The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-22
Address of NIaj.-Gen. Howard
Operations Of the Freed
mems Bureau.

''The Freedmen" in Washington city on
the 18th instant The connection of~the
speaker with the class of people forming
his theme, and his universally recognized
impartiality and clearness Of Judgment,
give to his views on the subje greater
weight than belong to those of perhaps
any other public man. We subjoin some
extracts =
What do we, as nation, propose? We
have destroyed secession ard rebellion !;
we have broken the pitcher of State
supremacy at the fountain, and slavery,
nominally at least, is dead. What DO we
propose? 1t is to SO regulate our public
| affairs as to secure certain blessings to all
our people, certain inalienable rights
named in the old Declaration of Indepen-
dence, the rights to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness
In TIE past these rights were scarcely
obtained seldom by the negro, poorly by
the Indian, and, owing to the reflex iufu-
ence Of slavery, partially even by the
white man. Can we now solve this old
problem Can We do it In the midst Of
a society made up Of heterogeneous ele-
meutS so various and, seemingly so re-
pellant?
The Southern society is two-fold the
whites, with their peculiar prejudices and
beliefs, aud the blacks, with their present
disabilities created by antecedent slavery.
The Government stands forth with its
gigantic resources as an intermediary
power between the two classes. The spec
tacie is singular, anu the heart is often
balanced between hope and fear In con-
templating this strife actually going on
As soon as the war was closed, was
placed at the head of what great general
has called a "bureau of impOssibilitles,"
aud by law given the control of all sub
jects relating to refugees and freedmen,
with what means and with what power, l
will not attempt to say. My friends, l
went to work to do what [ could to solve,
or help to solve, what cal this old pSp-
blem. Ny mind did not long dwell upon
unsettled political principles which may
be absolutely necessary to procure ho-
| mogeneous government and perpetulty
| Of this Union. These had TO be left to
the people Of this country and their prop
| or representatives.. My thoughts certered
on the actual state of things In the South
l could not forget all the bitterness and
hate, all the battles and prisons, we had
witnessed but particularly to be remem-
bered were the crowds and crowds OF
| negroes moving toward the coast, the
desolated houses, the devasted farms, the
broken railroads, the sacked cities and
villages. l recalled wildly the peculiar
condition of the people, without money,
with few crops put IN, and with their old
system of labor entirely deranged. My
first decision was, laber must be settled,
aud, if We would not relapse into some
species of slavery, it must be done without
compulsory means; and, If we would avoid
anarchy and starvation, II must be done
Immediately.
1t was very tempting to put the hand
on the new freedman aud compel him; it
was so easy, by military power, to regulate
all matters in that way. How the letters
did pour in urging this course! ''Give
Us system )" "Fix the wages" EIou
don't understand the negro-he won't
work" ETC., etc. Gradually these letters
diminished, aud the cry "conlpet him -
! f'conapek him :" is more distant and less
distinctly heard.
All free labor already operating where
the fields have been for some time within
our lines, aud settled by Northern capt.
alists, was satisfactory. Yet this did not
meet the immediate wants of some 3,00O,-
600 OF blacks, and twice as many whites.
These facts led to the strenuous and con-
tinued efforts of all officers of the bureau
and others to influence whites and blacks
to remain together, to show them that
property holders and laborers have an
identity of interest; to urge upon them
leases and contracts Cor wages to correct
the false notions that had been industri-
ously circulated among the freedmen.
These and other measures adopted had
good efect-nots complete, not above
criticism, not really regular system, but
enough to afford Us encouragement Tor
the future.
If we can hold a steady hand now;
prevent extreme and widespread suffering
by timely aid ; afford encouragement to
every laudabe enterprise /; multiply exam
pies Of success in every species Of labor, IN
every county in every State, if possible,
my decided impression is that, before five
years, there will be no more use OF an
agency of the General Government in the
Southern States than there is now In Ohio.
Harmony between the laboIers and the
holders OF property, which is essential to
meet Immediate wants and settle society
that has beeu so much disturbed at the
South, may be brought about in process
of time without much real progress.
have, In my report to Congress, claimed
that education is absolutely necessary to