Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-08-13
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
lHE CONDITION OF THE FREEDMEN.


In which, with other reflections of more general
nature, they suggest the following plan OF organ
ization for the governmental freedmen through
out the South:
The commission suggest plan of provisional 'rsanza
tion for the Improvement protection and employment oi
refugee Freedmen ending 9f The Pfeseo o inch hsv
districts OF country only with the condition on whcn ,ney
have become acquainted, chiefly BY personal pecuon OF
the various locations in part by reliable epor aoo orPo
siiions--namely, the District OF COLUMBIA, eastern VIZ
onis Nor!b C.rolna south Caroina AMI Florida
The Commi,.i. have rudeaVor-d t. ad-pt their plan
NOT only 10 the immediate under the present condi
on Of things but aso - meet such addoai occupancy
by Federal troops OF tire four States ab"ve named rs Is
likely during We present year aud until Congress
shall haze lad opporun to legsate on this subject
The Commission piopose-
That The above region OF country constitute three
reedmens cup. rnteE dences or departments he nr.t
comprising tho District OF Columbia mud Eastern Vrgna,
the second extending North Carona aud The third
embracing the States OF South Caroln' ard florida
That there be apo nted f'r r-ch # these supern-
tendencies Department Superintendent, with the pay
and allowance Of colonel o! avalry.
That there be appointed many resident superin-
tenden,s in each department there important sta
items therein wi not rss in each than from three to five
thousand freedmen TO for these resident superiu-
tenients to have tie pay aud allowances OF captain of
cavalry.
4 That where the number of freedmen at any station
shall exceed seven eight Thousand and il is the opinion
OF the Department Superintendent expressed IN writing
that assistant superintendent required there De ap
Poned such assistant with the pay aud allowances OF
lieutenant of cavalry.
such superintendtnts
S. That there be appointed such clerks and foremen as
may be necessary to carry the details OF this organz
ton with wages vi from one To three dollars day,
dunted according 10 tie oh .racter o! their duties.
And, finally, that there be detailed Superintendent
General Of Freedmen oicer of suitable qualifications
not under the rank OF brgader general, 10 whom and
to his staff he assigned Office in the War Department,
his staff officers acting secretaries otherwise aiding
him in his duties of supervision.
will be that this organization presupposes three
Buperlnteudents
thus: : - $3.50 80 ~ '
One Superintendent General of Freedmen for the Uni
ted States
Department Experimentation for each superinten
dency, uprising not LEES than STATE
Resident Superinendenis for each resdency with
NOT less than three thousand freedmen 10 care for
Assistant Superntendents-One to aid the R sident Su
pernendept when the number OF freedmen within the
sidency exceeds seven TO eight thousand.
Together with the needfUl Gle rks and foremen.
The plan will not, the Commission believe, be deemed
unnecessarily elaborate when the possibility taken into
cunt that the coored population for whose supervision
1t IS prepared may reach the number OF million or
million aud half before the current year expires.
The Commission further propose that to the general off
detailed Superintendent General of Freedmen be
committed, until Congress shall otherwise provide, the
general supervision throughout the United States of the
cored population emancpated by the Presidents proca
NATION and by acts Of Congress- and the duty of seeing
faithfully carried out the plan OF organization which may
be adopted
That this officer head Of the organization all re-
ports Of Department superintendent and all acquisitions
by them for money other supplies be addressed and
that be his duty lay these with such remarks thereon
~ he may deem proper before the Secretary of War.
That if the Freedmehs Superntendences shall in
crease in numbers ard Importance the officer aforesaid
shall be OF opinion that it will be useful IT, call together,
from time to time the Department superintendent sit
for few days board for consultation aud for COM
parison of mutual experience it shall be his opinion
do, and Of such board be shall be chsirman.
That each Resident Superintendent shall report at least
once month to the proper Department superintendent
who shall communicate said reports with such remarks
thereon and such recommendations in regard to any
TO the Superintendent General
That each Superintendent report the proper
Res dent Superintendent who shall commuI ica,e such
report with his remarks thereon any he necessary
10 the proper Department Superintendent.
competent surgeon and hospital steward should be ap
for each residency, aud assistant surgeon added
when the number of refugees attached the residency
requires it, 1t may be necessary at first give these
officers the pay and allowances of officers Of the rank
in the army But it is very desirable that pos
sble the proper relation between pbycan and patient
be in a least established by caus Dg these
medical men to depend 10 part for support those whom
they Ts attend ssd,t,0.s J, e,b,.,.d instruction
and religious TO these uneduated people be
estimated 1t pleasant TO the Commission be able to
state their conviction that the freedmen every district
of country they have v ed to obtain for themselves
but ally for Their children those privileges Of educa
ton which have hitherto been jealousy withheld from
them may already be depended upon to support in part
both teachers and pastors The benevolent and religious
zoe cites Of the North aiding literally in this good
wo X and the opinion OF of those who have tsken
Leading part in tn pian'hropc efforts Gas expressed to
selves they will be able for he present and until the
Der Of refugee freedmen shall materially increase
Cases to supply the necessary literary and religious nsruc
uon H. In the organization of the various LefntendeD-
cies this opinion sbou prove correct it well But
nized eors of private benevolencs usually uncer
tain in their duration, and greatly increased mu ration
OF refugees may bugmeBt the number of freedmen need
ing nsruct that the demand for school TIA cbing and
pas oral will exceed the supply Iu that case NAV
be necessary certain that Government for
time being detail chaplain TO take the religious charge
OF resdency and that pay the salaries of the
Teachers until the freedmehs schools become self support
Ing
rs to these matters it should be made the duty Of the
dep srtment superintendent specially t. report
Meanwhile, the Government should aft ord Transports
uon W any religious secular teachers who are duly
accredited by respectable societies and supported in
whole or IN part om the funds of the societies By whom
they sent. :
Asa general rule the refugees will probably sooner he
able 10 pay their cieRymen tDau provide the rrouste
number oil teachers Tor their children The freedmen If
Newbern have recently invited private Of the Forty third
Massachusetts volunteers, tanned Edward Fitz of The
Methodist persuasion and having License to pieab IN
become their pastor, at salary Of thousand year
The organization here proposed viii be Incomplete in
tnose parts uperntend nces here spoken OF which
INT ordinary courts of justice are suspended unless tenn
Poary provision be made for magstracy through whose
ncion thee people may learn the important lesson that
sno opeuieuce WHICH ss slaves they paid t. the will of
M sler must NJ he rendered by th-m as freedmen 10
osi abished law being taken not t encourage them
70 become hgous In this view the Commission recon-
mi nd that wherever throughout the observation-disclosures
AZ resald, JUSTICES OF the and crcnt and othar
u6ges have ceased to hold their sessions proves, uJos
hn kA 81.