Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1866-03-08

should provide for those who were pas
sing suddenly from a condition of bon
dage to a state of freedom, but lhis bill
proposes to make the freedmen's bureau,
established by the act of 1865, as one of
the many great and extraordinary mill
tary measures to suppress a formidable
rebellion. permanent branch of the ad-
ministration, with its power greatly en-
larged. / have no reason TO suppose and
/ do not understand it to be alleged that
the act of March. 1866, has proved de-
ficient for which 1t was passed, although
at that time, and for a considerable pc.
riOd thereafter, the Government of the
United States remained unaeknowledged
in most of the States whose inhabitants
had been involved in-the rebellion. The
institution Of slavery, for the military
destruction of which the freedmen's bu.
reau was called into existence as an
auxiliary has been already effectually
and finally abragated throughout the
whole country BY an amendment Of The
constitution of the United States, and
practically its eradication has received
the assent and concurrence of most of
those States which at any time had ex-
listed. ] am not therefore able to discern
how the powers and agencies Of the
freedmen's bureau which werh effective
for the protection of freedmen and refu.
gees during the actual continuation of
hostililies and of African servitude, will
now in time of peace and after the
abolitiOn of slavery prove inadequate to
The same proper ends. If am correct
in these views there can be no necessi-
ty for the enlargement of the powers of
the bureau for which provision is made
in the bill.
The third section of the bill authori-
zes a general and unlimited amount of
support to the destitute and suffering
refugees and the freedmen and their
wives and children. The succeeding
sections make provision for the rent or
purchase of landed estates for the freed.
raer, a nd for the erection for their BEN
eft of spifable buildings for aoylums and
schools, the expenses TO be betrayed
from the treasury of the whole people.
The Congress of the United States has
never heretofore thought itself compe-
tent to establish any laws beyond the
limits of the District of Columbia. except
for the benefit of our disabled soldiers.
1t has never founded schools for any
class of our own people, not even for the
orphans of hose who have fallen in de.
fehse of the Union, but has left the care
of their education to the much more COM
petent control of States, of communities,
Of private associations and of individuals. /.
1t has never deemed itself authorized to
expend public money for rent or pur-
chase Of houses for the thousands, not to
say millions of the white race, who are
honestly toiling from day to day for their
subsistence. A system for the support
of indignant persons in the United States
was never contemplated by the authors
of the constitution. nor can any good
reason be advanced why, as a perma-
nent establishment, it should me, and
for one class or color of our people more
than for another. Pending the war
many refugees and freedmen received
support from the government, but il was
never intended they should henceforth
be fed, clothed, educated and sheltered
by the United States. The idea on
which the slaves were assisted to free
dom was that on becoming free they
would be self-suslaining population, and
any legislation that shall imply that they
are not expected to attain self-sustain-
ing condition must have a tendency In
furious alike TO their character and their
prosperity. The appointment of an
agent for every county and parish will
create an immense patronage, and the
expense of the numerous officers and
their clerks to be appointed by the Pres,
ident, will be great in the beginning
with tendency steadily to Increase
The appropriations asked by the Freed
mems Bureau, as now established, for
the year 1866, amount to Sl1, 745, 900.
Il may be safely estimeted the cost to be
incurred under the pending bill viii re-
require double that amount, more than
the entire sum expended in any one year
under the administration Of the second
Adams. In the presence of agents in
every parish and county is to be cOnsid.
cred a war measure. Opposition OF
even resistance might be provoked, SO
that to give effect to their jurisdiction
troops would have to be stationed within
reach of every one Of them, and thus g
large standing force be rendered nee.
essary. Large appropriations would
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