The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-01

carious existence on charity and the
fruits of irregular employment. In the
neiphborhoods of Norfolk, Fortress
Monroe, and Yorktown, about seventy
thousand had been collected during the
war. From among these, from eight to
ten thousand recruits for the army had
been enlisted; many other of the able
bodied men had found employment in
the different staff departments of tho
army, leaving their families in this dis
trict, partially dependent upon the Gov
eminent. In other districts, thousands
of freedmen were roaming about with
out settled employment, and without
homes. In localities least disturbed by
the presence or conflict Of armies, and
where the average amount of land was
under cultivation, the crops were suffer-
ing from want Of proper attentions; the
planter being unwilling to acknowledge
his late slave freeman by becoming
partner with him to contract, and the
| freedman conscious thatsnO further ser
| to satisfy himself that he was really free
by exercising his liberty to leave his old
| master.
Eighty-five Thousand six hundred
!, ana forty-seven (85, 647) acres of land
were held in the State, exclusive of that
in the counties of Loudoun and Fairfax,
for the benefit of the freedmen. Some
of these lands were-worked by them on
shares, some by the Government, the
freedmen being paid wages some even
rented to them, some were occupied as
homes for those who were unable to pay
rent or to support themselves, while
others, on account of their location,
| were unOccupied.
| The problem to be solved was how to
provide for the protection, elevation
and government of nearly half mil
lion of people suddenly freed from The
bonds ola rigorous control, acquainted
with no law but that of force, ignorant
Of this elementary principles of ciyi
.tgpvernment and Of the first duties o
y cH-enship, without any provisions TO-
+ sne ,,.,,tspre wants Of themselves ant
iaiiles, sgd entertaining many falls
anu e1.ravesent notionsin respect t
: ard them. 60
D The citizens generally afforded no as
! sistance in meeting these difficulties
. Stripped to a great extent of ready re
sources by the operations of the war
:. lAhey were unable to allow these peopl
their just dues, much less any charita
h ble assistance. In some sections of tn
IJJuLc PuOiIC lICcJiuSS HuNo DeeI ucIO
|, and the citizens had entered into cove
3 ($5) per month to able bodied mer
I not to rent lands to freedmen. nor
!, give employment to any wi,heat cel
!, iitieate from their fofm fowness- sian
q OF the citizens, urf'er tho contrei Of tri
[ dit.on, habit, atla education, only su
leplv acguiescsd in the freedom of the
! former slaves They regarded siy~co
/, ored population az Successfully aFidSal
pr0Driaiely seryLez aHd unit fot free
: dom aau stiEsu lis4-.i b. the feeling riS
= ,.she la5Gs = We're II some way, re:
sor the failure Of their eaus,
z wheliy disqualified from &C
il ;sftting III the work pflhe Bureau.
~ Another class, numerically small, bu
B OF the best talent, culture, and inf,
i ence, noe only accepted the situation
lat with wise foresight and noble p,
triotism were ready tOuco-Operate wit
!. the Government for the speediest r,
storation of tranquility and law, andst
assist the Bureau in its endeavor~t
Z bring the highest good toall classesjou
of present evils. A third and more nj
merehs class, because forced to acknow
8 ledge the freedom Of their former SLAYER
: wished either to effect their entire n
mOval from the state or bind them b
such contracts as would allow them bu
little more freedom than they -fornierl
possessed. - y
The work of the Bureau was orgs
= nized by dividing the state into efgll
, districts, with. one assistant quartemas
ter as superintendent of each, to WHOM
: property in use by the Bureau With
! the district was turned OVER
> The supesintendents were, instructe
to divide their districts into tconvenen
sub-districts, each county .constitutin
one sub-district, except when the col
} ored population Of county was les
than 5000, in which case two or NOR
counties were to be united, and to appl,
to the commander of the military dis
trict for an officer to act as assistant su
perintendent over each sub-district.
The superintendents were further in
structed to protect the negroes in thei
rights as freemen, to see that they wer
not in any way oppressed by their for
: mer masters, and to cultivate friendl,
relations between the two classes; to as
sist in the organization and mainten
ance OF schools to discourage as far a
possible the disposition Of the feedmei
to remove from one locality to another
exceptso far rs 1t might be necessary TO
uniting members OF separated families
or to find profitable employment; t.
urge upon them the importance o
making contracts for their labor, and I,
fulfil the same when made; to aid then
| by their advice when necessary to pre-
vent their being .defrauded; but in al
other cases to leave them free to make
their own bargains.
To furnish rations, medicines, and
medical attendance for the helpless and
destitute, not provided for by their for
mer owners but not to issue rations to
persons able to work, for whom en-
ployment could be found.
To require assistant superintendent
to keep registers of all colored persons
In their sub-districts, and to aid such in
finding remunerative labor. II, when
labor was found for such persons, they
neglected to avail themselves of it, they
were to be treated az Migrants. super
intendents were ordered, either them
selves, or through their assistants, to ad
judicate upon all cases arising between
the freedmen themselves or between
freedmen and whites, including crimes
committed by the freedmen, in which