The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-09-14
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Bureau of Freedmen.
THEREVENUE COLLECTIONS.
The Report Of Gen. Strong.

of the Freedmen's Bureau-Redue.
tiou Of Force for Collecting the Rev
cuue from Custsms--Gen Strong's
Report ON Frcedu,ea on the Miss's-
sippi and Red River.
(By Union Line, cor. Monroe and Water Sfsl
NEW YORK, Sept. 13-The Times Wash
inpton special says: To-day a deiega-
ton of Mississippians, consisting OF the
late rebel Gems Taper and FeatherstOne,
and Rev. DIR. MurdOck, of Columbus,
Mississippi, waited OH Gen. Howard, OF
the Freedman's Bureau. Dr. Murdoch
made speech, in which he stated that
/ when the Bureau was first organized the
| people of the South had not made up their
minds fully to accept the status ofthe
negro as q freeman, but few short
months had made a wonderful change in
the sentiments of the Southern people on
this subiect, and he was grati6ed now TO
saw that so far as his knowledge extend
ed they universally accepted the cOnclu-
sions of the war, and freely and sincerely
acknowledged the freedom of the colored
race, which had resulted from it. The
| Doctor believed the negro should bed e
| ucated, as it would be better for the Sonth
to have a class of intelligent laborers
than to have them grovelling in igno-
rance The two races must live together
| i'm the South, and the mere widely ednca-
tiOn is disseminated the better for all
concerned.
General Howard expresses himself
much pleased at the remarks OF DR.. Muir
dock, and the delegation were some time
| in conversation relative to the operations
of the Bureau, which the SUutherners
commended very cordially.
| The examinations now going on ut the
various custom houses throughout the
| United States have been commenced by
the Treasury Department with view OF
reducing the expense of collecting the
revenue from customs, by the discharge
of all officers found to be more ornamcn-
| tai than useful. Wherever there is II sin
ecure situation it is to be abolished, and
where one clerk or inspector can perform
the duties now performed Dy two. one
will be discharged, and every officer will
be required to earn his salary rs far us 1t
is possible to make him do so.
| The Herald's Washington special says
the forthcoming report of General Strong,
INSPECTOR in the Freedmen's Bureau, will
be a very interesting document, mas:
| much as it will be the candid statement
of an officer who spent three months or
more investigating the condition of the
race along the Mississippi and Red riv-
ers. with a view to determine the capa-
bility of the negro to support hi'aseif III
a state of freedom. General Strong went
down among these people with prsju-
dices rather unfavorable to them than
otherwise, superinduced, perhaps. by
the reports constantly floating into the
Bureau from various parties South.
relating to the utter wOrthlessness of
the negro, and his total unfitness for
any other other state than that of servi-
tude. He visited many of the settle.
ments and plantations incog., and in no
single instance failed to discover evil
dences of advancement beyond his most
sanguine hopes. They are industrious,
and their highest aim is to get possession
of small portions of land to work for
themselves. In cases where they have
accomplished this they have fairly
amazed their old masters, the white
cotton growers, by the heavy crops they
got under way Of course there are in
dividurls in each community, in whom
idleness and vice can't be overcome by
the influence offered, yet these vicious
drones are fewer in number than white
men. Schools are plenty and flourish
ing among them. General Strong says
the ease and eagerness with which old
and young freedmen go through Gle
mentary text books is astounding.
The Tribune's Washington special
saws the letter of Gen. Howard, Commits.
sioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, to as.
sistant Com Brown, of Richmond, rela-
tive to the fears of a negro iusurrection
entertained by many citizens of Virginia,
did not contemplate the employment of
rebels for the purpose of l1'roling the
country where an outbreak Was appre-
hended While Gen. Howard believes
such app. .'ehensions groundess, he
thought it best, in..order to quiet the fear'
of the timid, to suggest to Col. Brown the
propriety of patroling certain regions OF
the country with small force, Diet allied
by the different military commanders,
and in case he (Col, Brown) did not have
a sufficient number of officers to select
through careful inquiry citizen who il
willing to aid in preserving order, ifsuch
| is 10 be found, and one who will do so
without compensation. He also adds in
his letter to Col. Brown, that these citi-
zen agents should be selected by an Off
Ger Of tact, who must take only such as
are fully willing to support the Govern
ment with heartiness.