Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-25
rom the New Orleans Picsyune.
THE FREEDEdEN's BUREAU.


THE F-REEDE5EN's BUREAU.
The people of Mississippi are more for
tunate than those of this State, in having
an agent of the E~reedmen's Bureau who
recognizes the laws of the State as regu-
lating the conditions and relations Of
employer and employee.
We published ON Saturday the orders
of this officer. They are plain, simple
and straightforward, and announce the
true principles and objects of this bureau.
These are, TO protect the freedmen
against any laws of the States which dis
criminate against them-which place
them in an interior position before the
law, and in respect 10 civil and personal
rights.
The Bureau asserts and viii maintain
the equal civil and personal rights Of
freedmen with all other members of the
community.
This is right andjust, and in accord
n C with the conditions of the recent
surrender of the Confederates and the
conclusion Of the war.
Here, in Louisiana, there is or ought
to be little difficulty or reluctance in
admitting these conclusions, and recog-
nizing the equal civil and legal rights OF
the people, known as freedmen. Under
our State laws, long previous to this war,
such rights were fNlly recognized. Free
men Of color had all the civil, legal and
personal rights under the laws, OF
white citizens. They could sue and
be sued, could make contracts, hold
property Of all kinds, were witnesses
In court, and exercise all other civil
rights. The freedman, the negro made
free bv the recent action Of the Federal
Government, is entitled TO all those rights
under the laws of Louisiana. There oas
no need of the institution of the Freed
mems Bureau TO secure them those
rights. In other States, especially in
Mississippi, it was and is quite different.
Even now, In that state, freedmen are
excluded from the courts as witnesses, IN
cases between white persons or when
white persons are charged with crimes,
and are not permitted to buy hold or
lease real estate.
And vet the anomaly IS presented, of
the agent of the Bureau in Mississippi,
gbstaining from all interference with the
State laws, relating to the freedmen
recognizing the suficienCy of the rules
4 and regulations provided by the Legisla-
uure. to govern their conduct and con-
tracts; whilst in this State the same
Bureau takes this whole subject out
of the control of the state authorities,
and provides all cond itiOnsandregulation
of these relations in the most minute
particular. In Mississippi, Kentucky
and in all the Southern States, the Blu
reau saws to freedmen and their employ
ers. make what bargains you like pro-
vided they conform to your law OF con-
tracts. and do not conflict with the laws
of the United States and with the civil
equality Of the freedmen. we have no dis
position TO interfere both parties must
stand bytheir contracts.
But here in this State We have a very
dihereat system. Here the bureau fur
nish the most minute regulations in re-
card to the contracts and relations be-
tween employer and employees. They
prescribe the amount of food and the
character of the food and the clothing to
be furnished by the planter to his labo-
rers. the time of rest, the land he shall
be permitted to cultivate on his own ac-
count, the social privileges and rights he
shall exercise, and various other subjects
which are usually regarded and treated,
as matters OF private agreement between
parties.
We confess that we cannot perceive or
comprehend the reason or policy Of this
interference in Louisiana-which is not
equally applicable IN Mississippi and
we have little doubt of the general i'm
policy of all such regulations or attempts
to regulate the relations between EN-
ployer and employee. The effects of this
discrimination in the administration of
the Freedmen's Bureau are strongly
manifest in the fact that whilst in Missis-
sippi the freedmen are generally entering
into contracts, IN this state they steadily
and uniformly refuse 10 make any per-
manent agreements.