Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1865-12-27

IcIb W Stcuii9SDu Guy on the -tiI OF
last month, for the purpose of making O.
toar of inspection throughout some Of the
Southern States lately in rebellion, and to
see what changes were necessary in the
disposition of military forces of the coun-
/ try; how these forces could be reduced
and expenses curtailed, &c, and to learn
as far as passible, the feelings and inten-
tions Of the citizens of those States toward
the general government. The State Of
Virginia being so accessible to Washing
ton, and information from this quarter,
therefore so readily obtained, | FASTENED
through Che State without conveTsing or
meeting with any of it's citizens. in
Raleigh, \. c., | spent one day in Char
! lesion, ). @, two days; and in Savannah
and Augusta, Ga, one day each Both in
travelling and whilst stopping | saw much
and conversed freely with the citizens OF
those States, as well as the officers who
have been stationed among them The
following are the conclusions come to by
me: | am satisfied that the mass of the
thinking men of the south aacept the pres
ent situation of affairs in good faith The
questions which have hitherto divided the
! sentiments of the people Of the two sec
tons-slavery and state rights, or the
right OF the state to secede from the Cni0u
they regard as having been settle d for
ever by the highest tribunal-arms- that
man can resort to. | Twas pleased to learn
from the leading men whom | met that
they not only accepted the decision. ar
rived ut as final, but now the smoke Of
battle had cleared away and time has
been given for reflection, that this decis-
| ion has been fortunate one for the whole
country, they receiving the Ike benefits
from it with those who opposed them in
the field and in the council
-Four years of war. during which law
was executed only at the point OF the bay
onet throughout the states in rebellion,
have left them possibly in a condition not
to yield that ready obedience to civil au-
/ thorlty the American people have gener-
ally been in the habit of Welding This
would render the presence of small car
rlsOns throughout those States necessary
until such time as labor returns to It's
proper channel and civil authority is
fully established did not meet anv one,
either those holding places under the t0v
ernnent, or citizens Of the southern
States. who thought it practicable to with
draw the military from the south Mt press
ent. The white and the black mutually
require the protection Of the general gov
ernment There is such universal ac-
/ quiesence in the authority of the general
@overnEent throughout the portion of the
/ country visited by me. that the mere
/ presence Of n military force, without re-
@1rd to numbers. is sufficient to maintain
/ order. The good Of the country requires
that force to he kept in the interior whore
there are many freedmen. The rea sons
for this are obvious, without mentioning
many OF them. The presence Of black
/ troops, lately slaves demoralzes labor,
| beth by their advice and furnishing in
/ their camps 2 resort for the freedmen Cor
I long distances ar0Hnd White troops
generally excite no opposition and there
fore n small number of them can main
tain order in given district C0lCrcd
troops must be kept in bodies sufficient to
defend themselves. II is not the thinking
men who would 90 violence towards anv
class Of troops sent among them bv the
general government. but the ignorant In
some places the late slaves who MIGHT be
imbued with the i1ea that the property Of
his late master should bY right belong to
him, at least, should have no protection
from the colnred soldiers. There Is
danger Of collision from such causes
My observations lead me to the conclusion
that the citizens Of the Southern States
are anxious to return to self-novprnmpnt
within the Union as soon as nosSib'e, and
that whilst recOnst ructine they want and
require protection from the government
that they think is required bv tho govern
ment and ia not humiliatirg to them as
citizens, and that if such a course was
pointed ont they wIud pursue it in good
faith 1t Is TO be regretted that there
cannot be a great cO-mingiinc at this time
between the citizens of the two sections.
/ and particularly Of those entrusted with
the law making power ! did not gi~e the
operations of the Freedmen's Bureau that
attention, but ! would have done so il
more time had been at my disposal.
{ had some conversations, however, with
| officers connected with the Bureau, which
/ led me to think that i'm some Of the States
! It's affairs have rot been conducted with
/ good judgment or economy, and that the
/ belief was widely spread among the freed.
men OF the Southern States that the lands
| Of their owners Will at least in part be
/ divided among them This belief Is SER
/ iously Interfering with the willingness ot
4 the freedmen to make contracts for the
/ coming year. In some forms the Freed
mems Bureau Is an absolute necessity
! until civil law is established and enforced
/ giving them full protection. At present
/ however, it IS independent Of the military
establishment of the country, and seems to
I be operated by the different agents Of tho
/ Bureau according to their individual no.
/ tions. Everywhere Gen. Howard, the
/ able head Of the Burean, made friends bv
+ the just and fair instructions and advice
/ he gave. Bat the complaint in South
, Carolina was, that when he left things
went on as before. Many. perhaps the
majority, of the agents of the Freedmen
Bureau advise the freedmen that By their
own industry they must expect to live
To this end they endeavor to secUre en-
plo7ment for them and to see that both
contracting parties comply with their en-
caEcmenfs In soma cases. | am sorry +,
say, the freedman's mind does not seen
to be disabused of the idea that be has {
right to live without care or provision fo
the future. The effect Of the belief in tn
division Of lands, Is idleness and accum
ulatIon in cities In such eases, | thinl
il viii he found that vice and disease vi
tend to the determination, or a great de
struction of the colored race. IT cannG
be expected that the opinions held by me-
at the south, for wears. can be changed i
dav, and therefore the freedmen requir
for a Few years. not only laws TO proteC