Chapter IV those specially relating to St. Louis and Missouri, during the same period, Chapter V and VI deal with the first steps of War; Chapter VII with the organization of the Union and Secession host in St. Louis; Chapter VIII, IX and X wifh Lyon's Command and Camp Jackson; Chapter XI with Fremont's accession. Chapter XII the battle of Wilson's Creek. An outline of complete Emancipation in Missouri precedes the Conclusion.

In the course of the narration, it will be found, that the State troops organized by Governor Jackson are almost invariably called Secessionists, because all their higher and most of their lower officers and men eventually became Confederate troops and were either conditional or unconditional Secessionists from the start. After the Missouri State Convention had been elected by a very large majority, (80,000) the supreme authority of the State vested in it, and even from an extreme State Rights' standpoint, the Secessionists in State Guard garb were logically bound to submit to the authority of the United States, which, however, they failed to do. The word "Rebel" is not used in these lines, except in quotations from other writers. The Confederates held that they had a right to secede under their

Preface. v

State Constitutions, saying that as they had formed the pact -of the Union, they had also the right to dissolve it. The name of Secessionist and Rebel had been used interchangeably during the war, often abbreviated to "Secesh" or "Rebs," for which the latter retaliated by the terms of "Feds" and "Yanks." The terms of "Volunteer," "Reserve Corps" and "Home Guard," were also used indiscriminately in the hostile camps of Missouri, which will be chiefly noted in reading quotations from them.

There is no disposition in this work to glorify military achievements, well aware of the fact that "Peace has her victories no less renowned than War." However, culture of thought and sentiment have only a value when they lead to correct action, and it would be a false policy to obliterate the memory of the Civil War, for it was the most serious, most important, and most far-reaching lesson which this nation ever received, and to hide its causes, disregard its consequences and shun its warnings, could have only disastrous results in the future. Just because war is a terrible calamity,, should its lessons be heeded. If the arbitrament of arms is invoked, its consequences cannot be avoided. Fatigue, sickness, poverty, death and destruction follow in the wake of the furies of war ; even though the object be the victory of a just cause and not revenge or cruelty. Incidentally it may be said, that today he is considered the greatest general who will attain victorv with the least amount of suffering.

In compiling this work, many contemporaneous writers have been read. Billons excellent chronicle of Missouri in its Territorial days; Henry Boernstein's autobiography of 75 years; Wherry's Wilson's Creek; F. Schnake s Geschichte; Schlosser's Welt Geschichte; John Minor Botts, The Great Rebellion ; J. C. Abbot's History ; the United States Records of the War of the Rebellion , J C. Moore's, Galusha Anderson's, J. Thomas Scharff's History of St. Louis, and Books, Charts, Maps and Lists have been consulted by the aid of Libraries and the very valuable collection of the St. Louis Historical Society Particular mention deserves in this connection John M. Schofield's "49 Years in the Army;" Colonel Peckham's "Life of Lyon;" Thomas L. Snead's "A Fight for Missouri," and the last three are specially recommended to every student of History, because their writers took an active and prominent part in the events of 1861, and as Schofield and Peckham were Union men and Snead a Secessionist, a better and more reliable representation can be secured bv comparing views of opposing parties.

vi Preface.

Credit was given in this sketch, wherever the. opinion of others was quoted or their words used. In gathering the details of Company or Regimental organizations and actions, a great many comrades cheerfully aided with advice and information of details, and this valuable assistance and that of the sons of the writer, made this publication possible. Upon the organization of Union troops in St. Louis, more details are and could be given from the First Volunteer and First Reserve Regiment, for their story came more within personal experience, and is also characteristic for the development of the others, while a repetition of a similar detail, would have only a very limited interest to the general reader.

Important documents, orders, reports, speeches, resolutions, proclamations, letters, have been given in the original, as the best evidence of their faithful interpretation, and the sketch was verified by the recollection of yet living men of that period.

Discrepancies in dates, names,1 and numbers are almost unavoidable , they are caused by the failing memory upon events that passed forty-eight years ago; but it is hoped that the main object was attained, and that was to do justice and give a true picture and reliable characterization upon one of the most memorable popular upheavals in modern History.

