The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-01-24
rHE rRERpNAN,s BUREAU.

We have not paid oar respects TO this institution
for months past. We were ssbcring under the de-
lightfl halassirationthssH 1t Iwssnumbsred .among
the things thst were" aud at It's existence insour
midst wss in conformity to,theslaw made and
provided forthe benefit es certain Radicalshoulder.
straps in the military service of the United States
But have been mistaken The thing still has
its mission to vex and annoy the planter, and dis
affect the laborer Yoluminous circulars and per-
semptory orders announce determination to inter-
fere with the domestic affairs of this subjugated
people. The whilom officials are determined to
awaken new Interest among the nations wards in
its mighty and powerful efforts to preserve their
rights and protect their interests La sAmo-in-
stances, they will only prove too socessut in this
pursuit, and in their zeal to protect the deeduea
ignore the rights and interests Of the white n,aa
Such is the experience of the past, such will be
the result Of the future, unless some measures are
speedily adopted totprevept the undue and untime-
ly interference of this institution with private
trncts The laws Of Souta Carolina, and in fact all
other States, 60 Car as cur informatien extends,
places the negro upon an equality before the law
with the white residents. If it is lawful for two
white men TO enter into an agreement or contract,
why not for white man and negro? The answer
of these epauletted of6cals is readily eeaectured
because, in the latter case, the superior intellect
Of the white party will enable him to overreacA
and defraud The negro. We deny emphatically this
proposition. The facts existing now, and the daily
experience of every man who has dealt with this
unfortunate race since the extinction of slavery,
contradicts the statement The negro demands
and receives the highest wages ever given to farm
aborers in this section. True in dollars and cents
the contracts generally do not stipulete large
amount, for the reason that the family of the IA
borer is entirely dependent upon che employer for
food and raimeat. This is o consideration which
is overlooked by these jealous protectors of the
freedman, and We will remark, in this connection,
that the farmers would be benefited in the end
were the opposite system adopted, whereby they
procure SO much labor for n certain amount of
money, and have nothing to do with the family Of
the laborer In thetland of wooden nutmcgs and
pumpkin pies, where free. labor is'said to have
wrought out very high state of civilization, this
is always the in hiring laborers for farmwork,
and the soonerithe South adopts this system with
the freedmen the better for all concerned. If this
plan was in operation now, there could DO no eE-
cuse for the continuance of the Bureau all the
country. and the government would be rid Of the
expense attending this institution, thus reducing
the tax materially. But We have digressed from
the original purpose of this article, which was TO
apprise the people that the Bureau still claims the
privilege 10 countersgn their contracts with freed
men. We can see no justice or good sense in this
butas a public Journalist, it iSan inn
perative duty to forewarn the public against the
danger of omitting this necessary step for their
own protection. The bayonet is Still thefinstru-
ment Of authority vested in these ofciols, and We
hive never yet found one Of them too scrupulous
to make use Of their arbitrary power. While re-
peating the assertion that, under the laws Of our
State, contract may be enforced without regard
to the complexion of the parties signing the con-
tract, and further expressing the opinion that the
conduct Of the Bureau in claiming the right to re-
wise contracts of any kind is willful assumption
on the part of its agents, nevertheless We cannot
discover the means of escaping this unnecessary
hardship ndoppression. The people of the South
have endured silently, and patiently the indguties
and wrong placed upon them by men who exer-
cised 'little brief authority" in the past and We
are prone to believe that in the present uncertain
political condition of the country, even greater ef
fort will be mado to maintain insiolable the pledge
of fidelity and honor. though it be necessary to
undergo the vcissiudes and trials of the last egh-
teen months, and again come in contact with these
guardians of the delectable freedmen. so