The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-22

| 1Stence as an auxiliary, has been al
ready effectually and finally abrogated
throughout the whole country by an
amendment of the Constitution OF the
United States, and practically, its Grad
| ication has received the assent and con-
! currence of most of those States in
which it at any time had an existence.
am not, therefore, able to discern in
the condition of the country anything
to justify an apprehension that the pow
ers and agencies of the Freedmen's
Bureau, which We're, effective for the
protection of freedmen and refugees
during the actual continuance of hos
tilities and of African servitude, will
now, in the dawn Of peace, and after
the abolition of Slavery, prove inader
correct in these views, there can be no
necessity for the enlargement of the
| powers ofethe Bureau for which proyi-
sion is made in the bill. IA. ann ar
The third section of the bill author
| ICES II general and unlimited grant OF
support to the destitute and suffering
refugees and freedmen, their wives and
children. Succeeding sections make
provision for the rent or purchase OF
| landed estates for freedmen, and for
the erection forgtheir benefit of suitable
buildings for asy1ums and schools the
expenses to be betrayed from the Treas
ury of the whole people. The Congress
I
fore thought itself empowered to estRb-
lish asylums beyond thelimits the Dis
| trict of Columbia, except for the benefit
of our disabled soldiers and sailors II
has never founded such schools for any
class of our own people, mot even for
the defence of the Union, but has lef
the care ofeducation to the much more
competent and efficient ,control,of the
States, of Communities, of private asso-
Citations and of individuals. 1t has
never ,decfeeH fitself "a 6thprized to ex-
pend the public money for the rent or
purchase of rooms for 'the. thousands.
who are honestly toiling from day to
day for theirsu bsistsnoe. Asylums for
the support of INDECENT persons In the
United States was never con enlplat ted
by the authors of the Constitution, Nor
can any good reason be adduced. wlyla
permanent establishment Should be
founded for.hOnei class of our people
more than another. Pending the war,
many refugees and freedmen received
support from the Government, butit
was never intended Gheyishouldf hence
forth be fed, clothed, educated and shell
tered by the United States The idea
on which the slaves We're assisted to
would be u self-sustaining population.
Any ylegislationo.that shall7imply that
they are not expected to attain self
sustaining condition, must haye ten
deney Injurious aliketo their character
and their prospects. .nThe 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
President,s will be great in the7begin-
ming, with a tendency steadily to in
crease. The approximations asked, BY
tho Freedmen's Bureau, as now estab-
lished, for the year 1866, amount to
Sll, ,745 600. 1t may be safely estimated
TINT the cost to be incurred under the
pending bill will require double that
amount, more than the entire sum ex-
pended in any one year under Admin
istration of the second Adams If the
presence Of agents in every. parish and
county is to be considered as war
measure, opposition, or 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 large standing
force wonld be rendered necesSary.-
Large appropriations would, therefore
be required TO sustain and enforce mtl-
itary Jurisdiction in every county or
parish from the Potomac to the Rio
Grande. The condition of our fiscal af-
fnirs is encouraging, but in order TO
sustain the present measure of public
confidence 1t is necessary we practice,
not merely customary economy, but,
as far as possible, severe retrenehment.
. In addition to the objections already
stated, the fifth section of the bill pro-
poses to take away land from its. for
iner owners without any legal proceed
ings being first had, !. contrary to that
provision of the Constitution which de-
clares that no person shall be deprived
of life, liberty, or property, without
due process Of law: It does not appear
that a. part Of the lands to which this
section refers may not be owned by
minors or persons of qnsound mind,
or by those who have been faithful to
all. their obligations as citizens of the
United States. If any portion of the
land is held by such persons, it is not
competent for any authority to deprive
them of it. II, on the other hand, it be
found, that the property is liable to con-
fiscation, even then il cannot be appro-
priated to the public purposes until, by
due process of law. it shall have been
declared forfeited. to the government.
There is still further objection to the
bill on grounds seriously affecting the
class of persons to W hom it is designed
to bring relief, it will tend to keep the
mind of the freedmen in a state of un-
certain. expectation and restlesness,
while to those among whom he lives it
will be n source of constant and vague
apprehensiops! Undoubtedly the freed
men should be protected, but he should
be protected by the, civil authorities,
especially by the exercise of all the
CONSTITUTIONAL powers of the courts of
the United States and of the States.
His condition is pot SO exposed as may
of the country here his labor cannot
we'll be spared. Competi idono for his
services from planters; those who are
constructing or repairing railroads and
from capitalists in his vicinage or from
other States, will ep BILE him TO COM
mand almost his own termsI oae also
possesses a perfect right to- change his
place of abode, and If therefore, he
| does not find in one community or
State a mode of life suited to his desires,
orproper remuneration for his labor,
he cam move to another, where that la
bor is more esteemed and better re-
warded. In truth, however, d, each
State, induced by its own wants and
interests, will do what is necessary and
proper to retain within its borders all
the labor that Is needed for the devel-
opment of its resources, The laws that
regulate supply and demand will main
tain their force, and the wages of the
There is no danger that the exceedingly
great demand for labor will not operate
fmfaFor of the laborer, neither is spffi-
Gent consideration given to the ability
ofithe freedmen to lprotects and take
care of themselves 1t isno more than
iustice,to them TO believe that as they
have received their freedom with mod
Grafton and forbearance, so they will
idtstinguish themselves by their indus
try aud thrift, and soon show the world
that in condition of freedom they are
self-sustaining, capable of selecting
their own employment and their own
places of abode, of insisting for them;
selves on a: proper remuneration, and