1 Page 104, second line, read "Preetorius" instead of "Pretorius" Page 104, third line, read "Enno Sander" instead of "Eno Sanders."

Chapter I— INTRODUCTION. Page

Considerations T 1

Slavery 2

Local Differences 6

Territorial and Economic Relations 9

Louisiana Purchase 13

Segregation of Parties 15

State Rights „ 16

Missouri Compromise 19

Tariff and Nullification 21

Abolition Movement 26

Elijah P. Lovejoy 30

Incentives to Mobs 33

Florida and Texas 36

Effects of a Liberal Movement 40

Compromise of 1850 41

Fugitive Slave Law 44

The Kansas Contest 46

Presidential Election of 1856 54

Dred Scott Decision '. 56

Monroe Doctrine and Slavery 58

Spirit of North and South 61

Lincoln-Douglas Debate 62

Chapter II— THE PEOPLE OF ST. LOUIS. Origin; First Settlement 65

Indians and Fortifications 69

Louisiana Territory in the Union 71

Territorial Days of Missouri 78

Settlers of American Era 80

Admission of Missouri 84

German Immigration of 1830 87

Immigration of 1848 92

Chapter III— UNION POLITICS. Presidential Election of 1860 105

Causes of the Civil War 110

vii viii Contents.

Page

Secession 113

Vain Compromise Plans 117

A Square Issue 119

Chapter IV— MISSOURI EVENTS. The Southwest Campaign 126

The St. Louis Turnverein 127

The St. Louis Press ,... 129

Last Days of 1860 .' 132

Missouri Legislature in 1861 . 135

Fears and Doubts in St. Louis : . . . . 139

A Tell-Tale Letter 142

The Missouri State Convention 145

Chapter V— THE APPROACHING STORM. Drifting Towards War 156

Alexander Stephens' Great Effort 158

Peace Conference and Schemes '...-..: 162

Lincoln's Journey to Washington .: ...• 164

Lincoln's Inauguration .;: :■',■ 166

Secession Constitution " 167

Loyalty of the Missouri State Convention .V. . ,. 168

Legislature Tries to Curb St. Louis 174

The Dawn of Relief ■--. . ..: 176

Chapter VI— THE WAR COMMENCES: Fort Sumter 178

Lincoln's Call for 75,000 men , 179

Governor Jackson's Treason ; 180

General Frost's Advice 182

Harney Sees Danger , ,. 184

Chapter VII— ORGANIZATION. On to Washington ...,., 186

Union Military Organization in"St. Louis ; 188

The Safety Committee 190

St. Louis Minute Men 193

The Three Months Volunteers >. . .. ., 195

The St. Louis Home Guard or United States Reserve Corps, Missouri

Volunteers .x. 200

The Muster for Anns 205

Secession Schemes 212

Camp Jackson Established 216

Contents. ix

Page Arming the Home Guard, or United States Reserve Corps, Missouri

Volunteers 219

War Democrats : ! : . ' 223

Chapter VIII— THE WAR IN MISSOURI. Union Schemes 224

Capture of Camp Jackson 226

Days of Excitement . . : ... 238

Secessionist War Measures 242

General Harney's Failure 245

Chapter IX— LYON IN COMMAND. ■ Limited Means 254

Moves for Time and Position 260

Hostilities Commence 263

Lyon's Advance Into the State , :...... 266

Battle of Boonville '. 270

Chapter X— THE SOUTHWEST. The Disposition of Secession Forces ; 278

The Southwest Union Column 280

The Battle of Carthage 281

Lyon's March South 286

Southeast Missouri 288

Missouri State Convention Ousts Governor 290

The Battle of Fulton 292

The Situation at St. Louis 294

Chapter XI— JOHN C. FREMONT. Cairo and Bird's Point 300

Lyon at Springfield 304

Chapter XII— THE BATTLE OF WILSON'S CREEK. Resolute Measures 334

The First Emancipation Proclamation 337

Conclusion of First Part 342 x Contents

Part II. The First Union Regiments

Page

General Remarks 349

First Regiment Infantry, Missouri Volunteers, Partly Three Months' and

Three Years' Service 351

First Regiment Infantry, Missouri Volunteers, Completed List of Three

Months' Service 364

First Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers 417

Second Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers 431

Third Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers 441

Fourth Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers 452

Fifth Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers 464

Pacific Battalion, Company B, United States Reserve Corps 475

Note Relative to Artillery and Pioneer Company 475

ILLUSTRATIONS.

