Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-01-21
The Case Of General 0. 0 Howard,

! When the rebellion was on the cv,
Of collupsing, Congress, by tho net o
March ., 1860, created .he Bureau 0
Refugees, Freedmen, and Abundonc,
Lands. 1t was "establishcd in th,
War Department, and to continue dur
Ing the war Of tho rebellion and on,
year uilcr" To IL was scommittcd
tho supervision and management Of al
abnndbncd lands and the control of al
subjecta relating TO refugees and freed
mcn from rebel States" That law
was tiis foundation of the bureau, anc
Con. uEO. Howard was appointed The
CommiAsioner on May 10, 1865.
AbcIf q year alter these events, the
'1fiFst EXCEPTIONAL legislation cropped
out In the act of June Is, 1866, which
provided "that where accounts arc
rendered for expenditures for refugees
or iroednen under the approval and
sanction OF the proper officers, and
which shall have been properand nee
essary, hat cannot be settled for want
Of specific appropriations, the same
shat be paid out Of the fund for the re-
lief Of ref,gees and freedmen. on the dp-
prordt Of te Commissioner of the Blu
roau OF Refugees and Freedmen" The
door was thus opened TO a Tree use OF
the public money without strict ac-
couutabiIiiy. Gen Howard doubtless
satisfied his friends in Congress that
this loose legislation was necessary.
He had hadthirteen months ofcxperi-
ence in the bureau, and was shaping
il rapidly tosuit the views Off parlicu.
lar interest in Congress, aud 10 serve
personal objects at the same time.
Another act Of July l6, 1866, ex-
tended the supervision and care Of the
bureau, over "all loyal refugees and
freedmen, 50 far as the same shall be
necessary to enable them ns speedily
rs practicable TO become selfsupport-
log citizens of the United States
Three days before this iaw was
passed, nearly seven millions of dollars
IN round numbers were appropriated
for the bureau. II had assumed large
proportions Whilc many philan.
,hropic men supported it earnestly us
. means OF promoting the welfare OF
the freedmen, Others saw in this organh
zaiion an official machine by which
the colorcd vote could be manipulated
and controlled from Washington, in all
tho Southern States. These two inhn-
ences combined to procure legislation
aud money, so that it should be per-
iccted ia every part. The next year
nearly four millions were voted out Of
the Treasury to the bureau; and thus
in 1866 aud " the enormous sum Of
Sl0,750 $50 of the peoples money was
absolutely given to this bureau. inde-
pendent oithe lands, funds, and prop
erty of ali kinds amounting TO al leus:
as much more (and probably twice as
much, tor the truth will never be fully
known, derived from confscatcd and
abandoned estates in the South.
Gen. Howard fully answered all the
expectations Of his political us well as
his philanihropic supporters in Con
gress. He advocated tie ox,rcmest
policy Of reconstruction, organized the
negroes better than he disciplined his
command in the fell, and showed II
willing capacity TO obey orders which
made him acceptable MS partisan. To
the religious element he appeared as
the champion Of an cmancipated race,
n builder Of churches, an energetic
preacher and lecturer, and President
of the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton. Thus uniting these qualities aud
holding in his hands the power Of d.
recting the negro vote, it is not sur
prising that he should have acquired
large influence in and out of Congress,
gained esteem and run successful
career, like others less plausible. II
required no great pressure MS parties
then stood to prolong the existence Of
the bureau and to keep up appropra-
tons under various prctexls
Although ordered to be closed on
the 1t Of January, 1869, by the act OF
July %, 1868, GEN. Howard, with the
aid OF his confidential ally, Senator
Pomcroy, of Kansas, aud other Chris
lian statesmen equally well known to
fame, managed to keep the bureau
alive until.last year, when the whole
concern was turned over to the Adju-
tant General. They had found mine
and wcre working it with zeal. The
education Of the enfranchiscJ negroes,
and the hounties OF the colored soldiers
exercised their benevolent nature, and
kept the bureau ailoat for three years
more in a modified term.
Rumors got abroad in lS69-70 that
Howard and his set were running the
bureau Tor their own profit, that many
poor negroes had been deceived and
cheated, that the public money was
misapplicd, and that all their philan-
thropy was mask to conceal corrup-
tion. Charges were freely made IN
various Republican journals, and at
tracted much attention Ut the lime
At length the Hon. Fcrmhdo Wood
referred 70 these reports in a speech
on March 81, 1870, which called out a
denial aud challenge of proof from
Gen. Howard the next day. Ofcourse
that gauntlet had to be ,akenup. On
the 9th Of April, Mr.. Wood produced
Howard's note before tho House, and
proceeded to make fifteen specific
charges against him.
These charges were in substance
that he used over $3.50, 600 OF the pub
lie money to buy the land and build
Howard Univcrsilyand Hospital with.
out authority Of law that part Of this
LAND was improperly disposed Of to
members of his own fhmily and OIL
GERS Of his own staff; that bonds
OF the First Congregational Church
were taken in part payment for this
land, which were not redeemed or re.
turned in his official account as such
that tho University buildings were
constructed of a patent brick furnish
cd BY company in which Gen How.
ard. his brother Charles, Gen Whiltle-
sey, and c. w. Alvord, all attached to
tho bureau, were interested aa stock.
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