Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-02-08
IMPORTANT LETTER FROM GOV. ORR TOTHE
PRESIDENT, 80.

| Pe,micious effects Of The Freednsen's Bureau - its
| Officers refuse to Cooperate acM tie Gore,mment.
| Governor Orr, of South Carolina, under date of
! January 10TH 1885, addressed long letter to the
President in relation to the Sea Island lands from
which the following extracts are made: Id
In the lower part of the State, scarcely g. con-
tract has been can be made. The delay in car
rying out your instructions of last October posi-
lively, whicl has continued from Gen1 Howard S
visit to Captain Ketchums return within the past
few days, renders the freedmen, as body, incred-
ulors of any restoration. They have in many
places quietly but firmly refused to accept any
terms; but regret to say, that within the last
few days they have in some instances resorted to
| misunderstanding down dwellings, destroying
bridges, intrenching themselves in their quarters
and refusing either to contract or to give way to
those who will. And in these cases. it is proper to
say, that the contracts offered them have been ap
proved by the Unlsed States authorities as liberal
and just. This is not unnatural, for as long as the
freedman has to believe that the Govern
ment will give him homestead of forty acres he
will not voluntarily work for wages. It cannot
think be denied that the action of the Freedmen's
Bureau in this State has largely contributed to
this unfortunate result. Without entering into the
minute detail of itsadminisuration, lam constrained
to say that there is to my mind sufficient ev-
dence of unwillingness to cooperate cordially
with the policy of the Government. Certificates
of title have been in some cases granted to per-
sons filing none of the conditions even of Gen.
Shermans order, and have been given to chance
visitors to the Islands for lands not only for them
selves, but for their friends who had never been
away from their homes in the interior Great de-
lay has been interposed in the execution Of the
forms necessary to restoration and the bureau has
indeed, gone far to defeat the very object of your
ORDERS for it has decided that where freedman
refuses to contract any terms, however lust
that III such there can be no mutually sat
isfactory arrangement, and his refusal acts as q
bar to restoration.
In addition to this, the whole of the Parish of
ST. Helena and great portion of St IIukes
comprising the body of the estates which, in in
trinsic value, in their former amount of product
cannot be surpassed by an equal extent of country
in any State OF the Union, have been appropria-
ted by the government under the provisions of
the direct tax act. These lands are occupied by
freedmen some under the pretence of allotment ;
some under pretence Of purchase some under
pretence of General Sherman's order, and most
uAder pretence at all The Tax Commission
ers charged with the execution Of these acts have
manifested these sympathies as the agents of the
Freadmens Bureau, and this whole section oi
puntry is held out not home of the refugees
but is land OF promise for every indolent freed
man the State. 80
Finally, bill has been reported to Congress-
aud is now under discussion, by which the titles
granted under General Shermans field orders are
t., be confirmed for three Yeas. i do not think,
therefore, that am rlshing either an extreme on
doubtful opinion when say that the chief carsp
of all our difficulty, in finding q solution of this
question of labor proceeds from the action of the
government encouraging the belief that the sea
coast region of South Carolina is to be cOntscted
for the purpose of establishing a system of inde-
pendent colonization for the freedmen. If this Is
not So then the interests Of this State require that
this impression, generally prevailing Should be
authoritatively denied, and that those who fOr
purposes Of personal Interests Of political agi4
tion are endeavOrlng to prolOng anu to exageerate
our present enlbarrastment should be deprived oil
SO effective a means of mischief. Can any reason
be found why the planter the coast who was
driven from his home in 1861 OF 1862 should now
have his lands appropriated for distributions while
his fellowcltzens of the middle upper districts
whose estates have been untouched, whose indus
try has been undisturbed but has participated as
fully and heartily in the war; shall be confirmed
in possession OF his? Ihe policy of which, as d
Representative OF the State, complain is the lar-
tiaI and unjust contscation OF the property of Il
small portion OF Citizens including large number
of unofendlng widows and orphans, to be given in
the spirit of III ustlce III which it taken to
persons having no claim for special consideration
at your hands. The mere Introduction OF the bill
for confirming these titles has had an immediate
and injurious effect 1t has checked the energy
which was beginning to manifest ITSELF suspended
the contracts which were IN process arrested the
spirit with which the planters were preparing 10
go to work hopefully and heartily, and stopped at
once the investment OF ali Northern capital which
was beginning to find profitable employment in
Southern fields. Now, ii the occupation OF these
lands In the haaGs III which Gen Sherman order
placed them is confirmed also, and day viii
mike it worse, one Of two things viii follow-eith
er this section Of State Will nearly be abandoned
to its fate and its miserable populations tlwinlnc
away from disease, and want and crime, viii after
few years of mischieyous .vagabondage, disappear
from the land, or by force fraud they Will he
pelled.1. But if these lands are restored, their
pabihties, the certain remuneration of successful
cultivation, the fact that The freedmen &rs- ise.t
mel to the sou, mode OF cultaFe aud hal5,t OF
employer, will secure to such freedmen successful
contracts and the most liberal wages Ih, l,l.pt-