Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-01-02

49,
States, 10 well Ms with officers Of the army
who have bean stationed among them
The following are tho conclusions come to
by me: =.
ing men Of the South accept the present
situation Of affairs In good faith. The
questions which have heretofore divided
the sen imepts Of The people of the two
sections slavery aud State rights, or the
right Of State TO aecede from tho Union
they regard rs having been settled forever
BY the highest tribunal (arma) that man
can resort to. ] was plensed TO learn from
the lending men whom ! met that they
not only accepted the decision arrived Mt
na Anal bat now that the smoke Of battle
has cleared away and time has been given
| for reflection, that this decision has been
| fortunate one for the whole country,
they receiving the like benefits from 1t
with those who opposed them in tho field
| and in the catte. ~
Four years Of war, during which law
was executed only Ut tho point of the bay
onat thrpughout the States In rebellion,
| ton not 10 yield that ready obedience TO
civil authority the American people have
generally been IN the habit Of yielding.
| This would render the presence Of small
garrisons throug hout those States necessary
| until such time ae labor returns TO IT'S
proper channels and civil authority is fully
established. do not meet any one, either
| those holding places under the Govern
tnsnt or citizonR Of the United States, who
| think 1T prac ticable 10 withdraw the mill
tary from theSouth atpresent. The white
aud the black mutually require the pro-
lection Of tho General Government.
There isaueh universal acguiepence In the
authority Of the General Government
| throughout the portions Of the country
| visited by me, that the mere presence Of
! military force, without regard to numbers,
| h sufficient to maintain order. The good
OF the country, and economy, require that
| the force kept in the interior where there
are many freedmen elsewhere In the
Southern States, than at forts upon tho
Eea- cohst, no force IL necessary, )ahonld oil
DO white troops. The REASONS for this arc
obvious, without mentioning any Of them.
I~rbe presence Of black troops, lately slaves,
dsmoralizes labor, both BY their advice
and by furnishing in their camps d resort
for the freedmen for long distances around.
White troops generally excite no opposition
and therefore u ANAL number of them can
maintain order 10 agiyen district. Colored
troops must be kept In bodies sufficieht to
thinking men who would use violence to-
wards any clnss Of troops sent among them
by the Gencrala Government, but the ig-
norantin some places might and the late
slave seems to DO imbued with the idea
that the property Of his late master should
by right belong to him-at least, should
have no protection from the celored SOL
diers. There il danger of collision being
brought on by auch causes.
My observations laRd me TO tho ooncln
sion That the citizens Of the Southern
States are anxioust 10 return TO self-goveru-
ment within the Union, a. soon 90 possible
that whilst TeeonstruetinR, they want and
require protection from Tho Government
that they are In earnest In wishing TO do
what tn y think Ia required by tho Gov
srnment-no humiiAtng TO them as eiti
zeus and that II snch course was pom
ted out, they would pnrsue 1t in good filth.
II IL TO be- regretted that there cannot DO \
greater comnng1ing at this time between
tho citizens Of the two sections, aud par
ttcularly, Of those entrusted with tho law
making power.
| did not give tho operations OF the
Freedmsn's Bureau that attention i would
have done If more time had besff at my
disposal. Con VIBRATIONS on tho subject,
no weVer, with officers connected with the
Bureau, lead mo TO think that in somo of
the States ta affairs have not bean copduc-
ted with Judgment and economy, and that
The beiIet, widely spread among the freed
mon Of tho S0ntherp States, that The lands
Of their former owuers will ut least in
part be divided among them, has come
from the agents Of this Bureau. This be-
lief is seriously int feriBg with the will
llngnes1 Of the freedmen to make con
~ tk4n IT, tax.
the Freedmau's Bureau is an absolute ne
cessity until civil law Ia established and
inforced, securing to the freedmen their
rights and full protection. At present,
however, il isiindependent Of the military
establishment Of the country, and Seems
To be operated by tho different agents Of
the Bureau, according to their individual
notions Everywhere, General Howard,
tho able head Of tho Bureau, made friends
by the Just and lair instruction. an d adj
vice he gave; bpt tho complaint In South
Carolina was, that when no left, things
went on as before. Many, perhaps tho
majority Of The agents Of The Freedmen's
'Bureau, advise the freedmen that by their
own industry they must expect to live.
TO this end they endeavor to secure en-
ployment for them, and to see that both
contracting parties comply with their en-
sorry TO say, the freedmens mind does
not seem to be disabuaed Of the idea that
the freedman has right to live without
care or provision for the future. The
effect Of the belief in division Of land il
idleness and accumulation in camps,
towns and cities. In such cases | think
it will be found that vice and disease will
tend to the determination or great reduc-
ton Of the colored race. 1t cannot BIS ex-
peeted that the opinions held by men at
the South for years can be changed In
day, and therefore the freedmen require
for few years not only laws to protect
them but the fostering care Of those who
will gae them good counsel and In whom
they rely.
The Frcedmen's Bureau, being separated
from tho military establishment of tho
country, acquires all tho expenses Of n
sepGrnte organization. One does not know
necessarily what the other is doing, or
what order they are acting under. 1t
Heems TO mo this could be corrected by re-
parding every officer on duty with troops
in the Southern States az agents Of tho
Frrn6 m ~ IA RuFaan and than he ga all ha