The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-02-27


Trade.
Our correspondence from Washington re
veals an extraordinary state of things will
regard to the operations of the Freedmenl
Bureau and Its agents. We have heard it init
mated for some time past that the officers OF
agents Of this pet establishment of the radicals
were guilty Of grave offences. Now it appears
they have been entering extensively into new
kind of slave trade. It is known they have
almost unlimited power over the negroes and
that the white people of the South are 80 much
in their power that they can do whatever they
please. No Roman pro-consul ever exercised
more arbitrary power than they can over the
widespread and scattered settlements of the
South. Most of them are men of small capacity
and limited views Of things, and not few Of
them are corrupt A large number Of them
are from New England, where the original
slave importers and dealers came from, and
nearly all are the friends and belong to the
school of the radical republicans in Congress.
None know how to whip the devil round the
stump SO well as these wide-mouthed trading
Massachusetts, negro worshippers. While they
are preaching philanthropy they would fay o
negro and sell his skin for the almighty dollar.
It is not at all surprising, therefore, that We
now hear from good authority that a. species
of slave trade has been revived by these
people. The agents of the bureau in the Dor
der States, where negroes are very plentiful
and not wanted, send the darkies, at the
expense Of government, to their colleagues in
the cotton States, who dispose Of them to the
best advantage. We do not mean, nor is it 80
stated, that they sell the negroes right out and
take bill of sale for them, as the Southerners
used to do; no, that is not the way the friends
of Sumner and Stevens do business. But they
make bargains with those who want to employ
the negroes, and they have many friends from
the North and others with whom they are secret
partners to whose employment they assign
these people. OF course it is said the negroes
go voluntarily and make agreements them
selves with their new employers, but this every
sensible man knows Is all bosh. The negroes
are ignorant, and are as much under the power
of the agents of the Freedmen's Bureau a. they
were under their former masters. The oppor-
tunity for speculation and making money is a
very fine one, and we have no doubt, as our
correspondent says, these shrewd and IRE
sponsible men have awaited themselves of it
pretty extensively.
The Presidents veto of tho Infamous bill to
enlarge the powers of the Freedmen's Bureau
came quite timely. The whole concern ought
to be abolished at the earliest day practicable.
Mr.. Johnson had the sagacity TO perceive the
unconstitutionality corruption, oppression and
enormous expense Of this monstrous political
machine of the radicals We shall have, no
doubt fresh developments from time to time
showing the evils Of the system and the wis
dom Of tie veto. The expenses of the govern
ment have increased enormously lately, and In
great degree from the operations Of the
burgau. 1t would be an interesting piece OF
Indignation. If we could get at the fact, to
know how much this new kind Of slave trade
has cost the government in the way of trans
portation of the negroes from certain localities
to others. 1t would be useful to know, too,
how much the white people of the South have
to pay the bureau agents to save themselves
from being worried to death or ruined, or for
necessary protection. An honest committee OF
inquiry would make some frightful develop
mcnts, but that cannot be obtained from the
present Congress- The time may come, how
ever, when we shall know more about Il. Tn
the meantime we must depend upon our honest
and patriotic President to do all he can, as far
as he may have the power and be permitted to
see the truth, to arrest the corrupt and arbi-
trary proceedings of the officers and agents OF
the Frcedmen's Bureau.