, 1866-02-07
Gen. Sfx1vn>+ EscInnTui-ssreat Services
OF q 9s04sd Man,

We regret TO learn OF the removal Of Major
General saxtcn from his position as Commis-
sioncr of the Freedmen's Bureau In South
Carolina. He was most faithful md devoted
officer. and as much beloved by the freedmen
as hated by the rebels, but the influence Of
the latter has prevailed With our ':,recon-
structed' President, and the steadfast md
reliable friend OF the black men has been
taken away from them. The colored- people
OF Charleston expressed their sentiments IN
series OF resolutions, from which we copy
the following:
wnxnxAs. We, the eolored people Of Charleston.
our eieadfast friend, Maj. Gen. SAxton, soldier.
Ch1isttan- gentleman, wc are hlled with eorTow,
and can NTH dtn3culty fcftam IRON asking, Was
th,t because he delivered the poor that cric1. the
fntberle.s md him that bad none 10 help himf
Was it because The blessing OF she poor, him that
ens ready 10 perish came npon ms Cnrsttsn so. o.
oyt Was 1t because he was eyes to the blinn and
feet 10 tht lames Was Il becluse be was father 70
the POOR and The cante be knew not he searched ou
or nas il because he remembered the words OF our
blessed RedeemeT, LInasmuch rs re did 1t unto the
least oi these my little ones &c din II unto met"
ptsossed. That while We. the freedmen OF South
Carolina call 10 mind The patience, the solicatnde
the pespfstent ctortE OF Maiof Gen. Saxtnu to fnla
the wish Of The Fede Gossnment toward ri rs; m
oar schools printtns-pfets, chuEGhes, ons bank at
isaufort, with depos1t today o! $st0 900, and his
impartial decisions GU the lahos Question, w.
etan& memorials before rs o! bis actual worth, as
civil snd military ruler.
The n. 7. lndependeal thus speaks Of the
great services performed by Gen. SAXON Tor
the negroes md the Union cause:
There was time In the war, though 1t is
1ard nov TO recall it, when the majority Of
LOYAL men sincerely feared that all the vast
Innss Of freedmen Wonld prove dead weight
upon The government 1t wonld oreak US
down 10 rafiou them all and had they any
1u,wcr to support themselvcs9 For month
after month the one solitary point In America
wbcre FIRE labor was success was colony
1t Port Royal, under General SAXON: and
ircm tLIs, almost alone, could The advocates
OF emancipation draw their moral.
But 1t was not enough to exhibit the lleea.
I men rs laborcrs. There were times when II
| seemed ps II the tate of the war--and certain.
! IL the future position of the blacks-must de-
| rund on making them Into soldiers. Herc,
\ TOO, It is the great historic position Of Gen
sa1ton 10 have solved the nation's problem
To arm the blacks OF South Carolina had
been an impulse with Gen. Hunter, most IN
irdiciously carried out, because compulsorily
acd soon count demanded by the Government
With Gen. SAXON It was settled purpose
First securing the consent OF the War Depart
mcnt, then pcrsistently overcoming the hos
tIlI,y OF army officers, the fncrcdulity Of thu
whites, the natural distrust OF the blacks, ht
carried hIs point at last, oreanlzed bis regi
ments. and converted the nation. Under IN
structiops to which so little importance Wa
attached at Washington that they were no
even iplnccd on filc. he personally nustere'
into service The first black soldiers, saw then
drilled and disciplined, and placed them nm
der fire. Col. uI-gtnson has testified thai
| duripc that difficult period Of opposition an
dfscciragemcnt. the SUCCESS Of the whole e.
| pertinent turned on the courage and pefslsl
cpcy Of Gen. Saxton.
Thc widespread reports as to the good coz
duct Of these troops made it possible for COY
ernor Andrew to organize afterward the Ma!
sachusetts 54th and 55th regiments, II ~
| ulways Decn understood, moreover, that th
War Department finally decided on sepdln
Gen. Thomas to recruit black troops IN IL
Mississippi Valley In consequence Of the SUI
cesstul and orderly oceupatlon OF Jacksol
vile, Florida, in March, 1stS, BY Gcn. SAXON
soldiers. The whole history Of the armmg
the blacks, with all It's 1nomentous eiF1l an
| military Consequences, is thus traeeo 70 "
nctiop Of one man for the parallel. e1pef
mert in Kansas. though also successful. Y.
less systematic aud extensive, and did mol
| frnct in The same degree the attention 01 tt
nation. Nor WAS the Kansas regiment aet1
ally mustered into the service unltl ths
months later than the first mustered by Gel
saxfon. The War Department Is ready euong
| 10 ham houprs upon West Point men, who
uhnie claim to honor lies in those two mag
1nonnsyilables, We call upon 1t to do just1'
to almost the only West Point officer who b.
shown himself also phllanthroplst and
l statesman.