Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-04-27
TsVE FREED GEN.

/ The LABOR QueattOm IN tirBlnlh'
BY order of the War Department, COM
mission of inquiry has been issued into the
working of the Freedmen's Bureau in the
South. The commissioners appointed are
Major General j. B. Steedman, of Ohio,
and Brigadier General j. S. Fullerton, of
Missouri. two officers said to be eminently
qualified to discharge the duties assigned
them. The investigation will probably be
pursued over all the lately rebellious States,
from Virginia to Texas, aud Will embrace
the extent and character of the relief
afforded to freedmen In the past the
amount of assistance deemed necessary In
the future, the effect of the system on the
| relations of the white aud colored popula-
tiOn, its cost to the country and the neces-
! sity orotherwise of It's continuance. Gems.
Steedman and Fullerton have commenced
their investigations in Virginia, and cor
respondent OF the Nep York Herald states
! that their experience, thus far, is identical
with that Of Gen. Grant. and shows con-
| clusiYely that the representations OF Radl-
cal leaders and papers, alleging antagon-
ism between the races and outrages upon
the weaker one are eXaggerations OF indi-
vidual cases, and wholly inapplicable to
the people generally. The correspondent
of the Herald, who accompanies the com
mission, thus writes from Charlottesville,
"a, unueF UdJe Ol but tOtil
| Everywhere have yet been have found
the most kindly and friendly relations sub
sisting between blacks and whites. | have
seen former slaves working cheertully for
their old masters, still calling them mas
sa" as of old; former masters support
| ing the aged and intirm OF their former
| slaves perfect confidence existing on the
one side, perfect reliance on the other =
Outrages, such as have been described In
the Northern papers, committed by white
men upon negroes, have undoubtedly oc-
Cured; but they have been exceptional
cases, and are no more indicative oil the
general sentiments OF the p0pulatlon than
are stray porter house shooting aflrays in
dicative OF the moral state OF society In New
York. .. .-, .a, f.. ....
-... A REPRESENTATIVES, PLANTER. r
In the Charlottesville district there is a
large colored population engaged eXclu-
sively in agricultural pursuits. About forty
of the principal planters waited this morn
ing upon General Steedman, and discussed
with freedom their position and prospects
One of the number-Mr. w. p. Farish, a
leading Virginian, who served as Colonel
in the rebel army-related his experience.
which may be taken as a fair example OF
the general feeling Of the people. He stated
that at the end OF the war he had one hun
dred and eleven negroes, most OF whom he
still retained in his service. as well as sever
al house servants who pleaded poverty and
begged to be allowed TO remain on the
plantation. Only last week he sent his
wagons over to Buckingham to bring over
another set who had no other claim upon
him but that they were the father and
mother, brothers and sisters of his shoe
maker. All of these negroes were now
g., oN wa
out written contracts, and were working
cOntentedly and WELL II have changed
nv opinion entirely" said Colonel Far
ish, "regarding the negroes. used
to think they would never make val
liable members of society. But they
have behaved so admirably during the
war, they have shown so much good
feeling towards the white population, so
much good feeling has been exhibited by
the whites towards them, and the new Or
der of things has worked so happily and so
well, that have changed my views entire
ly. The presence of the Freedmens
Bureau, though 1t is well administered here,
only tends to promote bad feeling among
the vicious" In these views all of those
present cOncurred. One or two gentlemen
acknowledged that the bureau had been of
considerable service in the past, but CON-
sidered that its continuance longer than
another six months would only tend to in-
troduce elements of diScord where none
now existed. | conversed subsequently
with a number of colOred people, and found
that they were every whit as satisfied with
their former masters as their employers
were with them, and were no more anxious
for the perpetuation of the Freedmens
Court.
TEACHING A CoLoRED SUNDAY SCHOOL.
One of the most remarkable illustrations
of the good feeling prevailing in the COM
munity witnessed on Sunday afternoon.
In a large schoOlrOOm under the Baptist
Church, about three hundred colored chill
dren OF all shades from nearly white to
ebony black, were assembled, and thirty or
forty white persons, many OF them belong
ing to the first families in the country, and
most OF them the sons and daughters OF
former slave-Owners, were engaged in
teaching them. The Superintendent of the
school was Mr.. A. p. Abel. of the National
Bank Among the teachers were Miss Ann
Gilmore. sister of Governor Gilmore; Mrs.
Thompson Brown, wife of a Colonel in the
rebel army, and Mrs. II. z. Loutham, widow
of the late Professor of Richmond College.
and a number of ladies connected with the
Albemarle Female Institute. Clear away
In one corner of the room distinguished
and learned law professor of the Virginia
University professor Minor was laborious-
ly engaged in teaching one bright-eyed lit
tie darkey his letters, and quite number
of the students OF the university were pur-
suing similar lavOeations. The children
learn with wonderful aptitude, and have al
ready made considerable progress. They
are taught spelling, reading and singing.
aud 1t is intended soon to add writing and
ciphering. Thus has education OF the
blacks been going on for some months past,
and meets not only with no opposition from
the old slaye-owners, but is done by their
express desire and with their active CO.
operation. AS many as five hundred chill
dren have been in school at one time, and
the average daily attendance is nearly
three hundred. -.a,. ar....
FROM LYNCHBURG. h
The same correspondent writes from
Lynchburg, Va, as follows: ur
The record of Lynch burg oEly differs
from that of Charlottesville by being, IL
possible, little more satisfactory. There
are six schools established here, and not
only negroes, but the children of the poor
er whites are being educated by these agen-
cies, and the teachers are native Virginians.
The freedmen are working well, at fair
wages. A short time ago the freedmen
bought church for $1l,500, and In less
than month they have been able to raise
half the purchase money.
The criminal business Of the Freedmen's
Court throughout the entire State was turn
ed over to the civil authorities seven weeks
ago, and 1t has been found that the local