The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-10

u ID
few schools established for the benefit Of ne
gro ehildren-of the readiness with whicl
they learn their letters, and Of the ardo,
with which they sing patriotic airs Ac,
eordlng to some Of these accounts the negrC
ehlldFen are far superior % your own they
mutter the slphabstin their sleep and spend
nosi Of their waking hours IN invoking
blessings on the head OF General saxtoH
and other distinguished public men. To
many | presume this is pleasant reading
matter, and il may serve 10 convince some
people that the CREST problem is already soiv
ed That through the efforts Of saxton and
ms coiaborers, four millions Of Ignorant and
I degraded beings are 10 be suddenly elevated
and 70 bec6Eae educated, esned. aad patriotic
meusbers 81 society. You seldom hear OF the
numerous cases where the freedmen have
laid claims % the lands OF their former mas
/ ters, and have quietly informed them that
they held title under the United States Gov
] erninent, and have persistently refused 10
do anything but eat, loiter and sleep. They
fail 10 tell you Of the cases where, lust as the
harvest was 10 commence, every hand has
suddenly disappeared from the place. leav-
ing the labors Of q year TO decay IN the field
They fail 20 tell YOU Of great bands OF col
ored people who leave their former homes
and congregate IN the cities and villages, or
from the owner, seeking only food, and ut
terly careless of the future On the very
day that I LETT Nieksburg, poor woman
came 10 me with a complaint that st least
fifty negroes, not one of whom she had ever
before seen, had settled on her farm, and
were eating the few stores she had laid
aside for winter use Our sympathies are
due 10 the white as well as to The black race,
though We have no constitutional right TO
control either. The difficulties surrounding
this question eau only be met and overcome
by practical men. Il is an easy matter 10
theOrize on the subject; TO point out the evils
likely 10 result from the policy adopted by
the President, but it viii be found far more
difficult to suggest any other method not
likely to result in still grester evils. Cen
eral Howard, who stands at the head of the
Freedmen's Bureau, is a man Of great 2u.
rity of character. and viii never sustain
system which he does not think productive
Of good, and yet after carefully observing
the operation Of that bureau, 1 am con-
vineed thai more evil than good viii result
from perpetuating il after the States have
adopted Constitutions prohibiting slavery.
Each State is placed in charge Of an assis-
tant commissioner. Il is made the duty Of
the department commander TO detail such |
officers and soldiers as these assistant com
missioners may require in the discharge Of |
their duties. All questions between whites |
and blacks are 10 be sdjudica'e ed by an Off |
Ger or agent Of the bureau. This, Of c0urse,
requires that one officer or agent shall be |
stationed IN each county, or at least that |
they shall be so distributed IS to be aces
sible 20 all the inhabitants. These gentle |
men, who are 70 Gct as Judges in matters Of /
difference between tho races, are usually |
Lieutenanta selected from the regiments on |
1nfvr IN ha Efafa Eaah TuNma favH.-o~F
OF Agent, as you may please to term him, |
has his guard, and eacn guard its commits /
sary establishment. The news Of his az
rival in any Iection Of coURtFy spreads !
with rapidly. A negro has 6 grievance !
against his employer or some other white |
per on--he enters his complaint, and the |
Judge or Lieutenant orders the white man
or white lady to appear before him and !
confront his or her acCuser. The usual
forms adopted in our courts OF justice, to as
certain the facts in the case, are discarded
In some cases the accused is a. once re-
leased in others he is fined twenty, ffty,
or a hundred dollars. The Judge collects
the fne and Usually forwards il to his supe-
riOr, to be used in defrsying the expenses Of
the institution The negro goes home, stop
ping at each plantation, and detailing the
particulars Of The csse to other freedmen.
Half the negroes in that section are at once
seized with q desire to see the Yankee mill
tary Judge, and 10 see how their old mas
tiers or mistresses would act on being brought
before him. Complaints are made against
the kiRdest and best people in the country.
