New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-13

ages. But when ali the rights aud privilege
which the most exacting can ask shall kay
been conferred, still there will be vacuum
which only education Joined to good Chris
tlan and moral training together with none
can Oil. But education Il the sine qua non
The hope OF the colored American in III
south rests upon its proper incubation.
| shall endeavor to show that Gen. Howard, q
the outset, took in the full gravity OF the sit
uation, and directed all his efforts to con
summation which Is being rapidly attained
The act approved March 3, 1865, establish
Ing the Bureau, IS in the following words:
BE IL enacted &C., There Is hereby es
tablshed in the War Department, to continu,
during the present war OF rebellion aud one
year thereafter, a Bureau for Refugees, Freed
men, and Abandoned Lands, to which shall be
committed as hereinafter provided the super.
vision and management OF abandoned lands
and The control Of all subjects relating to refu.
gees and freedmen from rebel States, or from
any district Of country within the territory EN-.
braced In the operations Of the army, under
such rules and regulations as may be pre-.
scribed by the head Of the Bureau and APP.
proved by the President"
Section refers to the distribution OF pro.
visions, clothing, SC. 1t will be perceived
from this act that the powers conferred upon
Gen. Howard as Commissioner Of the Bureau
were very general and it was within his power
to expend the whole amount appropriated for
thesupport ofthe Bureau in such manner that
nothing permanent would have remained.
His first order, however, foreshadowed his
policy. Circular No. names the number Of
officers. In circular No. 2, section 4, the fol-
lowing words occur: 1.-THE educational and
moral condition Of these people will not lie
forgotten. The utmost facility will be az
forded to benevolent and religious organiza-
tons and State authorities in the maInte-
nance Of good schools for refugees aud
freedmen, until system Of free schools can
be supported by the organized local govern
ments."
Circular No. 10, Of July llth, 1866, directs
that reports be made ofthe number of schools,
scholars, and teachers then under the gen.
eral direction Of the Bureau to the proper
officers; and the objects Of the Bureau with
reference to freedmen are declared to be,
ITO provide them with the necessities of
life, to protect their lives and property, and
to prepare them for citizenship"
1t is to be remembered that these several
circulars were issued before any specific direc-
ton had been given by Congress to ala in
the educational work. Section l3 Of an act
to continue ia force the Freedmens' Bureau,
August 9th, 1865, is in the follow
ing words:
And be It further enacted, That the Com
Of the Bureau shall at all times CO.
operate with private benevolent associations
of citizens in aid Of freedmen, and with agents
and teachers duly accredited and appointed
by them. and shall hire or provide by lease
buildings for purposes Of education whenever
such association shall, without cost to the
Government, provide suitable teachers and
means Of instruction.
Taking even broader view than is iudi-
Gated 10 this section, and yet at all tilues
keeping wholly within the scope Of authority
conferred by the several acts referred to,
Gen. Howard proceeded to establish perma-
nent Institutions Of learning in the South,
which without doubt are the mos. hopeful
aids In the permanent elevation Of the class
for whose especial benefit they were founded,
and the grandest monument which their
originator could have erected to bis fame.
The policy pursued by Gen. Howard in dis
bursting the $4,000, 900 appropriated by Con-
gress for the Freedmen's Bureau, more than
half Of which was necessarily used for the
sick and INDECENT, and for running expenses,
has placed his country under lasting obliga-
ton to him. When looked at In a proper
light no act Of the Republican party reflects
greatet credit upon it than does the work of
this Bureau, which was brought into being by
that party. It places Our Government In
marked contrast with the British Govern
ment which, with all its boosted philan-
thropy, gave sl00,0OO,0o0 to the slave mas
tiers in the West Indies and but a pittancc for
the education Of the ex-slaves. In the Brit
ish islands only about 10000 slaves were
emancipated. In our own country upward
of 4, 000, 900. We gave not one penny to the
slave masters but $4,000 through the
Freedmer's Bureau to aid the emancipated,
the good effects Of which, thanks to Gen.
Towards wisdom and foresight, will be seen
long after all who now censure or approve
shall have goue to that borne from whence
no traveller has ever returned. So long as
only those who are entirely competent and
thoroughly in sympathy with the work are
selected as teachers in these Institutions, and
such thorough instruction and fine culture are
displayed as were manifested at the Com
mencement Exercises of the Law Department
on tba 9Th ult., the success of the work 30
auspiciously begun is unquestoned, and only
an affirmative answer can be given to the
question propounded at the beginning Of this
article. JCsTITIA.
Letter from Ohio.
CINCINNATI, March 8. 1873.
To TIE Editors ofths Neso Natioaol Era: