The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-08-20

against carrying concealed weapons is enforced.
Attack ON the Freedmen's Bureau by Bureaa
Commissioner
The Rev. T. W. Conway, some time Assistant
Commissioner Of the Department Of Louisiana
and West Mississippi, makes in our columns
this morning q severe onslaught upon the
Freedmen's Bureau. It is disguised under
cover Of q personal attack upon General Full
lerton, one Of the Presidents investigating
commissioners, who for few days, in the
interim between Mr.. Conway's removal and
General Baird's accession to Office, held control
Of freedmen's affairs in New Orleans; but its
effect is to establish by the mouth Of another
witness nearly everything that Generals Steed-
man and Fullerton have asserted with regard
to the arbitrary and irresponsible powers exer-
cised by the officers Of the Bureau, and the cor
rupt and grossly improper uses to which those
powers were frequently applied. One might
have expected better things Of Chaplain Con-
way. He was one Of the especial pets Of Cen
eral Howard. He shared the odor of sanctity
and incorruptible radicalism with Chaplain
James, Of negro-shooting fame; with Chaplain
French, of profitable planting philanthropy;
with Chaplain CLAWS, who planted without
philanthropic motives, and with Chaplain Liv-
ermore, who distrained upon the poor nigger's
wallet and jack-knife for an illegal fee Of ffty
cents He was one of the earnest" men Of the
cause-one of the men Of grand moral ideas.
For such man to turn round and admit the
chief accusations Of the Presidents commission
ers, simply transferring the blame from himself
to another commissioner, Is the hardest blow
the Bureau has yet received. Generals Steed-
man and Fullerton, who are simply brave,
honorable soldiers, may be distrusted BY he
radicals; bu. they arc bound to accept the tes-
timony Of the Rev. I. W. Conway, the chosen
champion Of the Bureau and the especial favor
lie Of the chief commissionsr.
And this b what Mr.. Conway says:-He ad-
mits that the freedmsn's schools, which before
the establishment of the Bureau were hume
rous and Aourishing in Louisiana, were encour-
aged BY the planters and were almost self
supporting, became, under the administration
Of the Bareau, . source Of enormous expense
to the government, gradually diminishsd and
at last almost disappeared. Bat he says hat
General Fullerton did It. He acknowledges
that the ONCE Of Captain Morse, the Bureau
Provost Marshal In New Orleans, was made
slave pen. CNegross, It viii be remembered,
were collected there by dosens and sold to
planters at Eve dollars heAA) But he says
It was General Fullerton's order that brought
1t about He does not deny that Lieutenant
Foster, one Of the Bureau taxing officers, levied
an "incidental tar" ON his own authority and
put the proceeds in his pocket; but he says
this u IAN unfortunate circumstance In connec-
ton with General Fullerton's administration"
All these things were done by the Bureau; the
only mistake was AZ TO the man who did them.
So ct least we interpret Mr.. Conway's strangely
contradictory letter, In which, in one sentence,
he asserts all the charges TO be unfounded, and
in the next virtually accepts the allegations,
transferring the responsibility to General Full
lerton. Into the question Of vcracity between
Mr.. Conway and General Fullerton there ID no
need 10 enter. The latter gentleman will
doubtless be well able to defend himself We
accept for the nonce Mr.. Conway's statement
that all these iniquities were committed, but
were committed by General Fullerton. and we
refer Mr.. Conway and his friends to the pub
lishsd general orders Of the chief Of the Bureau,
in one OF which he will read Quoting from
memory):-
General Fullerton only carried out his instructions in
Lousiansl, and his conduct e FULLY approved.
o. O. HOWARD Commissioner.