North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-06-06
THE WORKINGS OF THE FREED
MEMS BUREAU.
Yankee Siaye.Driyers I'm the Souther1
States.

Yankee Siave.Driyers I'm the Southern
States.
Generals SrEEDMAN and FULLERToN--
both distinguished officers, and both Re.
publicans were directed by Mr. STANTON,
to make tour of the Southern States, to
investigate and report upon the workings
and doings of the Freedmen's Bureau
They were directed to cast behind them all
feelings, and to report facts and facts only,
without color or bias. They entered upon
their duties at dice and after laborious
and thorough investigation, they made their
Report. The exposures brought to light
by this Report are really frightfuL The
villains connected with the Bureau as its
officers or agents, have been guilty of ev
cry conceivable crime, from MURDER and
RAPE to petty larceny. Nearly every off,
Ger connected with the Bureau has seized
large tracts of land, and is engaged in the
production of rice, cotton, tobacco, lumber,
turpentine, tar, &c. They require the ne
groes to work for them at starvation prices,
and compel them to receive Government
rations at exorbitant charges, for wages.
The blacks have been whipped unmerciful-
~, tortured, and even murdered for the
most trifling offenses. Never 10 the worst
days of slavery were such atrocities heard
of. Irdeed these Northern masters have
committed crimes against the poor defense
less blacks which no Southern master or
overseer would have dared be guilty of. The
Report states that the blacks implOred Cen
erals Steedman and Fullerton to have the
Bureau abolished. They say they never,
had it so hard before, and never were thus
abused by their former masters. They,
with one voice, ask to be let alone. They
do not wish to become voters, but they DO
want to work for themselves and thus sup
ply the wants of their families. They have
no confidence in the officers of the Bureau,
and look upon them as heartless deceivers,
swlndIers and cheats. They want them
away, so that they can 60 to work for their
old masters, at liberal wages.
The Freedman's Bureau, then, it is ev-
ident to all, was organized and is kept up
for the express purpose of enabling set
OF New England Yankees to speculate on
the labor of the poor blacks, who are now
"enjoying the inestimable boon of freedom"
as Sumner would say. We are beginning
to think that ThaG. Stevens was not far
from the truth when he said, in a recent
speech, that slavery still exists in the
Southern States" The slaves-that por-
ton of them who can work--have merely
been transferred from Southern to North
ern masters, who are working harder than
they ever worked before, and giving them
no pay except rations at exhorbitant char
ges, and these rations are stolen from the
Government. No wonder, all New Eng
land howled when President johnson stran-
gled the bill extending the "powers" and
enlarging the ''infuence" ofthe Freedman's
Bureau. No wonder he has been denounced
ever since by every rascal of bis party
To run the present Bureau costs the Gov
ernment some twenty two million dollars
a year; under the vetoed bill it would
have cost, it was estimated, hundred mil
lions year! What "a traitor" is Andrew
Johnson for putting his foot upon this 1dar'
ling scheme of the ''loyal thieves" How
he did spoil their ealculstions--E,.