The illustrations in this book are characteristic representations of its contents. They comprise leaders, officers and privates of the several Regiments of different ranks, ages and callings. Hundreds of others could have been added who were prominent men at the time, or who rendered excellent service during the war, and attained a high usefulness after their return. A like praise could be given to many champions of the other camp in their later life, but that would lead beyond the aim and limits of the present sketch.

The ranks stated under the photos are those of 1861.

Facing Page

Abraham Lincoln — President United States of America ; born in

Kentucky , fifty-two years old in 1861 ; died in 1865 Title

Francis Preston Blair, Jr. — Colonel First Infantry Missouri Volunteers ; lawyer ; born in Kentucky ; forty years old in 1861 ; Private in Mexican War ; Free Soiler in the Missouri Legislature ; Member of Congress from 1856 to 1862 ; Major General ; United States Senator ; in 1868 candidate of the Democratic party for Vice-President of the United States ; (see p. 104) ; died in 1875 176

Constantin Blandovski — Captain Third Infantry Missouri Volunteers; instructor St. Louis Turnverein ; born in Poland; thirty-four . years old in 1861 ; took part in the Hungarian war of 1848 ; mortally wounded at the capture of Camp Jackson, May 10th ; died May 25, 1861. 232

Henry Boernstein — Colonel Second Infantry, Missouri Volunteers; author; born in Austria; fifty-six years old in 1861; had a military education; active in the revolution of 1848; editor Anzeiger des Westens; rationalist and agitator; for a brief period Military Governor of Missouri 272

B. Gratz Brown— Colonel Fourth Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers; lawyer and editor; born in Kentucky; thirty-five years old in 1861; started Free Soil movement in the Missouri Legislature, whose member he was from 1852 to 1859; United States Senator from 1863 to 1866; Governor of Missouri in 1871; candidate for United States Vice-President in 1872; died in 1885 64

Adolphus Busch — Corporal Third Regiment United States Reserve . Corps, Missouri Volunteers, merchant and brewer; born in Germany; nineteen years old in 1861; graduate of Belgian College; organized the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, the second largest in the world; likewise the South Side Bank, the Manufacturers' Railroad, glass factories, many other companies and hundreds of ice plants, employing many thousand people, and is a most generous supporter of all charities and public enterprises 240

xi xii Illustrations.

Page

Isidor Bush — Private Second Regiment United States Reserve Corps. Missouri Volunteers; merchant; born in Bohemia; thirty-nine years old in 1861; appointed Captain and Commissary on Fremont's staff; member of the City Council, School Board and of the Missouri Convention of 1861, farmer and philanthropist; died 1898 168

James B. Eads — Captain of steamboats; civil engineer and ship builder; born in Indiana; forty-one years old in 1861; planned and constructed armored fleet and gunboats, originated Mississippi delta jetties; financier and chief engineer of Ead's Bridge across the Mississippi, which was started in 1867; member Mississippi River Commission; ■ died in 1887. 224

John T. Fiala— Lieutenant-Colonel Second Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers; topographical engineer; born in Hungary; thirty-nine years old in 1861; Major in Hungarian army of 1848; made and published the first large sectional and topographical map of Missouri, Colonel on Fremont's staff; suggested to General Lyon the St. Louis forts built by Fremont 216

Gustav A. Finkblnburg— Lieutenant First Infantry Missouri Volunteers; Captain Company A before muster; Speaker of St. Louis Turnverein; lawyer; born in Germany; twenty- four years old in 1861; in Missouri Legislature from 1864 to 1866; in Congress from 1868 to 1872; candidate for Governor; United States Judge in 1907 and 1908; died 1908. . 192

Henry T. Flad — Private Third Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers; civil engineer; born in Germany; thirty-seven years old in 1861; commanded engineer company of 'German revolutionists in 1848; Colonel of Engineers in the Civil War; afterwards Water Commissioner of St. Louis, President Board of Public Improvements for three terms; President Mississippi River Commission, also of American Society of Engineers; leading assistant engineer of Eads Bridge; died 1898 '. 104^

