The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-07-07

the bureau is'admiaistercd as far as
can learn, by persons having no knowI
edge OF our people or the negroes
they're nearly all imported from {
distance and are antagonistic in feel
ing so.thepeoplesa andeself-sufiicient a.
to theirIduties and their desPotic pow
err seemsjto have turned their heads
even when well disposed and oonsci
entious, they are so profoundly igno
rant of, the subject they have to dca
with, as to blunder continually, an'
excite ridiqule; in Texas we have beef
unfortunate in the chief of the bureau
who was a fanatical and e~xceedingI.,
self sufficient man he began b,
preaching to the negroes, and offend
ing society by his social treatment o
them; we don't need missionaries t.
teach us social relations or a -laboI
system and h%eofiended us BY his ar
rogance and turned the heads OF TIT
poor ignorant negroes ym 80 ,eu,l
q. Could you manage the Institution
better. yourselves WonldI your peo
pie deal fairly and lhumanelyib!y theme
groes? A, lhe Institution is 'ohen
slve in itself, and .a%1nuisanee IN prac
tee il left to ourselves we would re
.Ject it, as the only management 1t de
serves we would pass but few laws re
lating to the late slaves, that would mo-
apply to whites; and as Tor ialr treat
ment, the best and only friend the poo
negro has on earth is the old mastsr
this the poor deluded creatures are las
discovering, and many thousands art
returning to their former homes tree
OF the freedom thrust upon them, Whlci
they never sought. ,1r' najod iaa
y. How would you hetter the mat
err Would the people return the ne
gro to slavery! f,b ldi - troo.I@1
a.. There IS no such lntente ordlspo
sltion anywhere to re-enslavothenegro.
They regard that as entirely settled
question, ndimposslblc lftliey desired
1t. 1t would be presumption on my
partto submit a plan eXtemporaneously
upon which our. people would work
| give you only the views OF a private
citizen, who has never been IN, or as,
PRED to political position II would
suggest, land believe 1t would lind Ia
vor with yourpeople, such legislation
as would compel all men to comply
with their contracts for service, in KIND,
at least for one year, under penalty OF
working onrublic works without wa
ges. All men nearly would bargain
with and treat them justly, and most
even kindly. The reported a
tagonism which fills the Northern Rad
zeal papers is not merely exaggerated,
it is manufactured out of the whole
cloth-it IS false. No such antago-
nism exists and collisions have occur
red, only, within my own knowledge,
negroes have been astimnlatedt to
impudence and hostility by opinions OF
soldiers or agents Of the Freedmen
Bureau. This will never be tolerated.
G. Have the freedmen gone to work
n Texas, and on what terms? A. l
I'm informed that they have generally
since the first of january. Up to that
line they had a vague expectation Of
something more than a freedom which
lad only deprived them of homes.
Finding that nothing but work would
get bread, they have hired, generally
1t good wages men at S6,to SIS, and
women at So to Sl2 per month, they
clothing themselves. Some planters
nave. hired by giving alshare of the
,rop, one fourth to one4third. r..
@. Is there u disposition to educate
md Christianize tileml A.. We would
irst cndeayor to find bread and cloth
NC for them. | think no one would
oppose their getting an education for
themselves, like other poor people, 1t
doubtless, he WE'LL if they could
.ead the Bible, which has hitherto been
them gratuitously. 1t will be
we'll if the negro can maintain the NOR
ana relISlous teachings he mas ENJOY
ei; ! nave no nope OF 1t myself, as he
VIII nave 10 keep himself, ana mas
helther olsposltloh nor capacity TO
inc. condition OF MS race
ne las no history no tradition nothing
without or within TO stimulate pildc
no ASPIRATION o the service OF u
n~aster-race. heretofore, ms master
las furnished nm relig|ous instruc-
'lon, TO the extent that one single De
lomlnatlon-the Methodist ChNrch.
oouthTreports 2 membership OF hun
ireds OF thousands. Tins IS at an end
low. They will have to pay for their
own religious teachings, like other free
..,..l . ;s
@. Have they capacity to Learnt. A.
To some extent they have, The little
children learn rapidly to read and
write but their capacity is limited, j
.hink, They are initiative, but with
,ut ambition they will learn, but can
lot apply their learning. ..naI