Washington telegraph., 1865-10-25
ANOTHER GROSS MIsREpRrsENrArloS.-A

ANOTHER GROSS MISREPRESENTATION
Washington dispatch TO the Chicago Tribune,
states, that the Freedmen's Bureau has recent
y received the report Of Capt Ctas. Miller, of
the % Maine Cavalry, who had been sent a
mission TO Western Arkansas for the purpose Of
investigating the affairs If the freedmen, and Of
giving the necessary instructions and iuIorna-
lion, relative 10 the policy cf the Government,
in reference TO this class Of persons. His re-
port abounds in the mo unjust charges against
the citizens of Arkansas, generally, and is cal
cuIated to place US in false light before the
world We make the following extract;
Freedmen generally are being employed on
their old plantations, and appear to be doing
well. Frequent abuses occur, and during his
journey, Capt. Miller investigated a number Of
brutal murders of freedmen by whites lie re-
counts among several others the murder of
colored man by a white man named Fletcher,
who made his escape. 1t appears that the ne
gro, whose wife was living ON the plantation of
the murderer Fletcher, went TO his house for
the purpose of reclaining her, when he was
brutally shot dead by Fletcher, who afterwards
deliberately severed his head FROM his body aud
succeeded in making his escape Throughout
Western Arkansas he found the people general
ly ignorant, with the most aboriginal forms OF
government and very utterly hostile towards
himself and the government So far did they
carry their menaces that Capt. Nj. expresses the
belief tnat he could never have safely accom-
plished the joun y had he NOT been escorted
by company of his regiment Is a guard. Dur
ing his march one of ms men, Sergyau MCkin-
ney of the 2lst Missouri, was murdered ly those
rutfians who rode up TO a farm house " here the
Sergeant had gone Tor drink of water, and al
ter deliberately shooting him several times, rob-
bed him of his watch and money, aud after cat
ling oil one OF his ears, mounted their horses
and made their escape. The murdered man
in charge of the wagons of the expedition
and was a Few miles III advance of Capt. Mil
ler's party. On coming up to the scene'Of the
outrage parties were immediately sent out IN
pursuit ot the murdeIc.S, but wore ELsuccess-
ful.
Capt Miller addressed the people at different
points and i'll some instances his remarks were
greeted with con iderabie appreciation by the
lower class. At ClayborIie 50 deadly and po-
tent were gang Of ruftans that it with
difficulty that Capt. NJ. prevented collision
between them ana his men. DeplOrablc lgnOr-
ance exists throughout Western ATkansas rela-
tive to the policy of the Government IL relation
to freedmen
Gangs of horse thieves pry upon the people
with impunity, and their impunity, and their
depredaiions owing To the imperfect operations
OF civil law, cannot fully b. rrpIes-ed Capt
VI. strongly recommends that a military force "
sent to different points IL Arkansas lur the pro
lection OF both whites AID freedmen, and fur
the preservation y! law and order. Many oi
the negroes complain OF separation from their
families, aud aver that they dO not dare 10 re-
claim them, in many instances, fTom their for.
mer owners. Quite large proportion VT the
freedmen cultivate plantations, receiving trOn-
one-tenth TO one-quarter OF the crop produced,
besides quarters and clothing. III Washington
county the crops are almost worthless, aud
Capt NJ. is o. the opinion that they Will starvr
il not aided by the Government.
In conclusion, he expressed 1t, as his belief
that but little loyalty exists IN the region through
which he travelled
To the charge Of ignorance, we shall attempt
to bring no coniutation, for We doubt lyl but
that it exists TO As great an extent in Arkansas
as il any other potion OF the Union, but we
would suggest, that while the NrgTo Philau-
thIopists, are raising such hue and cry loT
the erection OF Public Schools fOE the education
OF their ebony idol, would it not be well enough
to raise few dollars to tlrow din light u civ
ilization over the btuighted minds u. iLr5e poor
ignorant whites! lie charges us with disloy-
ally Ond hostility to the Government, when II
is wei. known fact, that there = not - 5e
found anywhere within the South, = people
more peaeeabIr, loyal amieably disposed than
the citizens Of our own State. W. have a.
cepted i, in good faith the acts Ui CUn.l, 81 and
the proclanlat!Ons Ot the fIesidrnl. Ne have
lain down our arms aud submitted 10 me Gov
ernment of the United States, determined IL
live under the folds us is tag, and IT, uphold
and support It's laws and Constitution We
have resolved to do our duty as good citizens
and as loyal subjects, and to d-nouucc aE4 re-
sist lawlcssnoss and disorder wherever found.
and so far as we have been able no ascertain.
these resolutions have been faithfully ana hon
orably carried out by AL good men. II j. true
that there are "A few desperate characters, who
infest nearly all communities, vino are sill com.
mitting depredations, with no particular object
in view, save robbery and plunLrr, but these
should not give cast to the entire section D.
country throue h which Capt. Miller passed; and
thereby bring upon the whole State the conLem-
nation Of the Government. We hope that line
next time the Frecdmrns Bureau snail deem
1t necessary to send an agent on a tour y. ohser-
walton through our State, that il Will select a
man whose mind IS unembitter=d by prejudice.
and whose sense of justicr will prompt him ~
render unto Caesar the things which are &c
sars."
~ Minister Cassius VI. c ay has transmit
ted 10 the State Department an official copy of
the conditions stipulated between tn Russian
Telegraph Department and Hiram Sbley, for
the establishment ot teegraphic communication
between Russia and America. By thuse, rxc.u-
sive right is granted 10 the latter pirnipotrnta-
ry of the American Western Union Telegraph
Company for thiity-three years, from the day
the gG shall be opened, the Russian Govern
mtnt TO grant further loan, as it may Judge
convenient. In order TO encourage The under
taking, the Government allows the company ALI
allowance of 40 per cent ON the net produce OF
dispatches trans smitted by it over the lines, 10
and from America, and in order TO contribute
as much as pOssiDle,to the success Of The pres
ent undertaking, the Minister of Public Utility
will adopt the measures Necessary for securing
the companys interest fIem Icing maliciously
injured by the local populations; but, at the
same time, the Government refuses TO take up
ON itself any resDonsibility for such iniurias of