The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-05-22
THE FREEnMEN's BUREAU.

|. PenoYt of Cans ,Steedman and Fullerfon-
/. THEY r,ecoa,n,esd the REMEDIAL Of the cbieers
! Of Bureau.
p Generals Steedman and Fullerton, the Com
missioners appointed by the President to inves-
! in the Southern States. have reported the result
of their Inspection in the States of Virginia and
North Carolina The report is exceedingly
/ interesting that nothing but want Of space pre-
| vents rs FROM LAYING It before our readers. We
must, however, content ourselves with a sum
mary:
! WIZ the Negroes need assistonce-After
stating the number of Bureau officers and en-
ployees in this State, with their salaries, and
! that nine thousand. negroes were supplied with
raiions last December, ten thousand two hun
dred and sixty in January, and nine thousand
nine hundred and thirty eight in February, the
report says:
| ga majority of the freedmen to whom this
! subsistence has been furnished are undoubtedly
able to earn a living if they were removed to
| localities where labor could be procured. The
necessity for issuing rations this class of per-
sons results from their accumulation in large
numbers in certain places where the land is
productive and the demand for labor is limited
|
localities, the civil authorities refuse to provide
! for the able-bodied, ard are unable to care for
! the helpless and destitute among them, owing
TO their great number and the fact that very
! few are residents Of the counties in which they
have congregated during the war. The necessl-
! ty for the relief extended to these people, both
able bodied and helpless, by the Government
will continue as long they remain in their
present condition, and while rations issued
to the able bodied they will not voluntarily
change their localities to seek places where they
can procure labor"
The agents 1t then goes on to state that
wben. the affairs of the Bureau have been pro-
perly administered there has been no conflict
between it and the citizens, and adds:
| But in many places where the agents are
not men of capacity and integrity very unsat
isfactory condition of things exists. This orlgi-
rates in the arbitrary, unnecessary and often
sve interference Of the agents of the Bureau
with the relations between the planters and their
hired freedmen, causing vexatious delays in the
prosecution Of labor, and imposing expense and
! costs in suits before themselves about trivial
matters that could readily be adjusted by the
! friendly advice of sensible man. The effect
produced by the action of this class of agents is
bitterness and antasonism between the whites
and freedmen, a growing prejudice against the
government among the planters and expectations
on the part Of the freedmen that can never be
realized. Where there has been no such inter-
ference or bad advice given TO the freedmen by
the agents of the Bureau there is a growing
| feeling of kindness between the races, and good
order and harmony prevail.
Specimen Of the Decision Of the Bureau
GAS an evidence Of the manner in which this
arbitrary power is exercised, we would state that
| bo
mems court in Accomac county, decided ques-
ton of title to land as follows A colored man,
who freed twenty years ago by his master,
aud who was permitted through the kindness
of his master to make his home on the planta-
ton " herever be chose, set up claim to ten
acres thereof around cabin in which he had
lived for ten years. The agent decided that
the colored man had acquired title to the ten
acres by adverse possession, and forbade the
owners of the plantation from bringing the ques-
ton again before his court, or any other court
on pain Of impr. eminent
4 Negro Dirorce caSe.-'These agents exert
the widest latitude ID the exercise of their
judicial functions, trying questions involving
title to rea! estate, contracts, crimes and even
actions etfecting the marital relations We
witnessed the trial Of divorce case before the
sub-agent at Charlottesville The trial occupied
abou' 'ch Eluutesj d!lu icou'tG0 III d uColeo VI
divorce"
THE Bureau not necded-The report recon-
mends that the services Of the officers of the
Bureau in Virginia be dispensed with, snG that
the duties be performed by the officers COM
mandins the troopsin the department, and state
that the recognition Of the civil rights of the
freedmen, as evidenced by the changes made
by the Legislature in the laws Of Virginia,
render The freedmen perfectly secure if left to
the of the law and the protection of the
troops.
What negroes looh to The Bureau On the
subject of the Influence Of the Bureau, the re-
port says.
"ln cur Judgment the effect produced has
depended wholly on the character of the officers
Prudent and industrious freedmen rarely call
upon the Bureau for advice 0: assistance. 1t is
the idle aud worthless who look to it for sup
port Among these, however, we do not mean
to Include The lpfrm and helpless. The mass
of the freedmen have idea that the Bureau
possesses some mysterious power to them, |
and that it. they fail to such livelihood
they dcsire they can fall back upon it with
certainty Of support. These ideus, it will be !
readily seen, lessen their efforts to procure EN-
ployment and to support themselves and their
families. They also regard the existence of the |
Bureau evidence that the Governale looks !
upon the white people Of the South as their !
enemies, which is calculated to excite suspicion
and bad feeling on their part"
Conduct Of The Offcers.-The Commissioners !
con. ulend General Brown for 'laborng faithfully
and zealously to harmonize aud protect the in .
terests Of both races" and conclude by stating
Il