John C. Fremont — Major-General and Commander of Department; Westpointer; born in Georgia; fifty-two years old in 1861; pathfinder over the Rocky Mountains; Free-Soil candidate for President in 1856; (see page 385) ; died 1890 336

Friederich Hecker — Born in Germany; fifty years old in 1861; lawyer and farmer; Member of Parliament and leader in the Republican uprising of 1848 in Germany; entered United States military service in 1861 as private; elected Colonel; after the war an effective lecturer, vindicating the gospel of rationalism through his speeches and writings; died March 24, 1881 96

Nathaniel Lyon — Captain United States Army; Brigadier-General of Volunteers; Westpointer; born in Connecticut; forty-two years old in 1861; fell at Wilson's Creek, August 10, 1861; had bequeathed $30,000 by will for the maintenance of the Union; (see page 208) 152

Peter J. Osterhads — Captain Second Infantry, Missouri Volunteers; army officer in Europe; born in Germany; thirty-eight years old in 1861; commander of Manheim during revolutionary war of 1848; Brigadier- General and Major-General in the Union army and successful leader in many campaigns and battles; later Consul in Europe 320

Illustrations. xiii

Page Roderick E. Rombauer — Private First Infantry, Missouri Volunteers;

afterwards Captain First Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers; lawyer; born in Hungary; twenty-eight years old in 1861; active in the revolution of 1848; after the Civil War Judge of Law Commissioners, Circuit Court and Court of Appeals; legal advisor of School Board for years; one of the ablest jurists of Missouri. 200

Johx M. Schofield— Lieutenant United States Army; later Major First Infantry, Missouri Volunteers; Westpointer: professor at Washington University; mustering officer; born in New York; thirty years old in 1861; Lyon's Adjutant; became successful commander and Lieutenant- General of all armies of the United States; died in 1906 208

Nicolaus Schuettneh — Colonel Fourth Infantry, Missouri Volunteers; carpenter and builder; manufacturer of brick molds; born in Germany; forty years old in 1861; leader of the Schwarze Jager Schuetzenverein, a hunter's society; held Bird's Point in Southeast Missouri; died in 1868 288

Francis Sigel — Colonel Third Infantry, Missouri Volunteers; teacher; born in Germany; thirty-seven years old in 1861; artillerist and commanding officer in Baden during the revolutionary war of 1848-9; principal German institute of education in St. Louis; organized Third Regiment and Battery, Brigadier-General and Major-General in the Union Army, holding important commands; after the war editor in Baltimore and civil officer in New York; (see page 262) ; died in 1902. 280

Joseph Spiegelhalter — Lieutenant Fifth Infantry, Missouri Volunteers; medical student of Humboldt Institute and teacher; graduated as doctor in 1862; twenty-six years old in 1861; surgeon of the Twelfth Missouri Regiment during the war; later health officer, coroner; member of the Board of Health and of medical societies; President of St. Louis Turnverein and other associations; died in 1909 304

St. Louis Turnverein Building — Tenth and Walnut Streets; most popular meeting place of Union men in and before 1861, and cradle of first military Union organizations 128

Charles G. Stifel — Colonel Fifth Regiment United States Reserve Corps, Missouri Volunteers; brewer; born in Germany; forty- two years of age in 1861; member of City Council in 1855; organized the Fifth Reserve and was its efficient and popular leader; presented the Schiller statue to St. Louis; public-spirited member of benovolent and other societies; died in 1900 296

MAPS AND CHARTS.

Page

Territory Ceded by States to United States 10

St. Louis County in 1861 66

Territory Acquired by United States 72

Camp Jackson in 1861 228

Camp Jackson's Present Subdivision 229

Map of Missouri 267

Battlefield of Wilson's Creek1 315

1 Compiled from notes of United States Topographical Survey and various reports.

xiv

PART I.

Introduction

CONSIDERATIONS.

