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


months or a fine Of one hundred dollars,
all other cases were to be referred to
competent military authority. Suisse
quently the assistant superintendents
were ordered to invite thoNWhites and
the freedmen of their respective SUBJ
districts, each class to select itself asuit-
able person to assist in the performance
of this duty.
From the want of funds to employ ci-
villains, the Bureau has been obliged to
depend, for the management of Its af-
fairs, almost exclusively upon details Of |
officers and men from the army. Some |
of these officers have been sminently |
successful in the discharge OF their du-
ties, which are often very delicate and
difficult; but many of these details have |
been of persons who had little sympa-
thy with the duties to which they were
assigned. The duties Of the Bureau be- |
ing peculiar, and requiring experience
for their proper performance, injurious
results have followed the constant |
changes in its officers, made necessary !
by the muster-out Of troops. But few
assistant superintendents have occupied
their positions for three consecutive
months, while in many sub-districts tho |
changes have been more frequent.
Notwithstanding these obstacles to q |
uniform and efficient administration Of
the affairs OF the Bureau, important |
progress has been made in the work |
undertaken.
The late slaves have been fully pro-
tected.i in their rights as freedmen, and
the exceptional instances where their
rights were for time denied are no
longer heard of. 1t is believed that there
is not within the state person who
does not understand and successfully
assert his rights to freedom. The ex-
traordinary eagerness of the freedmen
for the advantages of schools has been
met, as far as the resources Ofthe Bureau
and the charitable zeal of its friends
abroad would allow. There are at
present about eleven thousand five hun
dred pupils receiving instruction. from
one hundred and ninety-five teachers. 1
| Numerous urgent appeals have come
| from remote and isolated localities for
| teachers and books, to which 1t has been
4 impossible to respond, fOrWant0f school.
rooms and suitable quarters forteacllPc4
Their progress in learning Ia such as
would warrant much larger expendi-
ture in money, and effort. Many 1citi-
xens, adhering to the ideas and <cust0nasl
| of the past, strongly oppose these move
ments, while others endorse and en-
Ecourage them. The sentiment of the
i community is gradually changing in
favor of educating the freedmen.
| The irritation existing between the
whites and the freedmen Immediately
after the cessation of hOstilities. has
greatly abated, and instances of person.
al violence are becoming more rare.
There is, however, much for the citi-
| 10 I'M nr1 tn
agement of free labor, and much for the
late slaves to learn in regard to their ,du-
ties as freedmen. The attempt to intro
duce the contract system, so essential to
the reorganization of the labor of the
n States, is embarrassed by many diff
culties. The master has been dnaccus'
, toned to sustain to the lab0rer the re-
!, lation which this system implies, and
seeks to retain by contract much of the
power which tile slave system formerly
, gave him, and the freedman has yet to
learn properly to appreciate the Obliga'
tons which he assumes in making Il
! contract. A further embarrassment Ii
! found in the excess of laboring pOpula
! ton over the supply of profitable labor
! It is impossible for the employers, even
= with the best intention, to give all the
: laborers such wages as their support ane
Il
= Iieyed tglaf ehis evil cannot he who'll,
. ren,edied without the emigration from
= then: = = = '''''-' - = -
4 The disposition to roam from plac
!. to place, and especially 60 leave cir
) country for towns and. camps, fs Amos
: entirely corrected; there is very litti'
e changing of location, except when ne
! cessnry to provide the means Of subsis
L .t|4tlf ~ a.,
i with such arrangements foT their ser
!, Ivices as. can he made and are seek in
r. home aud employment that promise 4
!, hG permanent. 4
4 The capacity of the frcadme,f OF Nir
!. ginia 10 take care of themselves, evei
3 unde, adverse circumstances, is hes
A. shown in tie southeastern part OF The
/. lState. AsD sting,the war nearly sevent.
II thousand swefs gathered here, on
/. la limited territery,in extreme destitu
n ton, and yet r. as time only fou
3 thousand for Hundred and twelve al
al receivine government aid, and abou
!. onc-'..f of their number are of the fam
: lies of soldiers. Many have rented Q
.. purchased comfortable homes, som
have saved considerable sums ofnloney
Ut and nearly five thousand of their chi
NJ dren decently clad, and furnished wit
l uOOhS Vi ttilcll OWA otC ~
a. tending schools. w
I'M. During the month Of July, It was i'm
a. possible to ascertains tho number Of rs
IA lions issued to the freedmen, asthe pre-
III viuion returns Of both whites Ard black
n are consolidated. ~ q.
q There were Issued, on returns sidlm
s by the officers of the Bureau, ddfindk fb
= month Of August, one hun6redS Z
~ seventy eight thousand nehundrede -
" Twenty 4 7Sl 100 rations to fl fte6HthQe
II lscvep hundred and seventy-ninepG
" (15,779.) I:esides these, fissbes = 4
& made by military authority in lOc&Hfl
a. to which officers of the Bureau had u
It been assigned.
y. in September the entire issuesto f6ss
n men were made by officers Of I'll
u Bureau. The whole number Of ration
issued during the month, to sixtee
N thousand two hundred and ninety -eigl
n ZIG, 298) persons, was two hundred an
20 seventy-five thousand eight hundred an
i. eighty, (275 $780, or nine thousand on
q hundred and ninety-six g, 1876 per day
q During tile month of Octobzf there wei
y Issued two hundred and fhfrty-fiv
!. thousand seven hundred and eighty
I six OBS, 1867 rations to eleven thousnl
six hundred and twenty-five al, 62S
I persons, or seven thousand six hundre
n and six ratlons per day--the number q
q persons receiving rati0ns being reduce