Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-12-27

|1white troops. The reasons for this are OBJ
vious without entiohing manyo OF thems Inc
presence of black troops, lately slaves, de-
moralizes labor, both by their advice and fnr'
nishing intheir camps 8 resort for the freed
men for long distances around. White troops
generally excite no opposition, and, there
fore. small number of them can maintain
Eordet in a given district. : 2s}-.S
| Colored troops must be kept in bodies sut-
6cient to defend themselves. 1t" is not the
thinking men who would do violence toward
auy class of troops sent among them by the
oezersI government, but the Ignorant in some
.nIaces might, and the late slaves, too, who
mipbt be imbued With the idea that the
| property ofhi late master should by right
belong to him-at least, should have no pro
lection from the colored soldiers. There ls
no danger of collisions being brought on by
such causes. MY observations led me to tie
conclusion that the citizens Of the Soutcern
SSstes are anxious TO return 10 self-govern-.
ns,ent "a within the Union as soon as possible )
'that whilst reconstructing, tLey want and
require protection from the government that
they thii.k is required by the government
and is not humillating to them IS cit tzans,
and that if such course was pointed out
they would pursue it, in good faith. tits to
| he regretted t!,at there cannot DC greater
commingling at this time between the citi-
| zens of the two sections. aud particularly
those who are interested upon thelaw making
noints:a did not give the operations OF the
EFreedman's Bureau that attention j would
= have done ifmore time had been at my dis
posaa. Conversations, however, with officers
Connected with the Bureau, led me to think
+ thgtiu sone OF the States IFS affairs have not
been conducted witbgood udgementandecoa
ouy and tho belieirv viden'ly sr road amongthe
freedman Of the Southern States that the
lands of their former owners will, at least In
:: mart, be divided among them, has come from
the agents Of this Bureau. This belief is Sc
riousiY Interfering with the willingness OF the
freedD,sn to make contracts for the coming
year. In some form the Freedmau's Bureau
Is an absolute necessity until civil law is es
: tablished and enforced securing to the freed
man their rights and full protection. At pres
emit, however, it is independent of the MIL
isary establishment of the country, and ssema
{ to be co operated with by the different agents
OF the Bureau according to their individual
notions. -,
/ Everywhere General Howard, the able
head of the Bureau, made friends BY the just
and fair Instructors and advice he gave; but
the complaint in South Carolina was that
when he left things went on as before. Many,
perhaps the majority of the agents of the
Freedmcu's Bureau, advise the freedmen that
by their own industry they must expect to
live, and to this end they endeavor to secure
employment for thenl and 10 see that both
contracting parties comply with their engage
ments. "3'I
In some cases, am sorry to say, the freed
mans mind does not seem to be disabused OF
the idea that the freedman has the right to
live without care or provision for the future.
The effect of the belief in the division OF
lands, is idleness and accumulation in camps,
towns and cities. In such cases l thiuk it
will be found vice and disease will tend to
the, determination or great destruction of the
colored race It cannot be expected that the
opinions held by men at the South for years
Can be changed in day, End therefore the
/ freedmen require for few years. not only
laws to protect them, but the fostering care
of those who will give them good counsel,
and upon whom they can rely.
The Freedmen's Bureau being separated
from the military establishment of the coun-
try, requires all the expenses of separate
organization. One does not knGw what the
other is doing, or what orders they are act
ing under. 1t seems to me this could be
corrected by regarding every officer on duty
gith troops in the Southern States as agents
of the; Freedmen's Bureau, and then have all
orders for the head of the Bureau sent through
the best commanders. This would create
responsibility that would insure uniformity
of action throughout the South, and would
insure the orders and Instructions from the
head Of the Bureau being carried out, and
would relieve from duty and pay large num-
Der of employees of the government.
| / have The honor to be, very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
U. S. GRANT. Lieut. Gen.