Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-05-17

fee engaged or Interested, either directly or in
directly, in the cultivation of any lands within the
department, or his very unfortunate answer there
to- we desire only to draw attention to his defence
of his own action in the case of the negro killed
by the clerk of his partner.
Col Whittlesey says: "The whole transaction
was reported to me, and [, hoping that the shot
had not taken effect, returned tie papers to a,raH
further euidence."
To this the Commissioners reply by quoting the
official endorsement as follows
RALEIGH March %, 1866
Respec fully returned the affair seems to have oc-
Cured night and, the body of the negro has not
been discovered does not appear certain that the shot
e"'"' " Colonel WITTLEsEY,
BEEcHER, Assistant Adjutant General
Col. Whittlesey, since he has seen fit to use the
press of the State for his defence, must not stop,
but reconcile this conflict of statements He can
have the use of these columns. And to assure him
that we are unwilling to suppress anything favor
able to him, we give the following letter from Gen.
O. O. Howard, Chief OF the Bureau, addressed to
the Editor of the New York Herald, the day fol-
lowing the publication of the letter referred to in
that paper:
NEW YORK May g. 1866
Ed OF HERALD Il have just received article of
to-day upon Freedmens Bureau Allow to that
Colonel Whittlesey Captain James, Captain Seely and Maj
Wickersham are men who have Tor years the
highest character for integrity. Yours respectfully,
o. o. HOWARD Major General Commissioners
We have written this article, published
the report of the Commissioners, from motives
of personal ill-wi to Col. Whittesey or the other
officers of the Bureau but with the earnest desireto
accomplish great good and remedy great evil
No lv WI q
fcer of the Bureau in the South Although en-
gagged in Raleigh during the past Fall and Winter
in an official position, we never Col Whittle
sey to know him, and are prepared to write with
out personal prejudice We have, however, been
about in the State, and do know that much harm
has been done by the Bureau, and the white and
blacks not only have been much alienated by
means of it, but great prejudice against the gov
eminent has been created by the arbitrary eXer
Else of power by some of its agents
We publish this article as we did the report yes
terday with the hope that every freedman within
the range of circulation, will read have read
to them, how their fellows have been dealt with
by the agents of the Bureau how freedmen have
been illegally taxed, imprisoned and made to suf
fer "revolting and unheard of cruelties' How
plantation under charge of the officers of the
Bureau had been converted into a penltentiary
for the confinement and hard labor of negro Grim
inals, and in the attempt of one to escape from
the illegal imprisonment, how he WAS shot down
with impunity.
By giving publicity to these official statements,
we desire to show the colored populations that
their true friends the people among whom
they were reared. Laws have been and will con-
tnue to be passed, conceived in spirit of charity
for their ignorance and liberalty for their help
lessness as will encourage them to seek their true
welfare by habits of honest industry and the faith
full discharge of their duties their future condi
ton depending entirely upon their industry and
virtue.