Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-23
General Grants Special Repor..

vations during his recent tour through
certain. portions of the South, contain
some suggestions, and announces somt
! conclusions, from which we are compelled
to dissent. Having made a railroad ex
cursion across the States of Virginia
North Carolina, South Carolina and
Georgia, occupying ingall five days of time
or one and One-fourth days to each Of
those large States, he deems himself pos
sessed of information sufficient to guide
the General Government in its politi-
cal trsatment of the insurgent district,
embracing as it does eleven of the largest
States in the Union. Had General Grant
been content with such reconnoisances as
this when commanding in the field, it is
doubtful whether he would have ever at
tained the high rank which he now justly
holds as the first of modern warriors Had
heproceededupon such superficial inform
alton, It's not probable that he could
to-day number among his conquests the
reduction of Donnelson, Vicksburg and
Richmond, and the suppression of the re-
bellion.
Gen. Grant, after spending five days in
four of the Southern States, concludes
that the people of the South would yield,
'iagood faith, full and hearty support
to the General Government, and that they
have already learned to regard their defeat
in battle as fortunate" Still he regards
''the presence of small garrisOns through
"out those States necessary until such time
''as labor returns to its proper channel, and
civil authority is fully established"
Something is said about the necessity of
military force to compel submission to the
laws on the part of these people so ready
to submit Gin good faith," but it would
seem from the remark 'until such time as
"labor returns to its proper channel" that
the great necessity for military force is,
in his view, to turn the labor of the freed
men into its "proper channel;" and this
view is confirmed by his subsequent rec
ommendation that the garrisons 'in the
interior, where there are many freedmen,
SHOULD all be white troops" Why?
Because, says General Grant "The pres
"ence of black troops lately slaves demor-
'alizes labor, both by their advice and
furnishing in their camps a resort for the
freedom for long distances around" Is it
not horrible that ''resort for the freed
"men" should be furnished by the Camps
of their black brethren in the service of the
government which has solemnly pledged
them its protection Is it strange that
the freedmen should seek such an asylum,
when we remember the cruelties but yes
terdsy inflicted upon them by their late
masters and still would-be oppressors? p?
This, to our mind, is the greatest argu-
ment that could be adduced in favor of
the retention of colored troops for garrison
duty at the South. white troops gem
''erally excite no opposition" says Grant.
Another argument in favor of Negro gar
risons. Troops are placed there to main
tain order and protect the defenceIess, and
are bouud in duty to offer Opposition" to
the outrage and oppression which SoT.h-
ern tyrants are in the habit of heaping
upon the unfortunate freedmen, and such
performance of duty on the part of the
military would be expected to "excite op-
position on the part Of white offenders.
A soldiery in active sympathy with the
blacks is the first necessity at
he South to-day.
General Grant says; "I did not give
4 the operations of the Freedmen's Bureau
Z that attention would have done if more
slime had been at my disposal" He
night have made the same statement in
.egard to every point touched in his re-
port This is the exact reason why all
lis conclusions are at fault. It is evident .
lie met in his brief stay in Southern cities
he politicians of those localities, men
the capacity and the disposi-
ion to make the best exhibit possible of /
southern loyalty. 1t is also evident that {
lie listened to the idle and silly tales of a
class against the agents of the
Freedmen's Bureau, for he appears to
ave given credence to a statement that
he agents had imbued tho 1Fegroes with
belief chat there would be q distribution c
.mong them of at least part of their ,
ormer masters lands. No man who has s
mingled with the Southern people but has
leard such charges against every class ia
7orable to the black race, not even except
ng the agents of the Christian Commits
ion; and those who have mingled with
hem most know best how false is the ac-
usation. One obstacle to the formation
# correct opinions by our generals at the
south, is, they seldom mingle with the
masses, but are monopolized.b by small poll
icians and men interested in thrusting
themselves forward.
Here is General Howard's opinion as to
he necessity of military protection for lis |
,urean, or, rather, his experience; " The
evident hostility of a portion of the citi-
zens, and their ability, in the absence of
troops and civil law, to outrage or take
the life of an agent, hindered the extend
ing of operations, except by occasional in $
spection by an officer, in connection with
a patrol" General Howard says "the
working of the law" "soldiers" and
spectators caused the impression
hat "the lands of disloyal owners would {
be divided among the freedmen" We
ave not space to quote at length from !
General Howard's report, a synopsis of T
which we recently published. he states
hat Hill consequences would be likely to [
result if Government protection should :
be Immediately withdrawn" and says I
Freedmen's United States Courts, 10 ex- g
ist for term of years, would be very
effective instrument to relieve these peo- t
pie from the injustice incident to forced
emancipation mean on the part of !;
those who have fought against emanci- :
patton and are too full of prejudices and 7
ignorance to believein freedom"
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