The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-01-23
General scott's Circular Letter.


Frecdmen's Bureau for this State.
Ihe letter contains information of
Importance, and will be read by our
planters with interest:
CHARLESTON, January 16, 1868.
Circular Letter.
The Government having again
charged the Assistant Commissioner
with tho duty of distributing food
among the people of this State, for
the double purpose of preventing
suffering from the destitution, now
common i'll many localities, and to
enable the people to provide against
recurrence of the like dcstitution in
future, it becomes necessary, in order
to accomplish the object designed.
to adopt snch system of distribu
tion for the supplies thus loaned, as
Will most effectually both accomplish
the objects above named, and insure
TO the Government the repayment
OF Its means. This end can only be
attained by well regulated system
or hbor-for from such system
alone ca. it bo expected that any de-
gree OF prosperity will follow. It
will be found impossible to distri-
bute food to the needy thousands, as
individuals, but only as communities.
The sad experience of the past year
should have given lesson of profit
To all: Hundreds of people were the
recipients of the charity of the Go
vernment, who claimed to be plant
ing at the time they were fed, but
who, upon investigation, were dis
covered to be either idling away their
time, or engaged in cultivating a
small patch, the whole products of
which could not subsist them for
more than month or two; others
received aid who were located on
barren and worn out lands, upon
which, even by the most severe
labor, 1T is impossible to produce
Subsistence; white yet third class,
without any pecuniary means, enter
ed into arrangements whereby thew
gave one-half or one-third of their
time to the land owner, and during
the remainder attempted to dig out a
Subsistence for themselves, without
either animals to assist .hem. or food
to live upon.
70 continue in these foolish at
tempts to obtain n livelihood will
result In the complete prostration of
every interest of the country, and to
foster such folly by squandering Go
Vernment ratlons on such people
would be criminal on the part of the
agent charged with their distribution.
1t Is, therefore, the intention of
the Assistant Commissioner to issue
food in future, to the extent allowed
by the Government, to those persons
only who is satisfied are 80 en-
ployed that 'ey will be able to re-
pay to the Government the amount
loaned, as we'll as to place themselves
beyond Il possibility of want dur
ing the following year. To accom-
plish this object, responsible persons
will be appointed agents of distribu-
ton in each locality where destitu-
ton exists, who will be held strictly
accountable for the reliability and
industry of the consumers. They
will be instructed to take from the
reclpients.a a bond, giving a lien upon
the crops to be grown, and other
products Of industry and personal
property.
The Assistant Commissioner must
be satisfied that each applicant has
planted, or is about to plant, II sufli-
clent number of acres in cereals to
insure his provisions for the next
year without purchase. 70 parties
engaged wholly, or to an undue ex
text, in the cultivation of cotton. no
will be rendered. Duly
appointed officers and agents of this
Bureau will be instructed to fire.
qnently and carefully inspect the
plantations of those who are the re-
clpients of assistance, and if it shall
at any time be found that they are
likely to foil to fulfill their oSliga-
tions, all necessary measures will be
taken to protect the interests of the
Government.
The Assistant Commissioner de-
sires it to be understood, that the
amount OF assistance that he is au-
thorized to render is limited, and it
Is. therefore, necessary that all per-
sons who have private resources at
command should avail themselves of
such, these supplies being only in
tended by the Government to relieve
the most extreme cases of destitu-
ton. r. K. SCOTT
The 162d anniversary of the birth
day OF Benjamin Franklin was cele-
brated by the New York Typographi-