The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-12-23
THE FREEDMEN,s BUREAU.
Cen. Howard's Reply TO the steadman
and Fullerton Report.

Gen. HowARD's letter to the President re-
fitting the charges against the administration
OF the treedmans Bureau, is complete and
speci lie. The purpose of ANDREW JOHNSON.
III the mission he gave to Messrs SrE.DMAs
and FULLERTON was patent. He was making
war upon the People Congress, and set him.
selfto work TO bring their legislation into
disrepute. His purpose was par,izan. He
Issued his imperial ukase, and started hi.
agents upon their labors. The result was
predetermined. His duly commissioned Paul
Prizes did their work in the spirit of the mas
ter, and had an eye and ear for facts that
should establish his purpose. Gen Howard,
Superintendent of the Bureau, had full re-
ports and records of the workings of all the
Bureaus in MI the States, in bis Office a,
Washington, but Messrs. STEADNAs and Fu1.
1ERToS made no request or inquiry of him on
this score. They started South, and missing
IN some of the districts the reports and pa.
pers they might have found in the Office at
Washington, they made a grave charge against
the Bureau that ''there is an entire absence
Of system or uniformity IN is constitu-
ton
A shabby executive and his shabby agents
needed scarcely such an elaborate refutation.
as Gen. Howard has made. The report OF
SrrApMAS and FULLERTON preceded the fall
elections, and was conclusively answered BY
the people then.
Here is one statement by Gen. HowARn,
which Is satisfactory as showing that no evil
has grown out of the administration Of the
Bureau, in feature that might have become
an evil. He says: 1T will be seen by re
tefring to the regulations OF this Bureau,
circular 8, series 65, approved by yourself,
that gradual transfer of jurisdiction val
implied, and just as soon as practicable
we have made trial of the civil courts in
every State. have sought the provost courts,
as well as the civil, to relieve me of the ex,
ercise Of judicial powers" Protection Of the
citizen is primary duty of the State. We
have before urged the importance of this pro.
lection being found in the legitimate ad-
ninistration of law by the courts. If the
Freedman's Bureau is provisional and anon.
alous in its judicial functions, it is due 10
Southern pro-slavery rebelsm that substi.
tutes prejudice and hatred for Justice that
IS 50. The citizen must be protected, Gen.
HOWARD settles th cavils of Copper-John-
sonism by showing constant endeavor and
constant failure to get the courts Of the State.
to do ustice to the freedman.
Gen. HOWARD makes satisfactory showing
OF the action of the Bureau in regard TO the
subject Of wages. He extinguishes here, Cop,
perhead cavillings. The province of the Blu
reau is to protect class of citizens that were
else unprotected In doing this it has not be-
come inqnisitorial-it has not been arbitrarily
prescriptive. An attempt to intermeddle in
tie relations of employer and employed when
not demanded as a protective measure, would
be so.
We copy the important parts of Gen. How.
ards letter:
now come a. ~ far the most important
part OF what III, t4ectors have to say-the
summing up OF conclusions after four
months inspect the Bureau, in which
they assert that '~re IS an entire absence
OF system or uni r in its constitution -
They have never me for word of in
formation with retei ice to records, reports
aud orders.
They have made 10 examination of my of.
fee, and asked no reason for any action ia.
ken. The record. ar information they de-
sired that could not be found in the Offices OF
the South may be here. What would be the
result if they should make general inspec-
ton OF the Quart, master, Commissary. or
other Department "a the same way? Those
officers who have I,een relieved, or were be-
You'd their reach, are supposed to have made
improper dispositions of all records or papers
connected with their offices.
There is not . Bureau in Washington with >
more complete set Of reports, books and
records, &C., than can be produced At this
Office for inspection 1t any time. They Al.
tempt to prove their assertion By the state,
ment that in one State it, officers exer cised
judicial powers; in one adjoining all cases
are referred to civil authorities, while in a
third State Bureau officers collect the cases
and turn them over to military courts. Thei,
own inspection reports will refnte this. In
the States Of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missis-
slppi. Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Virginia
and North Carolina, Bareaa SCENTS do moi
exercise Judicial powers Of any kind, and in
the other States The power exereised By The
ofheers Of the Bureau are modified BY the
sssaass ana esadset u ~ psepas tsvasd