Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-02
AnnlveE.ary q .ns Ee..snal e.I.: Frosa.

Anniversary Of lhe National Freed
mems Association.
On Sunday evening last, in the city OF
Washington, was held the Anniversary of
the National FIeudmen's Association. The
uee,ine was held in the Hall of the House
Of Representatives which was completely
packed. Chief Justice Chase presided.
Addresses were made by Mr.. Chase, Fred
erick Tompkins, of England, Tilton, Of
the New York Independent, and others.
The annual report read by the Secretary
of the Association, presents some very i'm
portant facts, to which we wish to call the
attention of cur readers: The National
Freedmen's Association wss formally or
ganizsd February 22d, 1862. The objects
of the organization are thus expressed:
l. To relieve the sufFerings of the freed
men, their women and children, as they
come within our army lines, by clothing
the ragged and naked, furnishing hospi
tails and medicine for the siGk, asylums fol
the orphans and shelter for the homeless
by aiding IN the erection Of hundreds Of
cabins.
2. To aid in placing the freedmen in
positions of selfsUstenanee, by procuring
them employment, furnishing agricultural
implements and seeds suitable for the field
and garden; giving them instruction in the
best modes of cultivation, and encouraging
the mechanic, by furnishing tools snd
stock TO the carpenter, blacksmith snd
shoemaker.
3. To establish and sustain schools at al
points in the South, where it is safe to de-
so, for the education Of the freedmen anc
aheir children, one hundred and fifty
teachers and superintendents are now IL
the service of the Association, conducting
schools with unexsmpled success day
schools for children aud Iouth, nj nigh, +,
teach the women to cut and mako aio4l--
schools for sll. These schools are in opera
tion in the District of Columbia, in South
eastern Virginia ard Maryland, along the
Atlantic coast and Gulf Of Mexico, OF
both banks of the Mississippi river, to st
Louis, Cairo, &c.
This being its object, the Association evi
IDENTIFY commends itself to the approval o
every loyal citizen.
During the past year the sum of $229,
547, ,85 was received in money and clothing
and expended. The amount expended
since the organization of the Association
is more than 100000.
For these contributions the Association
is indebted to all the free States and terri
tories, in most of which snti-slsvery asso
Citations have been established. As many
as 100000 garments were distributed the
past year. The Government has don't
much to assist the Association. Unit
within the last six months, its teachers
were passed free; now they pay halffare
These teachers are q noble band of men
and women, who have, since the organizs
tion of the Association, taught more than
$4,000 pupils in the day, night and Sun
day schools, and have exerted good in
influence, by their visitstions on at least
100, 1000 more. The Association had estab-
lished several hospitals and orphan ssylums
where the Government could not well at
tend to it. TheaO facts warmly commend
the Association to the support of every
man and woman in the North. There are,
at present, as many as 10000 freedmen in
the District of Columbis, 5000 in South
Carolina, and they expect to meet as many
as 40, 900 more at Charleston. Let US not,
therefore, in our charities, forget the duties
we owe to the freedmen whom the war has
thrown upon the benevolence of the
North.