Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-24


Generals Steedman and Fullerton, who
constitute a committee sent out by President
johnson TO investigate the operations Of the
Frcedmen's Bureau in the Southern States,
held an interview last evening with some
twenty-five or thirty of our most respected
citizens, representing all the various inter
csts and professions.
General Steedman opened the conference
by stating briefly the objects of his mission
10 inquire into the operations Of the Freed
mems Bureau-tO learn the influence IL eX-
erted upon the relations of the two races ;
whether its tendency was 10 produce harmo-
ny or antagonism between them; whether,
in general, its effect was for harm or for
good, and whether il was necessary or eK-
pedient to continue its existence. He iavi-
ted the gentlemen present 10 state what they
knew Of the evils ofthe management Of the
Bureau in Georgia.
Mr.. j. NJ b. Lowell said that he had been
requested rs a member Of the bar TO call the
attention Of the Commissioners to the Freed
mems Court The action Of this court, in
which both civil and criminal cases were
adjudicated without jury, while all the
other courts were open and equal rights for
the blacks and whites were guaranteed by
the laws of the State, was calculated TO foster
feeling of antagonism between the races.
If white man assaulted another white man
he was allowed trial by jury; if he assault
ed a negro he was denied that manifest
right.
General ,Stcednlan replied that he tuas IN
awdre that The agents Of The bureau lserc cTer-
cising Judicial functions; that he hal not com
tempiGted their doing 50 rheR he gaze General
TiHson authority 10 apply 10 the State ConUen-
ZION for The appointment Of GIRL agents Of The
bureau. He woltId eIdnine into The matter
,rhen he reached AUGUSTA and hare The Freed
mems Courts abolished in Georgia.
General Fullerton remarked that the great
pretext for maintaining the Freedmen's
Courts was that the freedmen cannot obtain
Justice in the civil courts, aethe local Judges
refused 10 receive testimony from negroes,
and that this opinion had obtained a very
general belief in the North through the
representations of newspaper correspondents.
Also inquired whether any attention was
paid to the rules Of evidence in taking testi
mony in the Freedmen's Courts. Mr.. Lowell
replied, none whatever; that officers had
filed the bench Of the court who had no
legal education, and who had not the capaci
~, even if they had the best intentions to
conduct examinations in accordance with
the established rules of corhts of justice.
Also inquired whether penalties were in
licted by the judge in accordance with the
laws of the State Judge VIM. Il. Fleming
answered that the penalties were often at
variance with the laws Of the State; that for
the same ofiense for which a white man was
sent 10 the penitentiary a negro was SEN
fenced to labor a short period on the streets.
Hon. S. Cohen went on TO say that the
apgip,, Of sln Ero,lv,,oy,'a 4 in, tbis 70
spect had more deleterious influence on
the negro, leading him TO feel that he had
special protection and license, and that it
gave rise TO jealousy and animosity between
the races. He was confident that the better
class Of citizens and the well feeling of all
classes were disposed 10 recognize fully the
new relations Of the negroes TO them-the
laws Of Georgia showed il.
Gen. Steedman asked if any complaints
had been Of unjust discrimination in the de-
cisions rendered by the civil courts.
Judge Fleming said he had heard of none;
he promised for himself that the negro
should have the same Justice melted out to
him in his own court as the white man.
Rev. Mr.. Wynn was here introduced lie
spoke Of the convention of colored clergy
men, now being held in this city, composed
of delegates from the ncighboring States he
had been pleased 10 observe the feeling that
prevailed in this convention; it had been
publicly avowed in a set Of resolutions, As
the sense of the convention, that a bad and
dangerous feeling was growing ont of the
interference, in their relations with their
former masters, Of strangers coming among
them pretending TO be their friends. The
resolutions also thanked the citizens of
Charleston for their uniform kindness 10 the
colored people; in the language of the rcso-
lutions they hurled back the libcls upon the
Southern people who were their true friends
and condemned the compact of the Northern
emissaries who had come TO incite insurrec-
tion. Mr.. Wynn said he had been greatly
impressed with the sensible and manly tone
of the convention, which would have done
credit TO any deliberativc assembly. In the
discussions and the proceedings generally an
intellectual ability was manifested far in
advance of what he had looked for.
Gen. Steedmen remarked that the negroes
wherever he had passed, had borne testimo-
my 10 the kindness Of the intelligent people
of the South, they regarded them rs their
friends, and had no complaints to make Of
them, excepting of certain class in the
cities whom they denominated rs ''roughs.'
Judge Law spoke at considerable length
AAN 0tAiA Nfhtttt hiuHt III tllt lIRHtlll
time is a maintenance of kindly feeling
between two mutually dependent classes
whatever tended to produce the contrary
stale of things was deleterious and would
cause delay in the return of prosperity"
The happiness of the country depends on
their coming together in their mutual rela-
tons. There was difference in their con-
ditions, social and NATURAL we cannot eX-
pect an obliteration of this difference at
once, il ever, but mutual interests would in
eyitably bring them into the kindly relations
which had existed heretofore. As for the
results of the operation of the Bureau, he
knew only what his former servants had told
him-that they had been advised not to
make contracts, 10 wait for the Government
land bounties and the consequence was, that
while he and his neighbors had 80 or 30
acres Of rice planted, instead of 400 or 500
acres as formerly, Northern men, in the
same ncighhorhOod. had from 500 10 1000
acres under cultivation with plenty of la
borers
Hementoned this TO show thatthc South
ern people would be compelled, from inter-
est 10 treat the freedmen well. Meanwhile
they should not be prejudioed against their
old masters, nor the latter inilamed against
them by outside pressure. Mutual depend
ence would establish the true relations be-
tween the races if they were left to them
selves. But the Bureau had produced the
alienation on account of the distinction
which il made.
General Fullerton inquired if any one
knew of any instance Of malfeasance on the
part of any officer Of the Bureau, such as
accepting brides, working plantations, de-
manding recompense for procuring laborers
for planters DC. There was no response to
this interrogatory.
Alter this general conversation cnsued, |
the conclusions reached being that the ten
dcncy of the Freedmcn's Bureau was mis-
chievous in recognizing the whites rs the |
enemies Of the blacks, and that if il were
withdrawn, the responsibility felt by the
people to protect and care for the freedmen
would be increased.
WEALTHY BBGGARs.-A New York !
journal devotes several columns TO the men
dicants Of that prosperous city, from which |
we extract the following paragraph;
1t would hardly be credited that men and |
women who procure their livelihood by the |
outward show of poverty and distress, should |
in any instance be possessed Of much more
wealth, securely invested in savings banks |
and in houses and lots, than those that con
tribute TO alleviate their supposed distress. |