New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-11
IHE sTREnMAN REPORT.


Mcssrs Steedman aud Fullerton were sent South
to make q report against the Freeimen's Bureau and
have done their Grand Nobody will be surprised by
this; for every expected it. After the veto OF the
first Freedmens Bureau bill, but especially since the
passage Of tho second over another veto, had tho
Commissioners made different report they would
have rcbukcd and slamed their master. Come,
curse me Israel was the behest Of Baak of old to
the prophet; aud Johnsons to Steedman was III
essence the same. Steedman might have been as
honest as Balaam had he been stopped on his way by
tn angel: but il IS manifest that he held intercourse
in the South with quite another order OF beings.
There i, not in all the land q hard, selfish cruel
empoyer of Blacks who thinks they ought still TO be
slaves and does his best to make them regret that
they are not, who does not hate and malign the
Treedmcn's Bureaunay, who does not impaiiently
await its oyerthrown Aud there is not a neighbor-
hood of Blacks in all the South which docs not value
the Bureau and pray for its continuance. All Who
are accustomed to assert that free nggers can't take
care of themselves"-that they twill never work
unless compelled to"-that they are bound TO die
of" &c &c.-are eager that the Bureau SHOULD he
abolished, Why 49, - 80
We presume abuses have existed, and tina, some
still exist, in the management of the Bureau. IT.
powers are anomalous but 50 are The evils II was
created to vanquish-which this report shows that, 10
a great extent il has vanquished. IL was never more
than makc-shit, stopgap, intended 10 bridge the
chasm between Slavery and complete Freedom. Close
the chasm and tie Bureau will have been superseded.
Let the laws Of this country and 81 every part OF H.
treat men according TO their worth regardless Of their
color and we will urge the instant abolition Of the
Bureau. But. so long o. the White SouthrOns sLall
quite generally assume that Negroes have no rights
which Whites are bound to respect, il will be needed.
The effort to make capital against the Bureau is pal
pabyoverstraincd. Take the Of the Black Union
soldier whose wife, in his absence in the army, hired
out for the year. and whom tho Commissioner decided
mus, fulfill her contract though her husband, having
been discharged wished to leave her employer aud
come TO live with him. This was hard case, doubt
les; but does II justify The steedman comment that
1T Is evident that this officer considers abo contract
more sacred than marriage contract
Had the officer decided that the woman's contract
might be broken because her husband wished il, the
comment would doubtless have been baraher and more
pungent -->'...-r
Again: Most Of the Blacks contracted last Wintd
fOr years work at lower prices than they could
ODtdlui anu gopu lultf
Disconnected There is no evidence that the Bureau
agents did other than what seemed 10 them best for
the Blacks Now look at the stcedmsn improve.
mcnt" of the facts:
The heat proteetion the freedman ha. In the South il the
rsce OF his Tabor in the Market and he left free to dis
pose this at all times 10 the highest bidder unshacsed bs
Ssed be- 5 for bis safety or II the esden could
this demand The which the high price 81 the
board would be the unS wages Instead Of ten Or Twelve d
lars month the prices now paid Bat they eann9 TAX: az
contracts ensaved twelve months through tie agency and
laacnes Of the freedmens Euean The hands on The M
spp River steamboats, not required 20 make contracts
aud they getting forty dollars per month and the board
for labor less ssaSns than s o. hssrG Ss
plrtsons from ten 70 fifteen dollars per month ~
el , 0i RroS Which runs between sese sresms
getting VI 20 per day
Does Gen. Steedman believe that these field
hands could command "Sl per day and board al
The gear roundl Ifno how unfair TO state that they
might not this moment obtain that rate ?" SO the
"sIa day." paid to railroad hands does not include
board. which plantation hands receive beside their
wages
But il was absolutely dishonest TO suppress, as the
report does the fact that the Blacks OF the e1Rebel
States have no property, no houses, and ara subject,
in several to State laws Furnishing ysgrancy, &c,
which absolutely compel them TO enter into fresh
contract directly after an old one expires on penalty
Of sale or imprisonment Thus, the vagrant act OF
Mississippi (Nov g. 11G) provides that all freed
men, free negroes and mulattoes in this State over
The age Of II years, found, the second Monday IN
January, 1866, or hencfer with no lawful employ
ment or business, shall he deemed yagrsnts, and
subject TO fine and imprisonment. Wouldn { the
Blacks have had nice time refusing 10 contract and
standing out for higher wages, under this law Yet
there i no hint OF its existence In the report
II the Commissioners had frankly said, " Give the
Blacks Equal Rights and Equal Laws and abolish your
Freedmens Bureau at once" we should have hailed
their report with enthusiasm. But seeing how South
en satute.books are covered with most unnghteous,
oppressive nhibitions disabilities, and penalties, to
which Blacks only are subject, We marvel that honor
able men could have conspred TO sggravate Their
pers and suilerings by such an uncandid, injurious
statement. lis one Recommendation Is It's perfect
adaptation TO the Presidential purpose.