The immediate result is, dependency and
anger on the part Of the whites, disco-ient
and insolence on the part Of the blacks
Here is a young man, from q Northern
State, not educated as q iudiciai officer, and /
often not possessing 3 single qualification
fer the discharge Of such duties, upon shom
devolve greater responsibilities than devolve
ppCn the Justices Of our Supreme Courts
for he not only sets a. Judge, but also IS
Sheriff aud Clerk aud from his decision Il
is seldom en- appeal can be made. In my
remarks upon tnis bureau, do not wish to
reflect upon any Of the officers connected
with it, Generally they are earnest aud
sincere men, and are doing all IL their pow
er TO make il successful 10 Is Of the system
l speak contend that it is 50 utterly for
eign to the principles BY which cur people
hsve been governed that it cannot continue. I
And vet It appears 10 be the only method
that can be devised for regulating these
matters, providing the task Of regulating
them is 70 devolvs upon the general govern
ment. During the past few m0uths have
enjoyed good opportunities for studying the
character and disposition Of the freedmen
and Of the workings Of the organization de-
signed to proteot them. | have become
fully convinced that the policy adopted by
the President Of leaving 10 the respective
States the entire control Of their local Hf-
fairs is the only safe policy that can Be
adopted.
You have been told BY one Of the journals
Of this city thst was much annoyed a. the
action of the President with regard to the
~. Heae-
that this was one Of the causes that induced
me 70 resign my commission in the army,
and accept q nomination for civil Office AS
my Ie ter coasenting 70 accept such q nom
nation was written prior TO tne ftion Of the
President on that question, and as one Of
the conditions Of my acceptance was the in
dorsement Of she policy Of the President,
this statement seems now unworthy Of no
tice. Regarding my position in the army,
a. / have alNass done, simple az thai Of
soldier bound 70 obey a. orders received
from superiors, SUD TO carry out in good faith
the policy Of the Government 1 can con
ccivs OF no good reason why / should feel
annoyed by any order received By me. In
response 70 al application for instructions
as to the jurisdiction Of military tribunals, I
received from the War Department a COM
nunication informing me that the Govern
meut regarded the State Of Mississippi a.
still in rebellion. Immediately sferthe
recent Of these instructions the Provisional
Governor proposed 70 organise and arm the
militia Of the STATE, Acting under my
orders, would not permit it. subsequently
the President, taking view Of the rondition
Of The State differing somewhat from that
taken By he War Department, resolved to
withdraw the United States troops from the
State. which, Of oourse, removed an obisc-
ton to the organiat on Of the militia. So
far from feeling annoyed At the result Of
this matter, most heartily approve the r.
movsl Of the troops FROM thai siafe
and most earnes iy hope that within
thirty days every selgier nov on duty
there viii be mustered out Of the ser
vice-snd that all attempts 10 interfere Ia
her local affairs viii cease Vow that
the State hiss adopted q eonzttutilu which
does not recognizes slavery, woald oonfde
70 her the settlement Of al questions likely
TO arise as 10 the means Of support ng and
controlling the freedmen. I.belieFe that the
people viii reeard the interest Of the State
As closely identified With that Of the
freedmen-and that such laws viii be
passed a. will be best caleuisted 70 promots
| The interests OF al. I am also charged BY
the same journal with hEving sacrificed M
repetition a. q public man, for the sake 81
obtaining position with my political cop
/ ponents. During the war which has lost
( closed. have had but little 70 do with poll
tirs--I have made no political speoehsi-
/ written no political letters. I have found
| the responsibilities devoiving upon me from
| nv position ia she army quite sufficient 70
| occupy 81 nay time and attention. Hav-
/ ing noE returned q civil tifs, intend % sun.
/ port such measures as I deem best esis1-
| lated TO promote the interests q our couufrv-
/ and the prosperity and happiness Of our
/ people. ! hnd one parry united ia the ann
/ port Of such messures-the other psrtv n
I Tded apcn them ard IN several sfafs.
strongly deuouncing them--cou Z I hesitate
Is 70 ny coursef Earnestly indorsing nd
I spproving every resolution adopted 81 he
l peDecratic Cezvention, ] supposed II &C.
esptinga nominsti0n FROM thst convention.
that was entsring he house Of ny poliii-
cal friends. ratheF than that Of ny aoppo-
I nents-' The torusdo which swept slavery
from the land swept with IL ever platform
ever adopted By the Rspublisen party
prioT % the var. ! can cah % mind
but enc resolution adopted b. that parry,
before the close Of ihe war, which has
any bearing On The issues nov teiera tee
people. On the ia Of JAY, 1851, The rep
resentaiives Of thst party IN ConFrssa as-
sembled, without 9 distsutlng voice, dsslar-