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About Weekly constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1877 | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1866)
the weekly constitutionalist Oar New York. Correspondence. New York, May 10. Having written in a dolorous vein respecting the aspect of Federal polities for nearly a year oast, I am at last enabled to change my tone, and to assure your readers that the end of their humiliation draws nigh. It is “ high tide ” with Radicalism, its ebb will soon set in—has already set in—although not generally apparent on the surface of things. The policy -of President Johnson has been 6teadily undermining the Radical leaders; and, within the past fortnight, -they have been made sensible ot a great falling ofl in tile spirit of their constituents. The reconsideration by the Senate of the proposition to deprive officers appointed by President Johnson of their pay, until confirmed by the Senate, is the first re sult of the turn of the tide., The. overthrow of the Radicals would be much more complete were it not that the Con servative Republicans are extremely anxious to maintain the unity of that party. Mr. Ray mond desires to be re-elected to Congress, and his friends are very anxious to secure the suc cessor of Mr. Harris in the United States Sen ate. They are consequently debarred from annihilating warfare upon the Radicals, who will be “ coerced” for the present no more than will be necessary to keep them in bounds. The main feature of the report of the “Com mittee of Fifteen ” is already marked for defeat.. The telegraph will have advised yon of the definite result, before this can reach you. POLITICAL INFLUENCES. There has seldom been a time when petty matters, that ordinarily attract little attention, were so much discussed in connection with po litical measures. ■ The rumpus between whites and negroes at Memphis, is regarded as something of an “ ele phant,” by the Radical organs. They do not know how to handle it. Unable to disguise the innate ferocity and barbarism of the negro char acter, and fearful lest any day may bring ac counts of brutal mnrder*and outrage by them, the Memphis affair is passed over with largo talk of “ investigation,” with occasional snivel ing about “ burning churches.” In the mean time, Northern darkies are doing much to dis gust any mawkish sympathy for. their race. Their behavior in public is such as to excite in dignation. Especially is this true of the black women. In one of our street ears the other evening, a party of negresses entered and found every seat occupied ; When one of the fattest of them deliberately sat down upon a delicate young lady, and her rescue from her crushiug load required the active effort of her companion. The gentleman in the car ottered their inter ference to right the matter; but it. was charged over to the “ civil rights bill,” and allowed to pass. lam confident that the scene made con verts to the President’s' policy. At another time, three, giant negresses engaged in a riotous lark in the ladies’ cabin of one of our ferry boats; running, wrestling and shouting, as boys of fourteen sometimes do; and it re quired a threat of the police to restore decent behaviour. These things are commented upon, and are rapidly developing the old antipathy to the negro race. A LITERARY SECRET. It is revealed in a recent publication that, the lines published in the Tribune about 1859, be ginning “Tear down the flaunting lie Half mast the starry rag,” were written by a Bohemian named Clias. G. Halpine, who has written much under the nom de plu/ne of “Private Miles O’Reilly.” “Col.’ Halpine was at one time military secretary to Gen. Hunter, formerly in command at Hilton Head. I believe he claims to have written the “Emancipation Proclamation,” ot that officer. The authorship of a poem which is considered infamous by men of all parties, has for a long time been known in the newspaper circles of this city, but I believe has never before been in print. Its publication now is through the agency ol Col. Halpine himself. SECRETARY STANTON AND JEFFERSON DAVIS. It is understood that the visit of Secretary Mc- Culloch, the other day, to Jefferson Davis, was with a view of rendering his condition more comfortable. His failing health demanded this, if no other consideration would be regarded. It is well known, I suppose, that when Mr. Davis was first incarcerated in the dungeons of •Fortress Monroe,he was manacled as a desperado would have been. The only food allowed him was the coarsest army ration. A fortnight brought out a protest from the surgeon in charge, who was unwilling to be a party to the deliberate mnrder of a gentleman overwhelmed in politi cal misfortune. Mr. Davis’s condition Was then somewhat improved. But he has never receiv ed any just treatment, until within a very short time. He is now permitted to have his wife and children near hin», and his bill of fare may be regarded as satisfactory. But the surgeon who protested was speedily “relieved.” Why this shabby, not to say cruel, treatment of the Confederate Chieftain? Stanton is its anthor. His conduct has various promptings. In 1860 he and Mr. Davis were in Washington, endeavoring to promote the election of Gener al Breckinridge. They both agreed that the South had been trampled upon, and should not submit to the election of a sectional President. We know the sequel; and now a perjured vil lain does Late the ffiau by lias betrayed to ruin. This is not all. The deaths of fifty thousand Federal soldiers in Southern prisons weigh heavy on Stanton’s sou). He knows he is re sponsible for this dark page in the history of the late war. He knows he attempted to gain a military advantage of the South by repudi ating the just obligations of a Government to its soldiers taken prisoners by the foe. This i* the whole case. To fasten responsibility elsewhere, he caused poor Wirz to be hung. Bht this murder failed of its object. The ghosts of Andersouville continue to rise before Stanton. The moans of his victims ring in his ears. Their attenuated limbs haunt his vision. He has therefore contemplated finding in Jef ferson Davis a victim that would lighten the burden of his guilt. He would have the Con federate President executed, not for treason, but for “ barbarities to the Federal prisoners.” It is needless so argue the question of re sponsibility. How the Federal prisoners were fed may be inferred from the fact that, wliCn Lee's army surrendered, it had been five days without regular rations; apd the first order General Grant gave with reference to it, was to send food to brave, vanquished, famishing men. But I will submit one proposition that cannot be disputed. Take