History is a unit by reason of the logic of events, which act all over the world in accordance with the eternal law of cause and effect. This applies to moral as well as physical conditions; all laws should be in keeping with the laws of nature, which are immutable. They leave us the only alternative — either to live in accordance with them or to suffer. The obedience to these laws is dictated by common sense, and the Egotist will submit to them as well as the Altruist. It is our action within them, which establishes true value, and correct conventional law is, or should be, only natural law, with proper safeguards against the abuses facilitated by social relations. When our affections take in the members of our family exclusively, we prove our human worth to that extent, and in filling that first duty it i- so decreed by the eternal wisdom which rules the Universe that we also become useful to mankind. Enlarged views and nobler sentiments will also consider the community in which we live, and in proportion as our consideration embraces larger divisions of our kind, our value and worth as human beings also increases. Thus the Egotist rises to a good member of the family, a good citizen of the community, the state, the nation and the world. That is the progress of the development of man — in cocentric circles from the narrow limits of self to the all-comprehensive considerations of philantbropy But this process will be beneficent only as long as we are correct in our reasoning.

We admire the attachment to family and kindred, the undaunted bravery of resolution, the perseverance of devotion, the fidelity to honest convictions, which guide the actions of man, but all these fine qualities can not make convictions right when they are cardinally wrong; all these high qualities which everybody admires, can not sanctify an aim which is destructive of the happiness of humanity

2 The T-nion Cause in St, Louis in 1861.

at large. When we look back on the great tragedy of 1861 we find that a very large number of those who gravely erred in their judgment acted from pure motives and in keeping with their honest convictions ; for the preceding events of a century had shaped opinions, and even sentiments, dividing the nation into two great camps, and leading with the certainty of fate to the irrepressible conflict. The eminent German historian Schlosser writes in his works : "No national, religious or class distinctions threatened the peace of the Union. Still the antagonistic relation of free and slave labor led to ominous contrasts which caused the greatest civil war known to History." There is no doubt now in the world, that Slavery was the cause of the civil war. This is generally conceded. The development, however, of Slavery from small beginnings until it became an aggressive' power which shook a continent is full of the gravest lessons that may be most beneficently utilized by their timely application in future. In order to understand and to appreciate the actions and events of 1861, a brief review of the past is necessary.

SLAVERY

Slavery existed before History knew civilized people,. Probably it was restricted at first to captives of war and their families, and, as soon this proved profitable or convenient, it was made hereditary Prowess on one side and weakness on the other have often produced a condition of dependence akin to Slavery A relation which became common and general had to be regulated by law, and the person who already inherited slaves grew up accustomed to relations whose justice he had no incentive to question. The desire for happiness is, however, born with every human being, and this leads direct to a wish for liberty As soon as this desire is noticed, repressive measures are applied. These have a very bad effect on the master, making him more domineering, stern, often of necessity cruel, and they make the slave more miserable and discontented, and estrange him from his master. The ancient despotisms and more or less aristocratic republics nearly all kept Slaves, and, as war and conquest was the natural and usual condition of those States, their citizens were always ready to suppress every uprising. The baneful reaction of Slavery on the master and the nonslaveholding citizen was little considered or understood by the ancients. That the immense wealth of one class engendered the relative great poverty of the other was not thought of; that luxury and passions, unrestrained by any considerations or laws of equal human rights, destroyed morality and justice, was not taken into account by ambitious and greedy statesmen ; that Slavery, in overloading the bondsmen, took from the citizen the chance of a healthy activity, qualifying him for idleness and military ambition, facilitating conquests and spoliation of other nations, was rather coveted than shunned; and yet militarism destroyed in the end the liberty loving spirit of the citizen, and corrupted his body and soul with the customs, vices and luxuries of inferior nations.

