The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-26
Editor Ne,o York Herald

Editor Ne1 York Herald:
Your Charleston correspondence, under date Of
the 18th inst, reports as follows:
"In January last General BEECHER found but
two acres listed out for planting on the whole Of
Edisto leland" &o., 30.
Your correspondents unwittingly omits the some-
what important words " in any one patch"-also,
confounds Edisto with Johns and Wadamalaw ISL
ands adjacent.
In this connection 1t may not be out Of place to
offer few suggestions concerning the earlier or
ganzation of the Bureau under civilian agents,
and it's present military form. The former was
made discreditabe by the character of it's subordi-
nate agents, who seem to have been, with few
honorable exceptions, good mon without judg-
ment or shrewd men without principle.
The military organization has seemed to work
damage rather through failure to establish any
definite plan for permanent arrangement of the
relations between the freed people and whites,
and through jealous interference with military
endeavor to organize on practical basis. Charges
OF malpraotices by subordinate agents have COM
psratively little to do with the main issue
They may all be true, or may be exaggerat-
ed. AS present, the question is simply this:
Oan the two systems work together as separate
|organizations7 ".'
lit is very evident they cannot. They can be
die together; but if one works, it disturbB the
other; II both work, they clash.
Az an organizing force for permanent arrange.
ment OF affairs, the Bureau has accomplished little
or nothing. General Order No. /, January, 1855,
from Maj Gen. SIoKLEs did the business; and the
execution of this order by military subordinates
settled the labor question for the year, and pro-
badly for coming years, in the State. i #-.
It is very true the Bureau has it6 uses and rem
ders some valuable services but these are counter
| balanced by the seeming establishment Of seps-
rate SOURCES redress for whites and freed people,
and an increase Of the chances Of collision and
| bitterness. -
! Docs not, then, commend itself as q reason
| able proposition, to secure the benefit OF both
organizations, by combining them under one head
and hand2 either to add to Commissioner oi
the Bureau military command of his department,
or endow the military commander with such addi
tional powers and duties as now rest upon q Com.
missioner Thus We shall reduce from two
systems to one, and be prepared to dispense
with that one at no very lato day, or to have the
necessity for it ceaso to exist It must come to
this, sooner or later, and the sooner the better.
AS a personal matter, regret exceedingly Il
even seem to be In sntagonism with an institution
whose object and aim Is the welfare of the freed
people. But know this object can not be attain
cd except by establishing them upon basis Q
active industry and mutual good will betwee,
themselves and their white neighbors. believ
the chief workers. in the Bureau to be honest an
sincere. but for six montha have watched. the fall
ufe to do what must be done. &.
Z Hence, In no party spirit, but simply as one VIII
for' q year has worked steadily FOR the object 10
i, which tho Bureau 10 instituted cannot do Other
wise than bear testimony accordingly
wv IN! Respectfully yours, C.
-7, ~ JAMES O. BEEOHER,
* ri Brevet Brigadier-aensral U. Y.
: - 'N-'--"s