Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-03-01

country by an amendment to the
constitution of the United States,
and practically its eradication has
received the assent and concur
renee of most of those States in
which at any time had existed.
| am not, therefore, able to dis
Germ in the country anything to
justify an apprehension that the
powers and agencies of the Freed
mems Bureau, which were effect
i've for the protection of the freed
men and refugees during the act
nal continuation of hostilities and
of African servitude, will now, in
a time of peace, and after the abo-
lition of slavery, prove inadequate
to the same proper ends.
! If lam correct in these views,
there can be no necessity for an
enlargement of the Bureau, for
which provision is made in the
bill. The third section of the bill
authorizes general unlimited
amount of support to the insti-
tuition, and suffering refugees and
freedmen and their wives and
children.
Succeeding sections make pro-
visions for the rent or purchase
of land estates for freedmen and
for the erection for their benefit
of suitable buildings for asylums
. and schools, the expenses to be de-
frayed from the treasury of the
: whole people.
i The Congress of the United
States has never heretofore thought
itself competent to establish any
: laws beyond the limits of the Dis
trict of Columbia, except for the
benefit of our disabled soldiers and
sailors; it has never founded
schools for any class of our own
people-not even for the orphans
of the Union, but has left the care
lof their education to the much
:. more competent control Of the
State, of communities, Of private
associations, and of individuals.
1t has never deemed itself au.
thorized to expend public money
for the rent or purchase of houses
for thousands, not to say millions.
of the white race who are honest
ly toiling from day to day for their
J subsistence. A system for the
support of INDECENT persons in the
United States was never contcm.
plated by the authors If the con-
i. stitutioa, nor can any good reason
be advanced why, as permanent
establishment, it should be found
ded for one class or color of our
people more than for another.
! Pending the war many refugees
and freedmen received support
from the Government, but it was
never intended they should hence
forth be fed, clothed, educated, and
sheltered by the United States
The idea on which the slaves were
assisted to freedom, was that on
becoming free they would be self
sustaining population; any legisla-
ton that shall imply they are not
expected to attain a self-sustaining
condition, must have a tendency
injurious alike to their character
and their prosperity
The appointment of an agent
for every county and parish will
create an immense patronage, and
the expense Of the numerous Off
GERS and their clerks to be APP
pointed by the President will be
great in the beginning, with ten
dency to steadily increase.
The appropriation asked by the
Freedmen's Bureau as now estab-
lished for the year 1866, amounts
to $1l, 745,000. 1t may be safely
estimated that the cost to be in
Cured under the pending bill will
require double that amount
More than the entire sum expcnd-
ed in any one year under the Ad-
ministration of the second Adams.
If the presence of agents in eve
ry parish and county is to be con-
sidered as a war measure, opposi-
ton, or even resistance, might be
provoked, SO that. to give effect to
their jurisdiction troops would
have to be stationed within reach
of every one of them, and thus,
as large standing force would be
rendered necessary, large appropri-
atoms would be required to sustain
and enforce military jurisdiction
in every county and parish from