The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-08-29
Report Of Gems steadman and Fullerton.

the SOUTH " G extract the loAoHIlg III EGldt4ou "
Louisiana:
The bureau in this department Is more in need o.
rerenchment and reform than in any other State we
have visited More money has been collected, and
more money has been squandered in Louisiana than Il
any other three southern States Tie expenses Of the
bureau as accounted for the fiscal year ending the LIST
of June, 1865, were over three hundred thousand /
dollars. To meet this expenditure there were col
lected in taxes and rents the following amounts
For school purposes $96,367 36
FROM rents s6'aot
from from Ponl sa !, f,,o % 900 90
From fines. ..'......''.......... o'o "
Total .s258 ,448 n /
Leaving deficit of S60057 80 to be paid out of the
national treasury These expenses are III addition to
che transportation, rations ard quarteEmaster,s sup
plies furnished by the government 1t il difficult to
determine to what use the vast amount OF property
held by the bureau has been applied AT the very
lowest estimate, the property taken possession OF as
coufscated or abandoned amounted in value to ten
millions Of dollars and the rents returned as above
mentioned are less than one per cent on tue chtife
value.
The expenditure of the bureau under the present
administration for agents. civilian clerks and employees
about its headquarters alone amount to not less than
$40 1886 year. exclusive Of the pay OF stall officers
and orderles in the military service.
| 4 large proportion OF the money expended on the
freedmen schools under the administration Of the Rev.
T. w. Conway, the late assistant commissioner, we
are satisfied was squandered Mr. Matthew Whilden,
formerly chief clerk in the school department. in evil
dence before us-wbch is hereuuto appended, marked
& B"-stated that in September, 1865, Capt Pease,
the school superintendent reported officially that there
forty schools in operation and IN houShng con
dition when, in fact there were but two 1t was also
to before US that the books and records winch
would have shown this report to be inaccurate, were
destroyed in Capt. Peases Office and others substi
tuted. We can see object for the fabrication OF
this false report unless it was to account for payments
made to persons who were not engaged in teaching
On examining the payroll No. q for the month of Au
gust 1865, found that after it had been certified
and approved names had been added, and the totals
erased and changed on every page. We found also
discrepancy Of several hundred dollars between the
/ payrols for this month and the labor roll No. ).
From the testimony, also hereto appended, it
will be seen that Capt. Morse appointed provost mar
shall Of the bureau by Mr. Conway, made the provost
marshas office a slayepen, arrestng freedmen and
selling them to planters at FIVE dollars head, and
sharing the proceeds with his special policemen who
made the arrests This officer further collected
large amount OF money from freedmen and white per
sons arrested by him for various offences, and his
books only show receipts from this source amounting
to 1919 10.
The bureau is eultivang a large plantation in this
State for which it pays ten or fifteen thousand dollars
a year rent. We eau scarcely imagine the excuse
! for renting land account of the United States
when the government, through each congress- is Civ
ing away millions of acres of public lands to cor
| poratons.
! Major Gen Absalom Baird is the assistant commits
soner for louisiana and was also military commander
of the department when we visited it. lie has I'M
| doubtedy improved upon the administration of Mr.
/ Conway.
We also extract the following from their report in
relation to the general working of the system fol-
lowed by the different commissioners It looks like
slavery in a new form:
| The system of contracts existence in the south
and enforced by the bureau is simply slavery in
form. What is the difference to the negro whether he
is sold for five dollars five thousand dollars for
thirty years to thirty masters for thirty years
one master2 1t is involuntary servitude in either
case, and practical defeat Of the emancipation pro-
camat0n of the lamented president Lincoln. If the
freedman leaves work to seek employment at better
wages he is arrested a vagrant by order of the
reedmens bureau and put to labor on the roads with
ball and chain, is provided by an order issued by
Gen. Scott, assistant commissioner for South Carolina
If, futgued from oYerwork he desires to rest for
day, if he leaves the plantation to visit relative or
friend it is made penal offence, and fine Of fifty
dollars is imposed, will be seen by circular No ID
OF Gen. kiddoo assistant commissioner for Texas,
copy of which is hereuuto annexed, marked g E."
1t he refuses to contract at all lie arrested by the
bureau provost marshal and sold for few dollars 10
the nearest planter, in the Of Capt Morse Of
New Orleans, already referred to- The eoerciYe poll
cy adopted by the bureau in this and other respects
has been made justification for the discriminating
legislation of some of the southern States The only
remedy against a white man for breach Of contract
is suit for damages, and we can see no reason why
the same remedy should not be applied and conceded
/ III the case OF the black man. The freedman has
nothing to sell but his Labor and we are strongly of
the opinion that he ought be permitted to obtain for
it the highest price that it will bring # he is free
man it's neither just lawful for any person to assume
control Of him, and certainly more just or lawful
[ for Tpffi.a rof +I1a i
for southern PLATTER