The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-05-31
To Generals Sleetlman md FuIlcr-
ton.

these officers, as We think it most
LIKELY to have the desired effect; and
Id so doing we wish to call attention
to both the benefits which have ac-
crued from the establishment Of the
the Freed;nen's IS Bureau, and to point
out the frauds that havo been COM
mittcd through it, and its general
and mischicvous mismanagcment.
No doubt the establishment of the
Bureau had i humane and beneyo.
lent object i'll view; but the idea OF
the necessity for such an institution
Is founded III great error. The cs-
tablishmcnt of such an institution
takes 1T for granted that the two
races cannot live III peace and quiet,
without the intervention of this Bu-
reau, whereas the facts as they exist
do certainly show to the contrary.
1t is true the negro does not work
as Well as properly organized and
systcmatized laborers should do, vet,
when We consider his experiment
and previous condition, we ought
not to be surprised. The Southerner
is not, but many of the Northern men
who have established farms with and
employed the freedman, find great
difficulty in conducting their farms
upon anything like the pleasantly or
ganiZed condition Of farms North.
In several instances which recently
canlc ,,nu"r our observation in Mis-
Slsslppl and Alabama. Northern men
who had undertaken cotton pianta-
tions could get nothing to work &C
cor'llnG to their notions, and on one
large plantation, near Selma, North
crn man had employed one hundred
aud eighty hands, and III consequences
of his rules and regulations Of labor.
every negro he had employed left
hlm after his crop WAS planted The
consequence is, he abuses the negro,
while his Southern n.ighhurs viii
probably succeed III getting half
work from tho freedmen, and Will live.
In some instances. the officers; in
charge OF the administration of the
frccd,nrn > Burcan understand and
appreciate thcir position, but not
one IN hundred and the great mis-
fortune is that the people who have
to dna! with subordinate officers sub
NIT with perfect romposurc to any
and all Of their eXactions without
complaint. They say. we'll, if / com
plain, he will put me in jail, or he
Will take all OF my negroes from me,
which has been done, because ci,i-
Zcns, III some instances, are DISPOSED
to have :, reason for their eXa:tiouS.
The subordinate officers Of the Bu-
rtan, almost without exception, act
upon this principle with the citizen
| have your finger in Il vice, and I
will iaa ke you do as like; and. act
ing upon this principle, they have
cNtortcd money from thousands, and
have inflicted the greatest damage
upon others. Bat there is no telling
the amount OF money paid to the SIT
ho,diuntc officers of tins Bureau. to
acquire their favorable consideration.
But the officers themselves have
awaited themselves OF every means in
their power to make the citizens
compensate them in money for their
services. For instance: two of my
nciShbors had 4 controversy about q
fence; the Bureau officer Summoned
them before him. and after hearing
their statements, lc charged them
$40 each lur his trouble. and declined
to make amy decision in The case. In
many instances. persons who had
property marked &C. s." went TO
tho Bureau officer ami paid him Il
small lnlnint and kept it. Nv neigh
hor was sentenced to imprisonment
for one month, but ilr officer. under
standing that he would be relieved.
on account OF his frauds and mi>ma-
n"gencnt, tnll the person in prison
that if he would pay ll;:n so. lie
would 'aSc him from imprioun-
ment, The subordinate officers IN
this section OF South Carolina have
received many of tlirm rs much us
5000 and : 900 for approx :nS con
tracts h"twcrn freedmen and their
employees. which was not authur-
iZcI, and which the superior officers
prohibited when brought to their ut :
ttnti"n. The officers should be COM
pcl!rd t" refund the money 50 fraud
ulcntiy rXactcu from the citizens.
Tn many instances. farmers could not
get heir lands restored. or could not
got thr freedmen either to contract
or lease 'hc place. Some citizens, in
such rA>,'N. have proposed to the Of
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