The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-01-03

Another Circular from the Bureau.
Major Gen Baird, assistant superintendent Of the
feedmens bureau for this State, has issued another
circular specifying rules for the Interpretation Of con
tracts between employers and freedmen. We have Us
yet been unable procure copy Of the circular, and
can only Judge of its import from the comments Of the
New Orleans press.
The Picayune thinks that the regulations set forth
will be cheerfully acquesced in by the planters gen
orally and only objects the clause in relation to
tons which says are excessive The Star uses the
circular as cudgel belabor the legislature WITH for
spending their time in passing labor bill which the
bureau does not recognize.
The Crescent however discusses at some length the
dement's of this document and in all probability, gives
rather one-sided version Of it. After remarking
that the State legislature had in good faith passed
laws for the reorganization of labor alike just to the
employer and freedmen, the editor regrets that the
freedmen's bureau should put forth edct which,
without adding in any respect to the protection given
to the freedmen by the recently enacted laws imposes
upon the employer such onerous conditions that it will
be, in many cases, utterly impossible to comply with
them.
Not only" says the Crescent, is an arbitrary tax
imposed upon the freedman for educational purposes
under the direction of the bureau but an assessment
Of dollar fAeach aborer is TO be paid by the en-
ployer for the purpose Of rembursing to the United
States some portion of the expenses of this system
and of supporting the aged, inhrm and helpless The
circular with minuteness Of detail which il remarka-
bic, also enters into the subject of dieetics, and pre-
scribes that corn meal pork and bacon shall be the
food Of the freedmen and that the employer whenever
the agent of the bureau shall require it, shall give
curiy that the particular food thus required by the
contract shall be furnished We suppose that
poyer who ucuated by spirit Of generosity or kind
ness to his former slave should offer to furnish
generous Diet vary it for the benefit of the health of
the laborer would be visited with the serious dspleas
of the bureau which has promulgated the doctrine
that the diet prescribed mperatYey shall be- the
food Of the freedman whether is practicable to pro-
cure it or not.
The circular further requires that the quarters Of
the laborer and his family must contain accommoda-
tons for cooking; and in addition, onehal acre Of
land contiguous to the houses viii be Part for each
family for garden purposes Though economical
administration Of the affairs Of plantation would
cesstate very different arrangement the employer is
required to set up separate culinary department for
each family and also assign to each half Of
ground for gardening purposes it being necessary that
the land in question shall be contiguous to the respe
tive houses,
Under the supposition that planter employed
hundred laIAes-and some OF the plantations VIII re-
quire more to cultivate them propery-we would have
the novel spectacle Of fifty acres Of gardens, and
hundred culinary establishments in full blast to cook
the ration Of pork and meal allotted to the freed
men. When the diet is 50 imPerously restricted to
these articles it is not perceived why extraordinarily
large portion Of the plantation, contiguous to the
houses too, should be set apart for gardening pur
poses. The condition Of contguity' cannot well be
satisfied either unless the planters should abandon the
labors Of the field and yet about To scattered
village for the accommodation of the freedmen.
''The circular is filed with impracticable require
meuts. An attempt to carry out the conditions which
it seeks TO impose will force the planter to desis from
every effort to employ the freedman and will drive the
latter into idieness and vagabcndage.
Even if this plan not utterly chimerical,
we have assurance that the circular Just issued
might not be succeeded by another still hurtful
10 the interests of all parties Many contracts have
been entered into under the circular promulgated by
Gen. Fullerton, and subsequently continued in force by
Gen. Baird We understand that in his last circular he
has repudiaed the contracts which he authorized in the
first named, for he states that contracts made
otherwise than thus prescribed will be regarded
binding by the bureau, meritng its interior
to enforce them unless for the protection OF the
aborer.'
Since the above was PIT in type, We have received
copy Of circular No 90 which print in another col
1t is rather tight paper" to make the best
Of it.