The New York herald., 1866-05-18
GENERAL SrEsDMAN IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE FREEDMEN IN the PALMETTO STATE
Beauties Of the Bureau Administra-
tion In the Sea Islands.
DEFECTS OF RECENT LEGISLATION.
Our Charleston Correspondence.


CHARLESTON s. c., May 13, 1855.
From North Carolina Generals Steedman and Fullerton
have carried their investigation of the Freedmens Bu
reau into the Palmetto State have looked into matters
at Columbia and Charleston and start to-day for seven
days tour Of inquiry among the sea islands, where the
pecriares Of the system of government denominated
she Freedmens Bureau are have been, pretty strong
,'y developed Perhaps ought not 70 have used the
s4crm System" In this connection. System, that is
say any uniform well defined line Of action, Of
the few virtues the Freedmen's Bureau does not
possess Indeed have my doubts whether the Bureau
itself has any existence tangible entity, whether
it is not myth Of Congress, hideous nightmare of
the Southern people. For than month have
been following this will o'.the-wsp. have pursued 1t
from Richmond to Charleston and have not yet deter
nnned its form or figure.
WHAT Is 1.-THE BUREAU"
Ia Virginia the Bureau means q court COM
posed Of three gentlemen, one an officer in
the United States army, the second repre-
sentative chosen by the citizens Of the district,
the third representative elected by the freedmen, all
three OF them being, as rule, men Of sound common
sense and honesty neither specuatos aor fanatics but
anxious in the main act fairly by all parties Hence
in virginia the Bureau though disiked as federal in
terlcrence and part Of the army OF occupation had
aroused violent passions or antagonism-Norfolk
only being laid one side as an exceptional case
In North Carolina the Bureau sne-man power
as Governor Holden put t-a tribunal composed OF one
man. who is Judge, juror, sheriff and constable who
makes arrests, imposes nes decides knotty questions
OF title to eveu though he should happen TO be- as
was Chaplain Claws Of Goldsboro 80 ignorant OF law rs
not TO know civil from criminal easel, picks out the
best cotton lands in the State and farms them on his
own hook with the best labor he get n labor mar
ket over which his official position gives him entire con-
troll, and Who he happens TO be placed In charge Of
negro settlement constitutes himself little wlrz with
the title Of governor" and tortures nseccs and mpr-
ons tho freedmen at his pleasure Hence In North Caro-
Ina the Bureau Is hated BY both whites and blacks and
In south Carolina the Bureau means neither three
man power nor ouc-man power but simply disturb
ig agency without any At ALL except 70 ioment
iil neeinr and 10 collect charges sor the provost
courts 10 dispose Of Soon after the evacuation o.
ho,rsen e;eneras Gmor, and saxton led TO the cstab
.hmcnt Of provost courts by whose agency the Judicial
business of the Bureau virtually transacted Hence In
and around Charleston there Is confusion, and con-
tnued clashng between the military Authores ana .ns
arcns of the Bureau and the abolition of one or the
oher s impcravcy called for or the consolidation Of
both In one. :. a.,
Freedmens Bureau these three States, will thus be
seen differ as widely do the organic laws OF Dahomey
sud Massachusetts and to TAX OF me nu
SION shedding benignant influence over the colored
throughout. the South Is 70 speak Q, S something 1
is good bad institution according TO the personal
character OF the agent who administers IT. t varies In
THIS ONE or lis greatest weaknesses and OF the
strongest arguments against its permanent Continuance
n.ss.ssO,.,,xs ~ uns c,zens Of Charleston
waited upon General Steedman last even ng Ihcy toio
the same story we nsss hss's e o
ndly feeling towards the freedmen and disposition
TO act fairly and indugensy nns,sG ,h.,
general James Connor, who was present, Sse'ea .na'
designed TO benefit in this way While the Bureau was
tl,of dn,ru
tracis and the planters employing white laborers
cannot tell how Tar TINS may oe sne ssse , W.
johnson, brought down nfty whte iaborers They cost
linn ve hundred dollars Tor trsnsporaon ana when ns
Nr Johnson i rather hkcy 60 back to coorcd labor
IL was maintained by another gen'ennn " W., me. " y, s"s ~
o. mere ss sa Bureau there were ten 70 on,
Iess desttutlon, ten 70 one lewe, uea ssu - S ",
less on inc aasS .ha. IN Kersha.
county, where there was no 5ureau thc rcromsn mao
tacr own contracts and were getng on muoh o''"
there than eisewhere. .. rr .a
Of the present state Oh Affairs on the sea sand shs
b. bcer able TO speak my next out 1ehera ie her
who took command Of department inclrdns hes
isands 10 August last g.ss slrango p'S. ~ ~ VIC ~. E
previously prevailed under General sax'on's adm nlsra
ton of ahars Frauds ana IascAiIcs ~ css.y 49,
soa from Ps, s ia.'1s Tsssamsas Berea~ The negro
fnsigalcd oy unscrupu,ous s..n asn IN s " a.. I'D. M
who told them they bad rgn, 70 tnc ana .na " M
every white man on thc sano 1lneu =. ..c ~ .
cation and arrested every whHe msn VINO ..smpcn s '
Hand. Armed bands oi negro maue p,eus'o,y 10y
gu the man land ana drove on al ,nc oss'e .a ~ e
Their way The anotmcns oil innd ser apa. ivi wy
men under General shernans oIder we,n u.sc,s Az Az
lct unculyaied In January Iast
but tso acres listed out ior pansips ~ WY y MOI
Hdiso Island ana " was only ~ s'oTrnE 'ne supry
rstons ana piac ng me ot WOW of
before The negroes that nc could get them 70 ,s.e no
tn hand Ihlsc sane iofy acre anvmenis W. W.
found OF most elastic d.mensl"nA Tue .msh.n
three and half acres, and th
largest four hundred sna sy' anu sney nsea ~ son
between thee Two pointA poxens ~ negroes hoain
land orders Tor one isisnd wcr" tornd m possession
bts on another island ana tnc greatest dimcuiy wa
experienced IN disposscssng Them 0encrai Becche
suppressed the armed iawcssncss, ana Wa mir wa
u organize system Of labor when the freedmen