The cruelty toward the slave dulled the sensibilities and kind feelings of the masters toward their other fellowmen, and led to fearful butcheries, proscriptions and wholesale spoliation, which caused the power of Rome, the best organized State of antiquity, to rot toward destruction. This lesson is the "Handwriting upon the wall" for other nations; it reads Beware of Slavery, the inequalities of citizens, foreign conquests and militarism. The immortal doctrine of universal love, proclaimed by the great teacher of Nazareth, placed all human beings, a Roman Emperor as well as an African Slave, upon an equality before their Maker. A transition from a corrupt empire to a radical republic, however, was an impossibility, but the spiritual equality established by the Church mitigated the conditions of slave dependence to milder forms, in establishing the organization of the feudal system, and of a serfdom conditioned as well as based on low ignorance on one side, and well nerved but often greedy capacity on the other In the Orient Slavery continued unbroken , the warlike, conquering disposition of the Mohamedan spread it across Northern Africa to Spain, and in the year 990 merchants from the Barbary Coast brought slaves from Central Africa to Europe. The Turks enslaved their captives in war, without discrimination of color or nationality, carried women and children away, and raised the latter for the military service' of that formidable body of soldiers, the Janissaries. Even this very astute slave policy proved a fearful curse in the end. The Janissaries grew as dangerous to the Sultan as the Pretorian Guards to the Roman Emperors, until in June, 1826, Sultan Mahomed defeated their insurrection after a most sanguinary battle and had them exterminated.

In their attempts for the circumnavigation of Africa, the Portuguese came in touch with the tribes of that continent, and brought from there the first colored slaves to be used for labor. Spain was

not slow to follow suit, and when Columbus discovered America, he enslaved Indian prisoners and with the blessings of his discovery laid the foundation of an evil which o(k> years later should have to be redeemed by the untold sufferings of a great nation. In speaking of this arrangement of Spanish settlers in San Domingo, Washington Irving in his "Life of Columbus," states:

"He assigned to them (the settlers) liberal portions of land, and numerous Indian Slaves taken in the wars. He made an arrangement also by which the Caciques in their vicinity, instead of paying tribute, should furnish parties of their subjects, free Indians, to assist the Colonists in the cultivation of their lands; a kind of feudal service which was the origin of the 'Repartimientos' or distributions of free Indians among the Colonists, afterwards generally adopted and shamefully abused throughout the Spanish Colonies; a source of intolerable hardship and oppressions to the unhappy natives, and which greatly contributed to exterminate them from the island of Hispaniola" (San Domingo).

This was a source of evil, which three hundred years later, most cruelly exterminated the White race from that "AVest Indian Paradisc."' While Queen Isabella discountenanced the enslavement of Indians by Columbus and even returned large numbers from Spain to their, native island, they were still compelled to work in the mines and in other employments, which owing to the cruel greed of the Spaniards, finally ground them out of existence. It was at this time that Negro slaves born in Spain, were first imported into the West Indies. Of this event Washington Irving says: "It is a fact worthy of observation that Hispaniola, the place where this flagrant sin against nature and humanity was first introduced into the New World, has been the first to exhibit an awful retribution." This came in San Domingo in the year 1791; a few refugees from this awful catastrophe found afterwards a sheltering home in St. Louis.

Upon the share which Columbus had in introducing Slavery in San Domingo, Washington Irving says:

"It is not the intention of the author, however, to justify Columbus on a point where it is inexcusable to err. Let it remain a blot on his illustrious name, and let others derive a lesson from it."

Columbus enslaved a large number of Indians and scot them to European markets. Isabella of Spain ordered the liberation of the Indians in Europe, but left captive Moors and Negroes in bondage. Now Slavery ceased to be a war measure and became a factor in agricultural and mercantile economy. While the introduction of the stronger, more docile and tractable Negro, relieved the Indian on the Continent from this immediate danger to his liberty, it laid the foundation of an evil which almost became fatal to the life of the North American Union. The Popes, at the time the highest representatives of the ethical principle in the world, condemned Slavery at its very cradle. Pope Leo X. declared early in the sixteenth century "Not the Christian religion only, but nature itself cries out against the state of Slavery;" and not much later Pope Paul III. imprecated a curse on Europeans who would enslave Indians, or any other class of men. It is hardly correct to lay the responsibility for the introduction of African Slavery in America, at the door of the Dominican monk De las Casas, who is said to have advised the practice of Negro Slavery already introduced before him, in order to protect the native Indian. That human rights did not then enter into the consideration of the Slavery question, is shown by the example of Charles V., who sailed with a great fleet, to liberate Christian slaves at Tunis, and at the same time sanctioned the African slave trade, by giving one of his subjects the exclusive privilege of importing Negro slaves to the West Indies.