The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1866-03-03

bill will not, when put into complete opera
ton, practically transfer the entire care,
support and control of four million emanci-
patcd slaves to agents, oversccrs, or task
masters who appointed at Washington, are
to he located in every county and parish
throughout the United States containing
freedmen and refugees
| scarcely know how to reply to that most
eXtrava9aut statement. | have already
shown that it would be a great abuse of the
power conferred by this bill to station an
agent in every county. | have already stated
that but SMALL proportion OF the freedmen
are aided by the frcedmcn's bureau. In this
official document the President has sent to
Congress the exaggerated statement that it
! is a question whether this bureau would not
| bring under its control the four million
emancipated slaves. The CENSUS of 1860
shows that there never were four. million
slaves in all the United States, if you count
ed every man, woman and child; and we
know that the number has not increased
during the war.
But sir, what will be thought when | show,
as shall directly show BY official figures,
that so far from providing for four million
| cmancipated slaves, the frecdmen's bureau
never yet provided for hundred thousand,
and as restricted by the proviso to the third
section Of the present bill, it could never be
extended under it to larger number Is it
not most extraordinary that bill should be
returned with the veto from the President on
the ground that it provides for four million
people, when, restricted as it is in its opera
lions, and having been in operation nov
| since March last, it has never had under its
control hundred thousand? ! have here
an official statement from the freedmen S
bureau, which beg leave to read in this
connections:
"The greatest number of persons to whom
rations were issued including the sommissary
department and bureau issues to persons
without the army. is one hundred and forty
| eight thousand one hundred and twenty
Who are they? | said there were not a
hundred thousand freedmen provided for by
the bureau.
'Wiitcs $3.50; colorcd. 9OG07: Indians.
| 1873. The greatest number by the bureau was
a. o32 in September. The total number for
! December was OPS"
That sounds a little different from four
millions. Seventeen thousand and twenty
five were all that We're provided for by the
lreedmen's bureau in the month Of Deem
Der last, tho number getting less and less
every month. Why? because by the kind
and jud;cious management of that bureau,
places Of employment were found for these
refugees and freedmen. When the freed
men were discharged from their masters
plantations they were assisted to find places
of work elsewhere. ! wish to read the tcs-
timony (Which has been kindly furnished
me- that was given before tie Reconstruction
Committee by Major General Fske, who is
commissioner Of the frecdmen's bureau for
the State of Tcnncssea-and wish these
gentlemen who are dcclaiming so loudly
against feeding the negro to notice the sta
tstics. The President says, in his veto mes
sage, that Congress has never thought o.
making these provisions for the white peo-
pie. Let us see what provisions have been
made for the white people. General Fiskc
was asked:
"Question-How large is the pecnniary
support that you are obliged to extend to
the freedmen in Tennessee -
"Answer-I am not to, aFissuing single
ration to freedmen in Tennessee, except to
about one hundred orphan children and
thirty old people at Memphis. and about six
ty orphan children and twenty-five old peo,
pie at Nashville; that is all. "
"Qnestion DO You issue rations to white
people in Tetinessee?'
"Answer-During the last year the ratons
issued to white people in Tennessee have
been much in excess OF those issued tc
freedmen. When took charge of my dis
trct the Government was feeding twenty
five thousand people in round numbers
about seventeen thousand FIVE hundred whit,
persUns and seven thousand five hundred
blacks. The month. preceding the establish
ing Of the freedmen 5 bureau, for ration
alone for that class of people the SUM o
S97 900 was paid
My first efforts we're to reduce the mum
Der. of these benetciaries of the Govern
mcnt, to withhold the rations and make thu
people scf-supporting as far as possible. -
And in the course of four months reduce,
the monthly expenses from $4,000 tt
$1,000"
That is what the frecdmcn's bureau ha
done in the State of Tennessee by the sworn
testimony of General Fiske, whose word no
body would question, delivered within fe,
days before the reconstruction committee G
the two Houses, and which they have kindl
furnished me for the purpose of stating thes
facts to the Senate and the country and thi
, is denounced as an expensive establishment
| undertake to say that the freedmen burea
has already saved this nation millions
d. money, and if continued, it will save
= millions more. But it is not simply in none
:. that the country is to be benefited. Their
are in schools seventy thousand colore
. children, chiefly placed there through, tn
! agency ofthe freedmen's bureau. An arenc
which reduces your expenses, educates co
, ored children, and provides homes for til
- destitute, is now denounced as expensive an
- its establishment unconstitutional. Gcner
Fiskc further says:
i "And in the course Of four months | r.
" duced the monthly expenses from S91, 200
5000; saving within that time on subsi
IS tence ten times as much money as the who
IF freedmen's bureau cost in the entire distric