, 1865-06-15
EREEDMEN's BUREAU.
The Auxiliary Relief fAzsoclAIiou-Im.
menAe Field OF Labor.


a.
One Of the most powerful engines at work
tho South has recently been put in operation
in the shape of the Freedmen's Bureau. This
bureau, at the head Of which Major General
Q. o. HoTbrd, recently commander Of the
Army Of the Tennessee, has been appointed,
wns authorized BY IN act Of Congress passed
during the late session. The objects III at
tach'ng 1t to the army were tWo-f1rst, in Or
der that the commissioners might be military
men, drawing salaries from the government; !;
and second, to give the enterprise the benefit
Of the system and organization incident to
military control. Previously the manage
ment Of negro affairs was loosely conducted
by class OF men knJEr as superintendents
Of freedmen: The arrangement now is to
place all matters connected with freedmen In
the hands OF commissioners, who will be ra.
sponsible to their superior officer for the man
ner in which they perform their work.
By recent order or the War Department a1l
aaiiable maferitI Of war not necessary In the
amy Is to be turned over 10 the proper par-
ties for distribution. This includes horses,
mules, wagons, shoyels, axes, &C., and will
be valuable ncccRsion 10 the carrying out
OF the first steps to ma6e the negro self-sup-
porting.
A very important and valuable co-opers-
ting agent In helping along the efforts Of the
Frredman's Bureau ia the National Freed.
mans Relief Association, Of which Francis
George Shaw Ia President, Joseph B. Collins,
No. 40 Wall street, Is Treasurer, and George
c. Ward Chairman of the Finance Commit
tee.
During the year 1854 the association ex-
pended $329. 600, distributed over four hun
dred thousand garments. and reached with
Supplies over two hundred Thousand souls,
Employed one hundred and sixty te0eher8,
agents and superintendents, and in the
schools had over twenty-five thousand pu-
pills.
The fields chiefly operated in are the valley
Of the Mississippi Natchez aud Vicksburg
being the central points Of distribution.
Louisiana and New Orleans being the center.
At the last named point the association has
large Orphan Asylum for orphan negro
children. In Florida, Feruandina, Jackson
In South Carolina tic colonies are located
principally cn the Sea Islands; in North
Earolfua, Roanoke Island, Ncwbern. Bcau-
fort, De-, and In Virginia at Norfolk.
Since the close Of the war the association
has Increased the number Of Its colonies,
which n sho1t time Will extend to all parts
Necessarily attendant upon the sudden ter
minatlon Of hostt1ities has been radical
change in the relations Of master md slave.
Ncith knows the policy Of the Government,
and scems 10 betwMt!ng for something def.
mite. Meanwhile the blacks, hitherto
reduced to the greatest extremities of
starvation, and suffer fearful mortality.
In order to meet the increase in tn reaui-
site outlays of the association call has been
made upon the charities Of the people for
funae. The following letter will give an
In Alabama.
HKApqn's Anxx AND DIVISION J
or WEST MISSISSIPPI,
MoanF. Ala, Nay 10, 1865.
Relief Association:
S1n-Tbere arc thirty ttcns.ud poor freedmen
now thrown upon our hand. In this St3tc. They
vi be able only to get bread this year; clothing
and a learning mass come ne from The E Eors1nme9s Or
pie. The advance Of the army from Mobile up
ward, was the occnston for the fight OF nearly all
the hs Ths fesS
exodus Of olden time Was nothing co nparcd with
this. But when speak OF the suffering endured
By them, must acknowledge that 1t weskets ns.
desth intheir aieht.. Mothers, the1ns :lves ex-
hsusted left tt cir children the 'dtide to de-
Soldiers hare paused In their u1rch, and with
Kindly souis, dug Etaycs In which to buty thcu1-
The old shareholders, confused BY the defeat Of
Impoverished and humbled,. give hut llttle marcy
10 the people whose hTes they formerly held. I
sec freedmen every day who come Scared. mane.
LED and bleeding from the brutal treasnent Of
nsF peo @ r e. to
utVolencc as Is presented here IN the South to.
day. to the eood Christian people Of thi5 world.
Will you be kind enough simply to let these facts
VIII spcsk for themselves. I wish had clothing
for thirty thousand people at this moment
leave for Montgomery to, day, and will en-
larre On this sad picture rom there. an, in
THoaAs ". Cosw4r,
General Superintendent Freedmen.
&The negro Is one Of the great questions
witch 1t has now become the duty Of tho
and upon the ruins Of this last vcstige Of
bsrbar,sm, 1t is now the great duty OF the
American people TO build up race fit to en-
joy the privileges Of citizenship whieh cln
not long be withheld.