The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-05-13
The Freodaen's Bnreau-A Striking
Parallel.

The Freodaen's Bureau-A Striking
Parallel.
We published yesterday page Of new mat
ter relative to the Freedmen's Bureau. One
half the space was occupied by a report Of
the proceedings of the freedmen's anniversary
in this city, in which the operation Of the Bureau
was highly extolled by its chief officer, General
Howard, and the other half by the official re-
port of Generals Steedman and Fullerton, in
which damning proofs were furnished of the
corrupt and even diabolical manner in which
the affairs of the Bureau are administered in
two of the Southern States.
The report Of Generals Steedman and Full
lerton is made from facts ascertained on the
spot, while the remarks Of General Howard
were made here in the city of New York before
meeting Of eolored people and white sympa-
thizers, and far distant from the scene Of the
Bureaus operations. II is pity the chief of
the Bureau was not at hand when the govern
ment commissioners were making their inves-
LEGATIONS. He might possibly have shed some
light upon branches of the subject which were
dark and gloomy to the vision of the commits
sioners. But the report of these officers is
clear enough in all essential respects, and fully
justi6es all we have said in regard to the work
ings Of the Bureau. We find that in the States
of Virginia and North Carolina the Bureau is
managed by a cruel and INSCRIPTIONS class
Of persons. In one case we notice a
subordinate deciding, in the most arbi-
fPQr Iuin IUht
in property, punishment for crimes, including
fines, Imprisonment and death, settling by a
peremptory ipse diGa divorce between man
and wife, and acting in other respects more
like an Eastern satrap than an officer under
the government of the United States. The
horrors of the prison pen at Andersonvile are
overshadowed by some of the modes of torture
Instituted by these officers as punishment for
trivial offences In one case there was Wirz
of Infamous memory, in the other there seems
to be Fitz cmulous of a similar detestable
renown. At one point in North Carolina it
appears settlement of four thousand blacks
exists in a condition truly deplorable. They
live in huts containing single room, in which
large families are huddled together. This set
Element was recently scourged by smallpox,
aad the most horrilying scenes occurred during
the ravages of the disease. The government
commissioners report that this settlement is
presided over by Rev. Mr.. Fiiz, formerly
an army chaplain, and that this agent has exer-
cised the most arbitrary and despotic power,
and ''practised revolving and unheard Of cruel
ties on the helpless freedmen under his charge"
Among the many acts Of cruelty committed by
Superintendent Fitz the commissioners found
that he had in two instances suspended freed
men with cords around their wrists, their feet
not touching the floor, end kept them in this
position, in one case four, in the other case six
| hours; that he sentenced freedman to an i'm
prisonment Of three months fo- trivial offence,
that of wrangling with his wife. He kept all
other man, who was arrested for debt shut up
in the block house-the prison-ior months
while his wife and two children, reduced 10
abject restitution, died with the smallpox
and took him from the prison under guard
and compelled him to bury his last child
in the cradle in which it died. On
| another occasion, when one of his guards re-
ported to him that a colored woman had spoken
unexpectedly of him, without even inquiring
what the woman had said, he ordered her to be
imprisoned until the next morning at nine
| o'clock, when she should be brought before
him to answer for the indignity. In one In
stance he imprisoned six children for ten days
for playing in the streets on the Sabbath day.
He imposed fine of sixty dollars upon an
hou fol froA
man that he was about to be arrested by Mr..
Fitz. This poor old man, not having the
money to pay the fine, was imprisoned until
the next day, when his son paid the same, with
three dollars additional AZ jail fees. The COM
missioners enumerate many other instances in
which this arbitrary power is exercised by
some of the officers and agents of the Bureau,
and conclude that the Bureau, az at present
operated in Virginia and North Carolina, tends
to create prejudice against the government, is
| of no practical benefit TO the blacks, and they
recommend that the present officers be with
drawn.
| This, it must be recollected, is the testimony
of gentlemen who have served under General
Howard, the Superintendent of the Freedmen's
Bureau, and are not likely to speak from pre-
judce against him in regard to any matters in
which he may be interested. They have gone
South at the request of the government to
look into the subject candidly and impartially
and report accordingly. They have done so,
and their verdict is in condemnation Of the
system rs now carried on. General Howard
may make speeches till doomsday in favor Of
the Bureau, he may dash his remarks with
may employ all the cant Of Mawworm to
wheedlc his prohibition auditors, black and
white, but he can never overthrow the plain
and indubitable facts in regard to this Freed
mems Bureau communicated in this report by
responsible, intelligent and impartial agents Of