Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-18
: NUMBER, 275aIa4
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and q luaiditY of fclothinga that had 0eep
sent TO GoldsborO for gratnitous distribu-
ton to the needy by, agFreedmen's Aid
Society at or in the vicinity of Rochester,
New 4ork. We1learpefA also ttbatFle had
disnnsedot large stnOnht OF suth lcloth-
ing at private sale. The Chaplain stated
himself that he bHd-Feceived from such
sales two hundred and sixty dollars $500
thou2hI subsequently, he asser ted1tbat the
total cash receipts ofrhis Office, from. al
sources amounted to one hundred ana
twenty7six dollars and fifty cents @$l28503l
He kept no books or, even memoranda Of
moneys received and expended. "7."l''''
3di Io THE wnSnNGT0N AGENTS. I'j' ofw
On the 4th inst we arriyed1a at Winnings
ton, the headquarters, of the Bureau for the
Southern District of NORTH Carolina, Of
which Colonel Rutherford is the. SHpalin-l
tendent. The Colonel has been here but
short time. and Is not vet fully acquaihted
with the operatiOns of the Bureau in his
district. he was so unwell that he was
Obliged toiretire while ~e were engaged I'M
examining his Office, and we have not since
conferred with him.
Major JIG. Mann, Assistant Quarterv
master, and Financial Agent OF the South,
ern District, is engaged in the cultivation Of
rice plantatiOnra short distaDeeJ tvm
Wilmington, on Which are emp'Oytd fifty
five freedmen. The Major stated chat while
he would t.ohject to making money he
engaged IN this business TO CONVINCE the
Southern people that the negro would,
work. '.'.'.' -l '.''' '"V
ONE WAY OF INDUCING INDUSTRY.
Major Charles /. Wickersham, sub-agentl
Of the Bureau, whose headquarters are at
Wilmington, is. also interested in the ctlti-i
walton Of rice plantation within his sub-2
district, and he is to receive. One-fourth of
the crops from the same for compelling the
freedmen employed on said plantation to
work iaithfolly. He explained tbe manner
in which he compelled freedmen to comply
with their contracts, by stating that he put
them to work with ball and chain on the.
streets of Wilmington. ~Frr"E
EVILS OF THE SYSTEM. ....v
Without attempting to discuss the pro-a
priety of officers of the Bureau, in the mil
itary service Of the United States, who are
paid by the Government for the perform
ance of their duty, engaging in private bus
iness, and employing freedmen tor sudh
purposes while controlling, through their
official positions, that class OF labor. we
deem it our duty to state some of tile effects
produced, both upon the officers themselves
and upon the planters with whom they
come in competition, by such conduct. Ma
jar Wickersham, in cOntractingto furnish
lOTly ldUDItTs W WOlh Il IlCt pan Dt-
comes at once interested against the labor
ers, whom he cOmpels to labor, perhaps un-
justly, when unfairly dealt with by the,
person working them on the plantation; and
on their refusing to work, he intlicts upon
them unlawful, and for a breach of con-
tract, unheard OF punishmeuts, putting
them on chain-gangs as If they were con-
victed criminals. Col. Whittlesey, or anv'
other officer of less rank or influence in the
tiOns rented for cash or on shares. becomes"
interested in securing low rate of wages.
and in making the most stringent labor
regulations. to the great detriment Of the
freedmen. They thereby give the sanction
OF the Government to the establishment of
wages far below what the labor is really
the WbG 8ft and
gagged, are subject to the temptation of APP
prOpriating to their own use Quartermas-
ter's stores and rations to supply and pay
their own laborers. Complaints have
b en- made to us by the planters that these,
agents of the Bureau use the power of their
positions to obtain and control the best Ia
bor in the State. There is no doubt that
some of the ill feeling manifested toward
the Bureau on the part OF the planters, Is
attributable to this tact. #aIH .H ,> aN
ARBITRARY PowER, OF THE BUREAU. rT
The arbitrary power exercised by somev
of the officers and agents of the Bureau in
making arrests, imposing fiHes, and infliet-
ing punishments, degrading the local laws,
and especially the statute OF limitations,
creates prejudice against the Government.
Ifthe officers were all honest and inbelli-
gent, with even limited legal information, :
it might be safe to trust them with this eX-
traordinary power; but In many Instances
the officers do not possess the slightest
knowledge of law. AT GoldsbOro, the eJ1
agent, Captain Claws imposed a fine of
$25 on one freedman for stabbing another
so severely rs to endanger his life, and
when interr0gated by us relative to this
case, he stated that he did not know enough .
about law to distinguish civil from a
criminal case. .r7rll .t tn.. ..a' Ygag1
-ou.4 THE ERECoMMENDATIoN. rsaa HHgd
We are satisfied that the recommendation 0
which we made in reference to the with
drawal of the officers OF the Bureau In Vir-
ginia. and the transierence to the officers
commanding the troops, of such duties as q
it still may be necessary to perform in cons
nection with the freedmen, is equally APP
pliOable to North Carolina. . 1921 a.1 "a
Very respectfully your 0bedient servantsOi.
JAS. B. STEEDMAN, Mi. Cen Vols.
,a j. s. FULLERTON, Brig. Gen. Vols.
.as.rrm jog O, tlna oia oI og ci Hgmoa
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