The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-04-11

The Freedmen's Bureau---some Observations
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercially

/ ICOrrespondence Cincinnati Commercial
AUSTIN CITY, February 9th.
Having made the tour of Mississippi, Alabama, Geor-
gia, Florida, and Texas successively, have few
remarks to offer concerning this institution which
have better right to make than if had seen less OF
it. The gorgeous CorusGatons OF your correspondent
"Cincinnati," who, snug IN Washington scents tue
south from afar off and in the veto beholdS the dire
full spring of woes unnumberedn to the hapess negro
Iare to one who has seen the actual bureau, simply
ridiculous. If he chooses TO seize out the cases OF
wrong and cruelty that concentrated at Nashing
ton from the whole vast territory of the south, and
work himself into towering passion over them and
make rhetoric that wodd split the Of the ground
lngs" while he wholly ignores the millions of instan
ces which the negroes happy and at work Tor lar
wages he is welcome to his logic and his rhetoric, but
men of sense will know how to take them.
1t is proper to speak of the bureau frst as it Isl
next as it ought to be.
First then, l am bound to say that the freedmens
bureau as it is, is in most of the States, almost
an unmtgated humbug, and nuisance 1t IS made
so by the personal character and the acts OF its officers
will give brief sketch of some of its officers OF
whose character and operations have personal knowl-
edge. ~.
In the first place. general Howard himself, although
gentleman of the highest integrity, and sincere and
devoted christian is lacking in executive ability, has
too implicit trust in the goodness of human nature,
and has but superficial insight into character. Gen.
Howard is good man bat not strong. AS conse-
uuence of this defect about onethrd of the appoint
another third of the class who make the bureau
source of profit to themselves Colonel s. Thomas,
commissioner for Mississippi, with headquarters at
Vicksburg keeps sleek span of horses and carriage
to correspond, in which he drives out with the gay
ladies of Vicksburg while complaints are numerous
and loud among the negroes that they can get no JUS
tce in his office He wrote letter to senator Wilson,
depouncing the people of the south for diSloyalty &c.
and then, having been accused of it, he published
card in Vcksburg paper denying 1t, but the pubhca-
r Ia So tl,no mol lfrp-
ceedings put him to confusion have heard it cFed
by reported that colonel Thomas has made over sixty
thousand dollars of his drawer Of the bureau The
agent at Jackson lieutenant H. Smith, is simply pop
Inlay. In the company of young lady whose good
rraces he sought to win he denied all connection with
NEGRO regiments and denounced that part of the army
without stint but afterward, meeting his own colonel
in her presence and being introduced to him as a
stranger his stories became apparent at once, and he
was disgraced with his lady forever have seen him
berate his sable clients roundly and drive them from
his Office before their cases were half heard and it is
notorious that his sympathies all with the white
man.
Brigadier general Wager Swayne commissioner for
Alabama is a nobIy earnest intelligent energetic, and
liberal officer and his management OF the bu-
reau has been admirable The munifcent argeness of
government ratons the starving negroes OF north
l. Alabama accomplished through his agency, are worthy
of all praise Sucb also is brigadier general Davis
Tillson commissioner for Georgia have had ire
:. ouent occasion to commend in the most emphatic
terms both his character and his acts and have never
seen any reason for doing otherwise. He is partieu
l. ary noticeable for his enlarged good sense--a quality
so lacking in the agents generally. The agent Tor
Millidgeville is captain G. ?. Howe, gentleman who
is the recipient of more sumpuous dinners at the hands
of wealthy citizens thereabOuts than any other ten
men in MildgeviIle. In the affairs of the office |
believe him to be sufficiently honest but he is careless
/; of the rights of the negroes. dead negro lie
= a day and night under the caves Of the Baptist
church, within block and half Of his office, unbu
ried and not through any lack Of information
Colonel 7. w. Osborne, commissioner for Florida
is a wel-meaning man, take 1t, but weak ard SLOW
He allowed one of his subordinates to do the very
silly thing of compelling country editor TO send tc
him every proof of his editorials, that they might bt
"approved" When general Foster discovered it hi
promptly rebuked the fool and put stop to the pro
cess Colonel Osborne keeps on his staff surgeon
ouartermaster adjutan general and commissary, whei
il is his own boast that there is not pauper negro
the State and not over fifty or hundred in the hos
pitas Thus these gentlemen have abundant leisur
for the cultivation of their minds OF the sarap ant
extortoner of Louisiana, Mr.. I. NJ. Conway, neet
say but little as his is in every ones mouth
He came to New Orleans almost penniless, and whe
he retired from the bureau he was worth (If report
are true) 900 than when he entered it
Brigadier general Z. NJ Gregory, at Galveston, com
missioner for this State is pleasant, kindly old man
but thoroughly absorbed in the negro crotchety, OBJ
tuse confused and with no capacity for affairs. lie
not accused Of any peculaon in office, but his unbush
ing determinations against the whites, and IN favor 0
the negroes make him everywhere odous. lie i
denounced not only by the planters, but by men iron
the north who have since the war, come to Galveston
and set up business and by every officer In our arm
with whom l have talked. For instance, plante
boxed an impudent pickannny on the ears, Tor whlc
general Gregory fined him 5000 in specie. Again,
planter told a certain negro man that be had all tn
Iaborers he wanted at present, and was not willing
give him any wages, but that it he could not ind
home he might stay with him and do small jobs for hi
hoard The negro consented, stad with him thre
months and at the end of that time, broughtn bi
for full wages at SIS per month, and, after full hea
ing general Gregory compelled the planter to pay /
These are small matters but they suffice to show tn
drift of affairs The figures in general Gregorys oife
show and he makes merit OF 1t, that there are
this time only thirty three negroes in the State SUI
piled with rations, and only two in the hospital.
rs meet the wants of these he has on his staff surgeo
with the rank and pay Of major, an adJutant gener
with the rank and pay of captain and assistant adJ
tant general, quartermaSter with the rank and pa
of captain and assistant quartermaster and comm
10 sary with the rank and pay Of captain and commssar
of subsistence. To provide for these thlrtytwo pc
sons then more than threefourths OF whom are locke
after by the agents through the State requires mont
Iv ontIav of 1925 besides the rations The agent
Austin, in partnership with widow lady, keeps
boarding house called the city hotel the table Of whif
- is reported reinforced with government ratons.
is in his Office ain average of two hoars per day,
devotes much uIe to his horses and carriage aft
winch he and the widow and other ladies ride on 4
merous occasions and with great ecIat
1t will be asked how these agents make the amour
of money that have named In this way: In Miss
sspi, for instance, since Christmas there have bet
. 'ratifed probably IS 900 contracts These will vie
"a an income of as many dollars; in the shape of ra
10, fcation" tax. Next, l have observed that many
the agents are hard put to- to devise new means
punishment for the planters, and thus are compel
~ to fall back on fnipg These fines are generally pr
,, ty substantial affairs especially here in Texas, whe
they are collected in specie. have no hesitation
estimating the amount of fines for the year past
Mississippi, at 5000 600 This makes snug little
come of s275, 900 in one State. Now, if any one v
take the trouble look at the original act of eongre
organising the bureau he will find that its provisio
)1y are loose and vague in their erms-that the inst
ton organised by It'll simply irresponsible director
NJ will not say that it possible at the time to ha
made the bureau, on the instant perfect and compa
1t was not possible, for the e&igences were new a
untried, and the bureau spread over the south Ii
an organised chaos so to speak.
good historical parallel is found in the operate
of the East India company, in India, in its eaFli
Tears vast aud helpless population was at their m
nfiicarc far from the home government q