Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-05-30
Lcuvcs for Sumner's Scrap Book,
PLENTY OF MATERIAL FOR MRS
STOWE TO MAKE ANOTHER
UNCLE TOMS CABIN.
"Loyalty." philanthropy" and Religion
as found In the Bureau.
The Plymouth Rockers among their
friends-lHooting Negroes-7He
"barbarism of Slarery' out
done-"Supporting the
Government" etc.
FOOD FOR REFLECTION.
FEELING TOWARDS rnE BUREAU.

EOOD II Oh 1AL 4$iIO 4 W.
FEELING TOWARDS THE BUREAU.
We found the feeling towards the
Bureau much the same as that already
sisted as prevailing in Virginia, ex-
cept that there appears 10 be "a more
universal desire in this department on
the part of all classes TO have it re-
moved This feeling is no doubt at
trlbutable to the misconduct Of many
of the officers of the Bureau, such as
working plantations, running saw
mills, manufacturing turpentine and
tar, &c, operations which bring them,
armed with authority of their official
positions, into competition with the
citizens who are employing freedmen.
CONDUCT OF THE AGENTS.
We have Investigated some Of the
charges made against agents of the
Bureau, and in pursuing our inquiries
on this point commenced with the
assistant commissioner OF the State,
Col f. Whiltlesey, to whom we ad-
dressed the interrogatory: "Do you
know of any person in the military
service now on duty with the Freed
mems Bureau in thisdepartment who
is, or has been since entering upon
the duties of his office, engaged or in.
terested, either directly or indirectly,
in the cultivation Of any lands within
the department? 2" He answered 'tNo."
Subsequently he addressed us note,
hereto appended, in which he stated
that, in order to assist the planters ia
hiring freedmen and trying fairly the
experiment of free labor. he and some
officers of the Bureau had loaned mon
ey, and thus indirectly had an inter
est in cultivating farms. On recciv-
ing this note we addressed Colonel
Whittlesey further interrogations a
copy of which is hereto annexed, TO
which he replied in communication,
also hereto appended, disclosing the
fact tha he is interested rs an equal
partner with the Rev. Horace james,
Of Massachusetts, formerly captain
and acting quartermaster Freedmen s
Bureau, and with Mr.. Winthrop Tap
pan, of Maine, in the cultivation Of a
large farm in Pitt county, n. C. lie
also stated therein that Captain F. A.
Seeley, superintendent of the Bureau
for the Eastern District, n c.. is in
terestcd in the cultivation Of planta
ton in Wayne county, n g., with II
Mr. Potter, and that Captain Isaac
Rosekranz, commissury subsistence,
is interested with Mr., Brooks in the
cultivation of a plantation in Pitt
county, North Carolina.
AFFAIRS AT NtwDERN.
| On the nth of April we left Raj.
eigh for Newbern, the headquarters
of Capt. F. A. SeeIey, superintendent.
of the Bureau of the Eastern district
of North Carolina. We at once pro
ceeded to investigate the affairs of the
Bureau and the conduct Of its officers
IN this district. Captain Seelcy was
Intercepted as to whether he was
interested in any manner, directly OF
indirectly, in the cultivation of lands
or in any other private business re-
quiring the labor of freedmen. lie
answered that he was not, except IN
directly in manufacturing lumber,
having purchased or being about to
purchase. with two OF his clerks, a
saw mill, about forty miles down the
river, DR.. Rush, medical puveyor,
u. S. V, stationed Mt Ncwbern, and
a Mr. Potter, citizen, were snbse-
quently examined, both of whom sta.
ted that Captain Soeley, superntend
ent of the Freedmen's Bureau for the
district, entered int" partner ship with
thcm, about December last, in Il con
tract to cultivate the farm of MrGeo
Collier, citizen of North Carolina
near Goldsborough. They commen
ccd operations by plant ny seven hun
dred acres of cotton and some corn
this work necessarily requiring tho
labor of a large number ot freedmen
; DIR. Rush stated that some two weeks
since he had conditionally purchased
the interest of Capt. Seeley in thi'
plantation. but had not yet consu
. mated the contract. Mr.. Potter sta
| ted that about "a fortnight ago DIR
; Rush, he himself, and others had con
ditionully purchased a part OF the in
tercst of Captair Seeiey, and tina
Captain Seeley still owned an interes
in the plantation. Without being abb
TO determine from the Testimony hos