The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-02-28

| " ~ S'"tS W ihSSNcib ouo lily Oil plOpooS
tomake the Freedmen's Bureau (establisl
ed by. the act of 1869 as one of the man
h and extraordinary military measures to eur
press formidable rebellon-a permanen
i branch of the public administration, with it
= powers greatly enlarged. have no reaso
j to suppose, aud do not understand it to b
= alleged, that the act of March, 1865. ha
\ proved deficient for the purpose for which i
- was passed. Although at that time, AM
! for considerable period thereafter, the Gov
u eminent of the United States remained IN
y acknowledged in most of the States who's
inhabitants had been involved in the rebel
. lion, the institution of slavery, for the de
. struction Of which, the Freedmen's Bureau
was called into existence as an auxiliary
; has already been effectually and finally abro
). gated throughout the whole country by al
' amendment to the Constitution of the Uni
. ted States; and, practically, its eradication
has received the assent and concurrence o
most of those States in which, at any time
: it had existed. / am not, therefore, able Il
. discern in the country anything to Justify al
apprehension that the powers and agencies
Of the Freedmen's Bureau-which were eff
fective for the protection of freedmen and
refugees during the actual continuation OIL
hostllities, and of African servitude-will
J not now, in time of peace, and after the
abolition of slavery, prove inadequate to the
same ends. Ii ] am correct 10 these views,
There can beno necessity for the enlargement
Of the powers of the Bureau, for which q
provision is made in this bill. The third
section of the bill authorizes general and
unlimited amount Of support to the destitute
aud suffering refugees and freedmen, and
their wives and children. n The succeeding
sections make provision for the rent or pur-
chase of landed estates for freedmen, and for
the erection, for their benefit, of suitable
buildings for asylnms and schools, the ex-
pehse to be betrayed from the treasury Of the
people, The Congress of the United States
has never heretofore thought itself bound to
establish any, laws beyond the limits of the
District of Columbia, except for the benefit
of our disabled soldiers and sailors. 1t has
never founded schools for any class of our own
people not even for the orphans Of those who
have fallen in defence Of the Union, but has
left the care Of their education to the much
more competent control Of the States, of
communities, of private associations and OF
individuals. It has never deemed it neces-
lsary to expend the public money for the rent
or purchase of houses for the thousands, not
to say millions, of the white race who are
honestly toiling from day to day for, their
Subsistence.
/ A system for the support ofindigent per
sons in the United States was never contem-
plated by the Constitution, nor can any
good reason be advanced why, as a perna-
nent establishment, it should be foun led for
one class or color of our people more than
another. Pending the war, any refugees or
freedmen received support from the Govern
ment, but it was never intended they should
henceforth be fed, clothed, educated and shell.
tered 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. and any legisla-
ton that shall imply that they are not ex.
pected to attain selfsustaining condition,
must have tendency injurious aliketo their
character and their prosperity. Z 8
The appointment Of an agent for every
country and parish will create an immense
patronage, and the expense of the numerous
officers and clerks to be appointed by the
President, will be great in the beginning,
With tendency steadily to increase. The
appropriations asked for by the Freedmen's
Bureau, as now established for the year
1866, amounts to $ll.745,OOO. 1t may be
safely estimated that the cost to be incurred
under the pending bill will be double that
amount, more than the entire sum expended
in any Que year under the administration of
the second Adams. fthe presence ofagents
in ever parish and county, is to be consider |
ed as a war measure, opposition or even re- |
sistance might be provoked, so that to give
effect to their jurisdiction, troops would
have to be stationed within the reach of ey-
cry one of them, and thus o large standing
force would be necessary, and large appro.
priations would therefore be required to sus- /
tain and enforce military jurisdiction in ev.
cry county and parish, from the Potomac TO |
the Rio Grande.
The condition Of our fiscal affairs is en-
couraging, but in order to sustain the pres
ent measure of public confidence, it is neees-
sary that we practice not merely customary
economy, but as far as possible severe re.
trenchment. 10 addition to the objections
already stated, the fifth section Of the bill
proposes 10 take away land from its owners
without any legal proceeding being first had
contrary to the provision OF the Constitu-
tlon, which declares that no persons shall be
deprived of life, liberty and property, with
out due process of law. Itd6es not appear
that lands to which this section refers may
not be owned by minors or persons Of un.
sound mind, Or by those who havebeen faith.
full to all their obligations as citizens of the
United States. lfany portion Of the land is
held by such persons, it is not competent
for any authority to deprive them oft. IfI1
on the other hand, it be found that the pro.
perty is liable to confscation, even then it |,
cannot be appropriated to public purposes
until, by due Process of law, it shall have
been declared forfeited to the Government.
There are still further objections to the II
bill on the grounds of seriously affecting the i
class of persons to whom it is designed to !,
bring relief. 1t will tend to keep the minds !
Of the freedmen in d state Of uncertain ex. /
oectation and restlessness, while to those /
among whom he lives it will be source of IL
constant and vague apprehensions. In It
the freedmen should be protected, In