Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-02-28

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turning to state Of peace and indus
try. Tho rebellion is at an end. The
therefore, seems TO be as in
with the actual condition Of
tho country as il is at variance with
the constitution of the UnitcdStates.
II, passing from general considcra-
tions, we examine the bill IN detail, 1t
is open to wcighty objections. IN
time of war it was eminently proper,
that VIC should provide for those who
were passing suddenly from a condi-
tion of bondage to state Of freedom,
but this bill proposes to make the
Frecdmen's Bureau, established 10y
the act of 1865, rs one of many great
and extraordinary military measures
to suppress a formidable rebellion Il
permanent branch of the public ad-
ministration, with its powers greatly
enlarged
have no reason to suppose, and /
do not understand it to be alleged,
that the act of March, 1865, has proved
deficient for the purpose for which it
was passed although at that time, and
fora considerable period there after, the
Government of tho United States re-
mained unacknowledged in most of
the States whose inhabitants had been
involved in the rebellion. The insti-
tuition of slavery, for the military de-
struction of which the Freedmcn's s
Bureau was called into existence as
an auxiliary, has been already effcctu-
ally and finally abrogated throughout
the whole country by an amendment
of the Constitution of the United
States, and practically its eradication
has received the assent and concur
renee of most of those States in which
it at any time had an existence. ! am
not therefore, able to discern in the
condition of the country anything to
Justify an apprehension that the pow
ers and agencies Of the Frcedmen's
Bureau, which were effective for the
protection of freedmen and refugees
during the actual continuance of hos
Utilities, will now, in time of peace,
and after the abolition of slavery prove
inadequate to the same proper ends.
If | am correct in these views, there
can be no necessity for the enlarge
ment of tho powers of the bureau for
which provision is made in the bill.
The third section of the bill authorizes
n general and unlimited grant OF sup
port to the destitute and suffering
refugees and freedmen, their wives
and children. Succeeding sections
make provisions for the rent or pur-
chase OF landed estates for freedmen,
and for the erection for their benefit
of suitable buildings for asylums and
schools, the expenses to be betrayed
from the Treasury of the whole peo-
ple.-The Congress of the United
States has never heretofore thought
itself empowered to establish any laws
beyond the limits OF the District of
Columbia except for the benefit of
our disabled soldiers and sailors. Ii
has never founded schools for any class
of our own people, not even for the
orphans of those who have fallen in
the defense of the Union, but has left
the care of their education to the much
more competent and efficient control
of the States, of communities. of pri-
vate associations and of individuals.
1t has never deemed itself authorized
40 expend the public money for the
rentor purchase of houses 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 nev
er contemplated by the authors of che
Constitution. Nor can any good rca-
son be advanced, why,as a permanent
establishment, IL should be founded for
one class or color of people more than
for another. Pending Che war many
refugees and freedmen received sup
port from the government, but il was
never intended that they should
henceforth be fed, clothed, educated
and sheltered by the United States.
The idea on which the slaves were
assisted to freedom was that on be-
coming free they would be a self-sus-
tanning population, and any legislation
that shall imply that they are not ex-
pected to attain a scIf-sustainmg con-
dition must have a tendency injurious
alike to their character and their pros.
perity The appointment of an agent
for every county and parish will create
an immense patronage, and the ex-
pense of numerous officers and their
clerks TO be appointed by the Prcsi-
dent, will be great in the beginning.
with a tendency steadily to increase.
The appropriations asked by the
Freedmen's Bureau as now establish
ed for the year 1866 amount to sll,-
$4,000, and it may be safely estima-
ted that the cost to be incurred under
the pending bill will require double
that amount, more than the entire
sum expended in any one year under
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