The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-22

Generals s.eedman and Fullerton, who consti-
tute Commission sent out by President johnson
to investigate the operations Of the Freedmcp's
Bureau in the Southern States and whose arrival
terview last evening with number or the loading
citizens OF Savannah. At about five O'Clock some
twenty-five or thirty OF our most Respected citi-
zeps, representing all the various interests and
professions, had assembled in the parior of the
Pulaski House, when the commissioners entered
and Mayor Anderson introduced the gentlemen
present in tur, tV General Steedman, and after-
wards to General Fullerton.
General Steedman opened the conference by
stating briefly the objecrs Of his mission to be TO
inquire into the operations OF the Freedmen's Bu-
reau, to learn tho influence it e1srted upon the
RELATIONS Of the two races; whether it's tendency
was tu proauScc" harmony or antagonism between
them whether ID se:.eral, ita effect was for harm
or for good; snd whether Is WAS necessary or ex-
psdient to caStinue it's existence ten. ssgllerton
and himself had called upon the citizeue Of every
town through which they had passed to lay be-
fore them any grievances they had to complain OF
in references to the Bureau, not holding public
meetings hut conferr'ng with them in confidence.
He invited the gentlemen present to state what
they kuew or the evils of tho management Of the
Bureau in Georgia.
Mr.. j. NJ B. Lowell said that he had been re.
qnested, ss member of the Bar, to call the at
tentlon OF the Commissioners to the Freedmen's
Court. The action Of this court, in which both
civil and criminal cases wero adjudicated without
equal righrs fur blacks and whites were guaran-
teed by the laws OF the State, we're calculated to
ster feeling OF antagonism between the races.
It white man assaulted another white man he
was allowed a trial by jury; il he assaulted ne
gro he was denied that manifest right.
Gen. Steednnan repliod that he was un aware
that the agents of the Bureau were exercising
judicial functions; that he had not coutem p ated
their doing 80 when he gavo Gen. Tillson authori-
ty to apply to tho State Convention for the sp-
pointment Of civil agents of the Bureau. He would
examine INTO the matter when he reached Angus
ia and havo tho Freedmon's Courts abolished in
Georgia.
Gencral Fnllarfon r,r,or rLoa .,,,t .l,o .,.t -
text Tor maintaining tho freedmeu's courts was
that tho freedmen Can not obtain justice in the
civil courts as the local judges refused to receive
testimony from negroes, and that this opinion had
obtained very general beliefin the North through
the representations OF newspaper correspond
ents.
General r. A. Lawton in reply instsnoed a "a.
cent case in neighboring county, where negro
convicted OF murder by civil court had been re-
compounded to mercy, and his sentence had beef,
General Falle rton inquired whether any atten-
uon was pald 10 the rules OF evidence in taking
testimony TESTIMONY in the Freedmen's Court. Mr.. Lowell
rephed, mono whatever; that officers had filed the
bench OF tho court who had no legal education,
and who had not tho capacity, even II they had
the Dest intentions, to conduct examinations in
accordance with tho established rules Of courts OF
Justice
General Fullerton inquired whether penalties
were inhicted by the judge in accordance with the
laws OF the State. Judge VIM. D. Fleming an.
sWsred that the penalties were often at variance
with the lave Of tho State !; that for the same Of
iehco ior WHICH WHO man was sent to the Peui-
tentiary negro wna sentenced to labor short
PERIOD on the streets, He referred to several
cases in point.
Hon. +. Cohen also mentioned several similsr
cases. and won't OH 10 say that the action of the
Freedmens Court In this respect had most dele.
torous iniinonce on tho negro, leading him to ieel
that ne had special protection and license, and
that " gave rise to jealouoy and animosity be-
tween the races He was confident that the bot
ter class OF citizens and tho we'll feeling of all
classes wore disposed to recognise fully tho new
relations Of tho negroes to themthe laws of Geor-
gia showed it.
Gonoral Steodman asked II any complaints bad
beon madepf unjust discrimination in tho deci-
sons rendered by tho civil courts.
Judge Fleming said he had heard OF none ho
promised for himsolf that tho nogro should have
the sarno justice meted ont to him In his own conrt
AZ the white man. ~
Rev. Mr. Wynn was hero introduced He spoko
OF the convention OF colorcd olergymen now being
held IN this city, composed Of delegates from The
neghoorlng States; he had been pleased to OBJ.
serve the feeing that prevailed in this convention
II hsd beon publicly avowed in set OF resolutions
as the sense OF tho convention that a had and
dangerous feeling was growing ont OF the inter.
their relations with their former masters
OK stranBers who came amoi thom pretending 10
be their friends. The resolutions also thnnRed
tho citizen3 OF Charleston for their uniform kind
ness 70 til" colored people; in the language of the
resointlohs, they hurled back the libels upon tho
soutnern people who were their true frionds and
condemntG tho conduct Of tho Northern en,issa-
rios who had come to incite insrrrootion' Mt
wynn sag he had been greatly impressed with
the seneio!e and manly tone OF the conyention
Whioh would have done credit to any eliperatiye
Assembly. In the discussops and the proceedings
generanv an intellectual ability was manifested
'A[ On, IN aavenso r. OK what he had looked for.