The sun., 1873-12-29

| IIttulutl, L anu ADulbOntu llntS. II was
established in the War Department. aud
to continue during the war of the rebel
lion and one yC9raftci.' +, il was 80 COM
uitted the supefv. ION and management OF
all abandoned iinds and the control Of all
Subjcc rclat NJ { refugees and freedmen
from rebel States. That law was tie
foundation of the bureau. and Con. @. q.
lIowARD was appo med the Commissioner
on May 10, 1855.
About year after these events, the first
| exceptional legislation cropped out in the
act of June IL, lsGG, which provided that
| where accounts are rendered for expcndi-
| lures for re lugces or freedmen under the
| approval and sanction of the proper officers,
| and which shall have been proper and
| necessary, but cannot be settled for want
Of specific appro priaions the same shan
! be- pdid oW Of tire tUHd for The rclief Of
refugees dnd t,cedmen, on TIC dpprordl Of
/ ne Comm isioE,r ofth Bureau OF Refugees
/ aud Freedmen The door WIS thus open
! od toa free u,. of tie public money with
ou strict accountability. Gen. How
Nsn luul.i,.a satisfied his friends in Con-
gree tha; this loose legislation was ncce es-
, .ar,. lie h1d h9i thirteen months ot cx-
p,ricu,c IN the bureau, and was shaping il
rapidly to suit tsc views Of particular
interest in Cons rcss, and TO serve personal
ohj jccts AZ tie .aur time.
Another uct of July lc, lS5G, extend
cd the supervision e"., care Of the
''''i,'t '', 80. over all loyal refugees and freed
men. so far n the same shall be necessary
to enable them as speedily as practicable
/ e. off Of l.
| United states"
Three day. before this law was passed,
nearly seven millions of dollars in round
numbers were appropriated for the bu-
reau. 1t had assumed large proportions.
| While many phlnutlropic men supported
| il earnestly as = means of promoting the
| welfare Of the freedmen, others saw In this
| organization an official machine hy which
| the colored vot could hc manipulated and
controlled from Washington. in all the
Southern states. These two Influences
combined to procure legislation and
money, So that it should bc perfected in
every part. The next year nearly four
| millions were -otcd ont of the Treasury to
! the bureau; and thus in 1856 AMI o. the
| euormou, sum of 1919, so OF the peoples
money was absolutely given TO this bu-
reau, independent Of the lands, funds and
property Of all kinds amounting to at least
rs much moe (and probably twice rs
much, for tie truth Will never bo fully
! known derive from coufscItcl and aban-
/ don,d estates in the South.
gen. IIowARD fully answered all the cx-
pootItons Of his political rs well as his
! philauthrupic supporters in Congress. He
advocated the EXTREMIST policy of recon-
struction, organized the negroes better
than he disciplined his command i'm the
field. and showed a willing capacity to
obey orders which made him acceptable as
n partisan. To the religious element he
appeared ns the champion of an emanci-
pated race, Il builder Of churches, an encr-
! grtic preacher and lecturer, ana President
of the Young Mems Christian Association.
Thus uniting these qualities and holding
IN his hand, the power Of directing the
! negro vote. IL is not surprising that he
should have acquired large influence in
and out O. Congress, gained esteem and
run successful calecr, like others less
plausible. IL rc.Iircd no great pressure
a. parties then stood TO prolou- the exist
euce of the bureau and To keep up appro-
Illtl ltOll~ I llilf'i Ntlllll~ pref lfAl-s
Althoug h ordered tc bc closed ou thc 1t
! OF Jauuaty, l>Gg, by the act Of July % lsGs,
Gen. IIpwAED, With the aid of h- conf
DENTAL ally, senator PoNrRoY of Kansas,
aud ether Christian Statesmen equally
| we'll SHOWN 20 fame, managed 10 keep the
bureau alive mth last year, when the
whole concern WIS turned over 10 the Adj
htuut-Geucul They had found mine
and were working il with zeal. The edu-
cation Of the cufranchiscd negroes, and the
bountcs of the colored soldiers exercised
their benevolent nature, aud kept the
bureau aiioat for three years more in a
modified form.
Rumors got abroad in 1si9 and 1870 that
HowARD amt his st were running the
bureau for their own profit that many
poor negroes had been deceived and
cheated, that the public money was mis-
applied, and that all their philanthropy
WAS mask TO conceal corruption. Charg,
were freely made in various Republican
journals, AMI latJractni much attention at
the time. At length the Hon. FERNANDO
Woob referred 10 these reports in a speech
on March 81, $50, which called out u denial
and challenge Of proof from Gen, Howard
the next day. OF course that gauntlet
had to be taken mp, On the 9th of April
Mr.. WOOD produced IIowARD's note before
the House, and proceeded TO make htteeu
specific charges against him.
These charges were i'm substance that h,
had used over S5O0,O0O of the public money
TO buy the land and build Howard Cuiycr-
sity ana Hospital without authorityof law
that part Of this land was improperly dis.
posed of to members of his own fanlly aud
officers OF his own stan; that bonds Of tho
First Conversational Church were taken
in part payment for this land, which were
not redeemed or returned i'm his official ac
counts as such that the University build,
iugs were constructed Of patent br,cl
furnished by II company in which Gen
Howard, his brother CHARLES, Gen. WHIT
rLEsEY, and G. w. ALyoRD, all attached
10 the bureau, were interested as stock
holders; that the spt ihcatlons for tn,
buildings required the use OF this bricl
} and no other; that the brick was worth
less, and part of the buildings fell from tina
! cuitep aud otbprs had tn hp ranotpeI a