The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-06-18
ON THE NEGROES.
CAUSES OF ANTAGONIST.
Satisfactory Administration
OF the Bureau.
Governor johnson Takes Q
Hopeful View.
ks. 10. ~

COLUMBUS, Ga, June IL, 1855
Generals steedman and Fullerton complete here their
investigation Of the State Of Georgia They have visited
Savannah, Thomasvillc Augusta Atlanta, Macon and
Columbia From the extensive nature OF their mission
It would be impossible for them touch at every pc
Of interest without prolongng the trip far beyond
sonabe limits. They are obliged, SO TO speak, 70
sssample State by tapping few OF the representative
districts and In this way they derive idea Of the feel
ing Of the community at largo. Even with this mode
Of progression with travelling and
work. 1t will probably be far on In July before reach
Texas the limit Of tether Southern rail
ways are not favorable to rapid travelling
Sixteen miles hour the extreme limit OF their speed
ten miles the average Every hundred miles traversed
represent ten hours OF physical agony spent in jong
over badly laid roads, the metals OF which have proba
bly, been bent up by Sherman and are very mperfccly
Strengthened oua dreary monotony diversified only by
breaking coupling, running over stray bullock or
running of the track. In this uncomfortable manner
without sleeping any Of those Injuries which
duce the discomforts OF travel In the North mini
num- have made more than three thousand miles
in the months which journeyngs have ex-
tended and have disposed Of five out Of the eleven
States down on the programme From Georgia we pro-
coed to Alabama, commencing at Montgomery tomorrow
CONCERNING GEORGIA.
There are $50 900 freedmen Georgia. but greatly to
the credit OF the administration Of the Frecdmens Blu
reau, only 1923 Of this number depend mt upon
the government for support I noticed In q former
letter the vastly different systcms Of government In
cuded In the term, "Freodmons Bureau" pointing
out that every State had its peculiar system, differing
widely from the system OF the adjoining States do the
laws and social customs Of South Carolina and Massa-
chusetts The organization OF the Froedmens Bureau
in Georgia resembles nothing had previously seen.
The policy pursued by General Tlson the Assistant Com
missioner, has been to carry out the objects Of the
Bureau under the agis Of the State government
The subagents Of the Bureau, two hundred in number
arc appointed under powers conferred upon General TIL
by resolution Of the State Convention They thus
become virtually petty magistrates and being citizens Of
the State selected for their high character for honor and
uprlghtness they no prejudice among the whites
and generally act with perfect fairness and justice towards
the blacks There Is no idea Of any coercvo interference
State which In Virginia and elsewhere produces feel
ing Of hostility and opposition to the Bureau while the
power Of interference Is all the who retained intact It
Is the mailed hand under the kid glove In every case
where outragcs on freedmen neccssitae Interference
General TiIson calls first the sheriff and tho civil
authorities puts Thorn in tho foreground and
backs them up with federal solders This policy
Is producing admirable results II s sccustoming the
people OF the State 70 tho status created BY the
emancipation OF the blacks and tho comforting upon
them Of civil rights and Is teaching tho coored peo
blacks placed perfect equality and Il wean.
ing them from tho perncious notion OF special Provi
Qo0Ce IN tue shape flecdmenS bureau placed
them 70 take their In all cases whether right
wrong 70 feed them when lazy and to secure them the
highest ratio OF wages for the least amour, OF work
NOW 1BE FREEDMEN ARE WORKING.
Throughout the State Of Georgia the freedmen
working well-not quite well perhaps Is In Florida
tho acreage but insy are senssy psstns iueusou
are we'll treated and literally paid Heavy rains and
consequen. foundations have considerably damaged their
AZ Macon bad an interesting interview with Howell
able success / called him at his once He assured
me that the people OF Georgia accepted the result OF the
war and waited patiently and with something lko des
pondency, the action OF the government prepared to
abide BY that action, whatever might be- The people
Of tho South, he said were not in condition TO resist
lyon arc travelling with General s,esamaD are your
II over You nd man Who deva,es from these ds,rusi
his information. One ia that tho negro Is doing we'll
much better than We had right to expect, and devish
similar circumstances The other that the further the
Niger Is from Bureau the better he VII work. IN 20
negro Is treated we'll he will work Won Take my own
case had six or seven hundred negroes before the
war, abou, half Of them being working hands; am
dred and forty eight cld hands and one hundred and
forty-seven Of them wore formerly my slaves the
forty eighth IL tho wife of young man who married
on the plantation feed them give them their little
patches let them raise their roe crop; give them
the sugar 70 make molasscs and let them keep as
onc-iourth Of The cotton if things 20 on as well
az they promise, and cotton is worth only twenty
worth enc hundred and twenty 1--WE dollar. on
tho FIRST Of January next Now I never went
made any formal contract with them / casually mep.
toned 20 General fIlson what WAS gong to do lie On.
the one mentioned 70 him You see tia, desE there
lpointing TO neatly made set OF pigeon holes; well,
that was brought me Last Christmas by of my old
slaves as Christmas present brought him mp ~ .
whseiwrght and wagon builder and he 10 stll following
the same trade. The only difference in our relative
positions Is that before the war he paid me nominal
hirc In wagon wheels. and on aud now he makes me
presents AZ see and comes TO 10 borrow money
who served an through The war rish, down n"I y
tho battle OF Columbus, was captured once but
escaped and came back 70 slavery and me Yet,
strange 10 say, a. soon as freedom proclaimed he
took strange infatuston and ran away and loft me-
though told him he wanted 10 90 to tell me and 60
doing we'll but never have anything say 10 him for
he has forfeited my confidence There are eight moro
Of my hands, old men and women, whom have placed
work myself ration them and lot them cultivate the
land on Their own account And you win find me. sir
owners doing throughout the entire state Thus
saying the erUntcd States Senator aud arch rebel
self in the smoke Of his egsf lon him wsS ,"y,sl
smile ripping all over his fastar1sn visase
ANOTHER cAar
On tho cars, between Macon and Columbus. Gensrl
Stecdman fell Into conversation with an extensive
planter whose statement strongly confirmed tbe
bolieve II Mr. O. H. Slsfcy, aud he working two thou.
sand acves ofand In Macon Houston and euin,sr
;s rs. cns s and % ss
plantation He stated that neither he nor hs aborers
his SON. nor bis sons hborers Lad troubled the
Bureau; they all got on much better w.thoul al wse
always kind 10 my niggcs,n he said, addng with much
ravsL, sometimes used 10 crack o. two Of them
the head with stick, and generally the others said
Amen and Starved em right but nov | nnd 1
can ct on much better without than with y
The ySsnsers generally have . thorough Apprccsiicn
Of the situation, was shown by = ronuk which feli
from extensive rice planter al savannah Aftor men.
tonng that he had been compelled 10 pay Of hs
nftccn dollars month. dollar day, he added THE
nisgcn g2ng 70 make ell they csn out Of o. and
don't blame them"
pARx ms oy r1cyrRs
There d dark side Of the picture IN Georgia ~ well
bright one In somc districts Of the state The Law.
les mon, who hato the niger with almost Gendish
hatred, and viii opprca OF murder him the FIRST op.
porsan sssm 70 hsvs co, y, NE appss hand q hs