The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-12-27
Grant to the President.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18th. 1865.
His Excellency ANDREW JOHNSON, President
of the United States

OF tne. Unlteu States'
SIn.-In reply to your note of the l7thiinst.
requesting report from me giving such infos'
nation as l may be possessed Of coming with
in the reach OF the inquiries made by the Uni.
ted States, in their resolution of the 18th inst
l have the honor to submit the following, with
your approval, aud also that of the honorable
secretar7 Of war:
l left ashington city on the 9th of last
month, for the purpose Of making as'eur of in.
spection throughout some Of the southern
states lately in rebellion, and to see what
changes were necessary in the disposition OF
the military forces of the country how these
forces could be reduced and expenses curtailed,'
&c, and to learn, as ia, as possible, the feel
ings and intentions Of the citizens Of those
states towards the general government. Tho
states of Virginia being so accessible to Wash
ington city, and Information from this quarter
therefore being readily obtained l hastcned
through the state without conversing or meet.
ing with its citizens. In Raleigh, N. c., l
spent one day in Charleston, NJ c., two days,
and n Savannah and Augusta, Ga each one
day. Both in travelling and while stopping,
saw much and conversed freely with the citizens
of those states, as we'll as with officers of the
army cwho have been stationed there. Among
the following arc the conclusions come to, by
me; am satisfied that the mass of thinking
men of the south accept the present. situation
Of affairs in good faith. The question, which
have hitherto divided the sentime nts sof the
people of the tHo sections-slavery and state
rights or the right of state to secede from the
union-they regard as having been settled for
ever by the highest tribunal (arms) that man
can resort to. was pleased to learn from the
leading men whom l met that they not only
accepted the decision arrived at as final, but
now that the smoke Of battle had cleared =
away, and time has been givensfor reflection.
that this decision | a. been fortunate one fos
the swhole country, they receiving the like
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 pointsof the bayonet throughout the states
in rebellion, have left the people possibly ina
condition not to yield that ready obedience to
civil authority which the people have general
ly been in the habit of yielding. This would
render the presence of small garrisons strougl.
out the states necessary until such time as Ia.
Dor returns to its proper channel, and civil au.
thority is fully established. did not meet any
either those holding places under the gov
ernment, or citizens of the United States-who
thought it practicable to withdraw the military
from the South at present. The white and the
black mutually require the protection Of the
gene ral'government. THERE'S such univcr.
sal acquiescenca in the authority of the gen.
the country visited by me, thatSthc mere pres
ence Of a military force, without regard to
numbers, is sufficient to maintain order. The
government of the .country requires that ..the
force be kept in the interior, where there are
many freedmen. Elsewhere in the southern
states than at forts upon the coast, no force is
necessary. These. Should be all white troops.
The reasons for this are obvious. Withous
mentioning many of them, the presence of
black troops, lately slaves, demo~alizes labor
both by their advice, and by their furnish
ing in their camps resort for the freedmen for
long distances around. White rps gener.
ally excite no opposition, and therefore,
small number of them can maintain order in a
given distr ct. Colored troops must be kept
in bodies sufficient to defend themselves. 1t
10 not the thinking men who would do violence
to any class of troops sent among them by the
general government, but thclignorant in some
places might and the late slave, too, who
might be imbued with the idea that the proper
ty Of his late master should, by right, belong
to him, at least should have no encourage
ment from the colored soldier There is dan
ger of collision being brought about by Just
such causes My observationsilead me toi the
conclusion that the citizens of the southern
states are anxious to return to self government
within the union as soon as possible that,
whilst reconstrucing, they require protection
from the government, that they think it re-
qured by their condition, and that it is not hu.
initiating to them as citizens and that if such
a course was pointed out to them they would
pursue it in good faith. 1t is to be regretted
that there cannot be greater commingling at
his time between the citizens Of the two sec:
lions, and particularly Of those intrusted with
The law making power
did not give the operations of the freed
mems bureau that attention would have done
f more time had been ut my disposal Con-
rersaiions, however, on the subject, with Off
,ers connected with the bureau, led me to
hink that, in some of the states, it's affairs
nave not been conducted with good Judgment
,r economy, and that the belief SO widely
spread among the freedmen Of the southern
states that the lands of their former owners
will, at least in part, be divided among them,
las come from tie agents of this bureau. This
belief is seriously interfering with the willing.
less of the freedman to make contracts for the
coming year. In some form the frcedm ans
bureau is an absolute necessity until civil law
S established and enforced, securing to ths
reedmeH their rights and protection. At pres.
INT, however, it is Independents of the military
establishment of the country. and seems to DO
operated by the different agents of the bureau
according to their Individual notions every
where. Gen. howard, the able head of the
'ureau, made friends by the just and fair in
tructions and advice he gave, but the COM
'ant in South Carolina wastbat when he left.
hings went on as before-manv, and perhaps
he majority Of the agents of the freedman's
ureau advise the freedmen that by their own
Industry they must expect to live. To this
nd they endeayor to secure employment for
hem, and then see that both contracting par.
les. comply with the engagement. In some
as IS, am sorry TO say, the freedman's mind,
loes not seem to be disabused of the idea that
le Las the right to live without provision for
he future. The effect of the belief in the d.
ision OF land is iGl.ness and accumulation in
amps, towns and cities. In such cases l
hink it will be found vice and disease will tend,
o the determination or great destruction of
ne colored race. 1t cannot be expected that
he opinions held by men Of the south for years
an be changed in day, and, therefore, the
reedmen require for few years not only laws
0 protect them, but the fostering care of those
Tho will give them good counsel, and on
whom they can rely. The freedman 5 bureau,
eparated from the military establishment of
he country, requires all the expense of sep
rate organization. One does not necessarily
now what the other is doing, or what orders
hey are acting under. 1t seems to me this
ould be corrected by regarding every officer
n duty with troops in the southern states as
gents of the freedmans bureau, and then
ave all orders from the seat of the bureaus
INT through tho department. commanders-
his would create responsibility that would
insure uniformity of action throughout the
outh, would insure the orders and instructions
ON the head Of the bureau being carried out,
nd would relieve from duty and pay largo
umber Of employees Of the government.
have the honor to be, very respectfully.
our obeden6 servant, Y. s. GRANT.
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filings Oh Laughing.
1t never haz been proved that emmy ov the
al lrnnt ial Larn 70 toa l,H