Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-06-01
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU.

THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU.
The recent report Of Generals Steedman and
Fullerton with regard TO the operation Of The
freedmen's Bureau. in Virginia and North
Carolina. an abstract of which we published
IN our last issue, seems to have fallen like a
oombsleli in the Radical camp and they have
betrayed their confederation by the hsste with
which they have passed reso luton through
Congress for the appointment of a Joint COM
mittee OF twof from the Senate and three from
House, to make a tour Of the South, and re
port upon the condition of tho freedmen, and
the legislation necessary to protect them
From such committee we mny expect the
same er pdrtc statements, and prejudiced testi.
rnony, which the Congressional Reconstruction
Committee have been man ufacturinp by the
'Sho!eoale for months past. and which have
been so eFectually demolished by the simple
statement of few undsputed facts by Gener-
a., Steedman and Fullerton. These are men
o: high official character and position. and en-.
i:.:y fee from any imputation of partality
All: prejudice, and hence their ut,erances are
having their due weight upon The public mind
Of lie country: and the conservative journals
OF Tie North, are fast arriving at the couclu-
sioa that the best thing that con be done for
the African race is to withdraw ut once the
FreeInen's Bureau, and to leave to the people
OF tie Southern States the duty Of protecting
the :.agrocs. Sunh is the opinion Of the New
Yorl Journal Of Commerce. which closes very
forcLe article on the subject, with the follow
ing very truthful remarks:
Until the government and the people of the
unitrn States abandon the idea of regulating
the ahalrs OF the freedmen by national laws
with Washington appOintees to administer
them, the negro will continue to suffer, starve
and perish. The state of war, undoubtedly
mposed OIL the government heavy response
6llity, and the Freedmeu'i Bureau may poss
oily have been necessity of The times through
which we have Leen passing. But its mission
!. rapidly approaching an eud. 1t can do lit
Lie more goot. and it is doing vast amount Of
evil to the race it is intended to protect
Giving to its supporters and friends all credit
aud philanthropy aud the best Of motives and
desires. 1t Is nevertheless plain that it is now
likely to become an engine Of vast harm to the
negro as well As to the best interests Of both
South and North. The negro race must be
taken care Of, es dependent race, unable to
lake care OF themselves, and If there is my
thing in our principles of government, This
care can best be administered by local law,
suited TO the special circumstances of each
State and county inhabited by freedmen. If
tins be error. let philanthropy devise some
thing to take the place of the present terrible
'ystern which j: 1>slroying ,ho negro race.
We are looking forward W ith much intcreet
to the forthcoming report Of GcreraIs S.e.d-
man and Fullerton with regard to their inves.
legations in SouthCarolina aud Gsoryia, which,
Judging FROM the accounts CT correspondence.
will preeent additional INSTANCES Of official
misconduct. and Of the injurious effect of The
Bureau upon the relations of the two races
General Scott, the Commissioner for this State
ls said to be a very competent officer, but
among bis subordindtes, who are amenable 10
censure. is Gen. Ely, the Bureau Superintend-
ent at Columbia, who has been engaged in cul
tivating five plantations without authority.
DuEng the administration Of Gen, Saxton
much mischief was done by improper inter-
ference in the relations between the two races
especially uron tie Sea Islands, the evils of
which are thus set forth by the correspondent
Of the New York Times:
The Sea Islands, where Gen. Sherman loea. ,
yea his immense train of black followers. con.
A,n large number of freedmen who are iust
sWsa.E;ns eWE,ns IRON on condition Of terrible denor.
.' .n-a!lon' ihey had beenaed to believe that
the III land occupied by them would he piyen to
thein oy the Government and had been t,not,
oy the agents Of the Bureau to distr,,s, En-
REBELS that is their old masters, and all the
s'aIens OF The vicinity. On some .of the ia
.ai"ns .Ias tney went so lar as to organize them
They were armed, and posted pickets mads
patrols OF the, isiapds, and on ops Occasion ar-
rested couple Of gentlemen from Pannauiv..
nia. who attempted, from motives of eur;oa;,r
to visit lhep They held them as prison ers fSr
two days, only releasing ihetn after an armv!
For some time after the close of the war they
!abored under the Impression that the tDain--
land was filed with rebels, who they insg
ined were only waiting for q favorable oppor-
tunity to carry them of. These poor, credn.s
lou, creatures had bseh deluded by i'll advised
speeches OF mistaken friends 10 such an extent
s.at they really believed every white lhan. not
I'M nnis opinion was undoubtedly strengthened by
ti tne aaesmgsaner asg Of the troops toward them. as
lucy. .lsssaa OF protecting. abused them most
9nmereitony, and ids stated Oh good authority
Pipe ont o' every tsp cases Of outrage commit
ted on the biscks-in this department I havA been.
'psrpetra ed by our own soldfsra. - :
THE srRAwsEpaY Fprx.--The Mins,bo,o
Neps in copying our:notics of the 'Fnserta;n..
meptg given by the ladies of Abbsvills in behalf
Of The Episcopal Church ofthst pisse,, remarks.
'Ths kindliness and nsighborly ssmpathy.
that prompted this delicate andathougb.ful aid
ON the part Of the ladies Of our sister Villaee
csttainly meet a'heafty ackhowIsdr remant.n
s The sutn ratified viii doubtless be valuable,
'aceessicn TO the finds already raised.