The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-02-22

credit and industry of the country BIZ
declaring to the American people and Il
/ tie world that the United States are still
IN condition of civil war. At presen
! tnere IS no part of our country in which
the authority of the United States is dis
puted. Offences that may be commit
! ted by individuals should not work 8
forfeiture of the rights of wholeeommu
mites. The country has returned, or i,
returning, to a state of peace and indus,
try, and the rebellion is in fact, at ar
end. The measure, therefore. seems t.
be as inconsistent with the actual condi
ton OF the country as it is at variance
with the Constitution of the United
States.
Ii, passing from general consdera.
tons, we eXamiue the bill in detail i,
Is open to weighty objections.
In time of war it was eminently prop
or that we should provide for those who
We're passing suddenly from condition
OF bondage to state of freedom. But
TINS Dill proposes to make the Freed
mems bureau, established by the act of
ls6o as one Of many great and eXtraor-
binary military measures TO suppress Il
formidable rebellion, permanent
branch OF the public administration
with Its powers greatly enlarged. |
nave no reason to suppose, and | do not
understand ii to be alleged, that the act
OF March, 1860, has proved deficient for
the purpose for which ii passed although
at that time, and for considerable pc.
Rod thereafter, the Government of the
United States remained unacknoWl-
edged in most of the States whose in
habitants had been involved in the re-
bellion. The institution OF slavery, for
the military destruction Of which the
treedmen's Bureau was called Into eX-
istencc as an auxiliary, has been al
ready etlectually and finally abrogated
throughout the whole country by an
Of the Constitution of the
lulted States, and practically its eradi-
cation has received the assent and con-
currence of most ofthose States in which
1t at any time had IN existence. | am
not, therefore, able to discern, in the
condition of the country, anything to
justify an apprehension that the powers
and agencies of the Freedmcn's Bureau,
which were effective for the protection
of freedmen and refugees during the ac-
tual continuance of hostilites and of At
ric;u servitude, will now, in a time O!
peace and after the abolition of slavery,
prove inadequate to the same proper
ends. II | am correct in these views,
there can be no necessity for the enlarge
lnent OF the powers of the Bureau for
which provision is made in the bill.
The third section of the bill author
Ives general and unlimited grant of
support To the destitute and suffering
refugees and freedmen, their wives and
children. Succeeding sections make
provision for the rent or purchase of
landed estates for freedmen, and for the
erection, for their benefit, of suitable
for asylums and schoos-the
expenses to be betrayed from the treas
ury of the whole people. The Congress
of the United States has never hereto
fore thought itself empowered to estab-
fish asyluns beyond the limits of the
District Of Columbia, except for the ben
eft Of our disabled soldiers and sailors.
1t has never founded schools of any
class for our own people-not even for
the orphans of those who have fallen in
the defence of the Union, but has left
the care of education to the much more
and efficient control of the
States, of communities, of private Assoc
and of individuals. 1t has
never deemed itself authorized to eX-
pend the public money for the rent or
purchase of homes for the thousands,
not to say millions, of the white race,
who are honestly toiling from day to
day, for their subsistence A system
for the support of INDECENT persons in
the United States was never contem-
plated by the authors of the Constitu-
ton; nor can any good reason be add
vanced why, as permanent establish
ment, it should be founded for one class
or color of our people more than an
other. Pending the war many refugees
and freedmen received support of the
Government, but it was never intended
that they should be thenceforth fed,
clothed, educated and sheltered by the
United States. The idea on which the
slaves were assisted to freedom was,
that, on becoming free, they would be
self-sustaining population. Any legis-
lation that shall imply that they are
not expected to attain self-sustaining
condition must have a tendency inju-
rtous alike to their character and their
prospects.
The appointment of an agent for ev-
cry county and parish Will create an
immense patronage; and the expense
of the numerous officers and their clerks,
10 kn ,Nnnsutn1 hx, tho Drp,;In,,+ .v;lj