The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-12
SENSIBLE ADVICE.

0eueru GRIFFIN, the Chief Commissioner O.
tho freedmen's Bureau for Texas, it would appear
mas made good use Of his opportunities in study
ing tho character and habits of the negroes, ovel
whose welfare he was called to preside; and he
embodies the result of his observations i1 the
shape OF advice and instruction in circular to his
subordinate agents. This circular has historical
and chronological value, not contemplated by Gen.
eral GRIFFIN; for, by careful perusal Of it, we CIR
character of the new citizens. ~
First, then, we are glad to find that General
GRIFFIN has arrived at tho conclusion that it is
better to make haste slowly, and he accordingly
admonishes his subordinates ssthat much loss in
time and wages has resulted to the freedmen from
their engaging with persons Of insufficient capital
and experience, and that they (the agents of tho
Bureau) should earnestly advise the negroes to
prefer making contracts with responsible parties
rather than yield to extraragant promises which
are almost sure to fail Of fulfllment"
Ihe New Orleans correspondent of the New
York 1snaes remarks quietly on the above: ssIt is
moi necessary to intimate that all these persons
OF insufficient capital and experience are from the
North" They belong to that class of mon who
migrate Southwark with slender purses but full of
self-assurance. They cajole the negro into making
contracts at high rate Of wages and either fail dis
astrously or sell out during the growing season,
leaving their credulous dupes in the lurch. Find
ing themselves thus deceived by those who pro
fessed to be their friends and who claimed to have
the confidence Of the Freedmen;s Bureau, tho
freedmen quit the plantations and crowd into the
cities and villages, in the hope Of picking up in
loose, desultory way living for themselves and
families. Once there they are beset by temptations
they cannot resist, and losing all the restraints
that wero put upon their passions in their former
state Of servitude, they become idle and vicious
and worthless. With a full knowledge Of tho de-
plorable extent TO which these evil influences have
already debased the negro character, General
GRIFFIN urges that they shall be ssadvised to keep
away from crowded cities and towns,~ for that
''idleness and ragrancy lead to crime" They are
also to be admonished that call the efforts of the
Bureau and Of charitable associations will be use
less unless by industry and fugality they resolve
to help themselves"
From one learn all. The whole world is kin, the
black world no less than the white What holds
good in Texas about planters and labor, and about
city and country, is no less true in South Carolina
and in Charleston. We must confess, however, lin
the light of what passes before our eyes hero),
to some surprise that General GRIFFIN should
deem it necessary to instruct his subordinates,
that they shall insist that the freedmen shall send
their children to school, and to tell them that it is
not cnly their right, but their solemn duty to ac-
4uire knowledgel" In this respect we are certain
y ahead of Texas. The difficulty here would be
to keep the negroes from getting rapidly educated.
They literally devour WEBSTER (NoAH), by day and
by night. - '>.
Gen. Griffin next proceeded to the considera ton;
Of one Of the Ten commandments Why he coz
6nes himself to the seventh, aud has nothing to
say about the eighth it is impossible for us to
mise. Still We are thankful for this much. The
next circular may supply this deficiency. 1t seems
with al the marrying Of freedmen, that has been
conducted wholesale during the past two years
BY Chaplains we are not mistaken, appointed
for this special purpose, there is still room for
complaint, because of ttirregularites" It is sur
prisng that the sBureau Of the marital relations
1--WE are not sure that we have the exact title of
this subdivision of the Freedmcn's Bureau)
should have fallen so far short Of establishing the
institution Of colored marriage on sound basis,
as toSneed the following implied robuko from
General Griffin Ee says to his agents ssGive
t!le subject Of marriage especih attention. Bear
in mind, and impress upon the freed people, that
the relation of man and wife is an institution and
sanctioned by the Almighty, and use your best in
deavors to gather them into households, and in
auce them to observe the sanctity Of the marital
relation This is wholesome, christian, scrip
tural advice. + is great pity, however, that it
should be needed IN t,S>s. quarter.
Here then, says the ba2s:,more Gazette, in re-
viewing the same circular, we have IN the shape
Of official instructions to agents Of the Freed
Bureau in Texas, complete exposition Of the
causes which render the free negroes not to be de-
pended on, and of the degraded condition to which
such large numbers Of them have been reduced.
They have been cheated Of their time and wages
BY disreputable adventurers. They have grown
1isgusted with plantation labor. They crowd into
owns and villages where they huddle together and
cad life Of idleness and vice and crime. They do
act appreciate for their children the educational
blessings which Northern 'sschool marms" are pre-
pared to shower on them, and they have shown,
thus far, contemptuous disregard for the binding
obligations Of marriage. All this we gather from
The suggestive instructive instructions before u.s.
We find also that these evils are becoming Of such
magnitude that each Of the Sub Assistant Com
nj ssioners Of the Bureau Is directed. stimmedi-
ately" on receipt Of the circular ssto make tour
through the section Of country properly, coming
within his jurisdiction for the express purpose OF
mpressing upon the freedmen the necessity Of
their acting in accordance with the foregoing prin-
ciples" " = x 80. -: y .1s' .1s' (