Year: 1865

the blacks; and secondly, that the States


will at once pass laws reducing the race
/ again to condition but little better than a


state of slavery. -
have never believed that all the hu.


name and kindly impulses implanted by ma


ture in the heart of man were confined to a


particular section OF country. firmly be-


iieve that the sight of human suffering calls


forth as much sympathy in one section Of


our country as in another, and I do not fear
| that a course of systematic cruelty will ever


be practiced in any section Of this country
towards any of Gods creatures, That it


will be found necessary to pass laws for the
government Of the blacks do not doubt.
Laws must be passed to provide for the


maintenance of the old and infrm and for
the support and education of the young
That isolated cases of injustice in the treat
ment of the blacks will occur I do not


doubt; that some unwise laws may be
passed is not improbable; but I am conf


dent less injustice will be. done the blacks,
as we'll as the whites, if the matter is left
in the hands Of those most deeply interest


ed. The labor of the black man is an alb.


solute necessity in every Southern State
Now that he is free, selfinterest will prompt


the men of the South to endeavor to make
him cheerful and willing laborer. Hav-
ing acknowledged his freedom. humanity,
patriotism and selfinterest will combine to
induce the Statesmen of the South to adopt
such laws with reference to the negro as
will be best calculated to promote his inter.
est and the interests of society, But sup.
pose that, distrusting the Southern people,


we take into our own hands the appalling
task of regulating the relations between the
employer and employee--the task of proVi.
ding for the INDECENT, educating the young
and compelling all to labor who are able
but indisposed to do 80. Aside from the
heavy burdensit will impose upon us-aside
from the contentious and bitternessto which
it will give rise in Congress, and among
our people-shall we not be likely to COM
NIT as many erross-to perpetrate as many
acts of injustice-as would be perpetrated
under the State authorities7 =


Look at the working of the institution
now in operation for regulating the affairs
of the freedmen. You often read accounts
in the newspapers as to the condition of
affairs in certain localities. You are inform.
ed about the prosperous condition of few
schools established for the benefit of negro
chiIdren--of the readiness with which they
learn their letters, and of the ardor with
which they sing patriotic airs. According
to some of these accounts the negro chill
dren are far superior to pour own; they
mutter the alphabet in their sleep andspend
most of their waking hours in invoking
blessings on the head of General Saxton and
other distinguished public men. To many
I presume this is interesting reading mat
ter, and it may serve to convince some peo.
pie the great problem is already solved
that through the efforts of Saxton and his
90. o.laborers, four millions of ignorant and
degraded beings are to be elevated, and to
become educated; refined patriotic members
of society. You seldom hear of the hu-
morous cases where, the freedmen have laid
claims to the lands of their former masters,
and have quietly informed them that they
hold title under the United States Govern
ment, and have persisteutly refused to do
anything but eat, loiter and sleep. They
fail to tell you of the cases where, just as
the harvest was to commence, every hand
has suddenly disappeared from the place,
leaving the labors of year to decay in the
field. They fail to tell you of great bands
of colored people who leave their former
homes and oongregate in ths cities and vii
lagos, or settle on plantation without per
mission from the owner, seeking only food,
and utterly careless of the future. On the
very day that 1 left Vicksburg poor woman
came to me with complaint that at least
fifty negroes, not one of whom she had ever
before seen, had settled on her farm and
were eating the few stores she bad laid aside
Tor W1nter use.


e. Our sympathies are due to the white as
well as to the black race, though We have
no constitutional right to control either
The difficulties surrounding this question
can only be met and overcome by practical
men. It is an easy matter to theorize on
the subject, to point out the evils likely
to result from the policy adopted by the
President; but it will be found far more
difficult to suggest any other method not
likely to result in still greater evils. Gen.
Howard, who stands at the head of the
Freedmen's Bureau, is man of great puri-
ty of character, and will never sustain a
system which he does not think productive
of good; and yet, after carefully observing
the operations of that bureau, I am con-
vinced that more evil than good will result
from perpetuating it after the States have
adopted Constitutions prohibiting slavery.
Each State is placed in charge of an assis-
taut commissioner. It is made the duty of
the department commander to detail such
officers and soldiers as these assistant COM
missioners may require in the discharge of
their duties. All questions between whites
and blacks are to be adjudicated by an Off
Ger or agent of the bureau. This, of course,
requires that one officer or agent shall be
stationed in each county, or at least that
they shall be so distributed as to be aooessi.
BILE to all the inhabitants These gentle