t wenty thousand Southern men, in full health, confine them to close quarters in a Northern State, subjected to the rigors of the climate, without employment, without hope of release; feed them with the best the land affords, and they wo<dd die as rapidly as if an epidemic rage ( falls to the ground the monstrous attempt of Secre tary Stanton to fasten upon Jefferson Davis the horrors of Andersonvllle. n« will not be permitted to wreak his vengeance upon the , head of the venerable man now imprisoned at Fortress Monroe. BUSINESS MATTERS. Cotton continues steady but quiet. The speculation in breadstuffs exploded to-day. In the past month, the leading grades of flour have advanced 50 per bW., and fine spring wheat 50c. per bushel. But to-day a decided reaction set in. The receipts of flour are more liberal and increasing, and the Erie Canal will soon give ns a surplus. Hog products of all kinds have materially advanced the past week, but were less bnoyaut to-day. Tho drift of speculation seems to be to the stock exchange. Willoughby. New York, May 14,1866. Anniversary week has passed, and it has pre sented features that are just ground lor con gratulation with all who love mankind. All the societies organized for the spread, of the Gospel are found, by their reports, to have en joyed prosperity during the year that signal ized the return of peace. Ail those societies organized for the propagation of fanatical no tions, make a dismal record. Wendell Phil lips, Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Cheever, and Er nestine L. Rose, in meeting together, tacitly admit that they have (lone about all the mis chief they can hope to see in one quarter.— Like Alexander the Great, they sigh for new worlds to conquer. The forte of these people is an acrimonious style of discussion, which shall provoke hitter resentment. They care nothing for principle ; ttiey desire controversy and its attendant noto riety. The “right of suffrage” is now their hobby; and fortunately, they bring forward such impracticable purposes with reference to the matter that they are scarcely listened to. For a great wonder, they contend that white women have as good a right to vote as negroes. Wendell Phillips, has another hobby. He de mands the abolition of the death-penalty for crime. Fortunately, the experience of the hour is well calculated to prevent people listening to the clamors of these malignants who style themselves philanthropists. The burdens of taxation are so much heavier than when there was some restriction upon the suffrage, that the public temper is decidedly in favor of restric tion again, and the high crimes have been so common of late, that there is a general outcry against the inadequacy and uncertainty of the punishment of criminals. Thus, it would seem, that the role of agitation which these people have adopted threatens no harm to any one, ♦and their agitation now, by producing reflec tion, will serve to -fortify correct principles against more adroit assaults. THE POLITICAL SITUATION. The efforts to patch up a peace between President Johnson and the Radicals, at which 1 hinted in my last, seem to have failed utterly, and within a day or two the Tribune has opened a hot fire upon him. The action of the Democrats in the proceed ings which immediately preceded the vote on the proposition of the “ obstruction commit tee,” is regarded as justifiable under the circum stances. It compelled the Conservative Re publicans to show their bands; revealing their awkward position ; demonstrating their will ingness to vote with the extreme Radicals rather than do full justice to the South. . The Tribune this morning also opens its bat teries upon the tone of inspection into the affairs of the Freedmen’s Bureau by General Steadman and Fullerton. These officers have got no further South than North Carolina when the Radicals “ smell a mice,” and raise a great outcry that a “job ” is being “ put up ” against their favorite institution. How thoroughly un fair this Is need not he demonstrated. THE TAX ON COTTON. I intimated recently, that a proper effort would defeat the project of levying a tax of five cents per pound on raw cotton. The Chamber of Commerce of this city, which is controlled by New England ideas, has taken strong grounds that this tax shall not exceed two cents. This is, fortunately, owing to the doubts of the manufacturers being able to procure the establishment of a “ draw (jack ” on the export ation of cotton goods. With a tax of five cents on cotton, the large shipments of sheetings and drills to China, which were made by our manu facturers before the war, cannot be restrained without the.aid of a “drawback.” With this drawback, the five cents tax would-be a “big thing ” for them, considering how easy it is for them to gwallow an official oath. But they are not too silly to get the drawback; therefore they are in favor of the minimum tax on cotton. EUROPEAN AFFAIRS. The sensation tills morning I? the new? from Enrope. There is scarcely a doubt now that a great European war for nationalities is impend ing. I have felt this to be true from the bis ginning ; but many, whose opportunities for information were excellent, have declared any war improbable. But respecting a matter of this kind, a few general principles are a much safer guide than the closest analysis of current facts. There are many who still deny the prob ability of war—among them the Editor of the German Commercial, of this city. But with me, all discussion is terminated, except the proba ble duration and consequences of the war upon dynasties and principles. Napoleon HI. is un derstood to have expressed the opinion that the war will bc.a short one, and will not inter fere with his industrial exposition in 1867. A great deal of war can be fought in a year by nations which hare standing armies. The campaign in Italy, including the terrible battles of Magenta and Solferino, was suffi ciently exhaustive to enable France to obtain favorable terms from Austria. But the war which is approaching involves the existence of one or two first-rate powers, and perhaps the career of dynasties which are the oldest in Europe. Therefore, it may be reckoned, safely, that no single campaign will decide its issues. The influence upon tho public finances on this side of the Atlantic will be considerable. In fact, intelligence from Europe is now sought as eagerly as it was formerly from the battle field in Virginia. The news to-day carried np gold lVj' per cent., and stiffened exchange to figures leading to the export of gold. THE LATE COLLECTOR KING. By a queer coincidence, the body of the late Collector King, who committed suicide some months ago by jumping from a Hoboken ferry boat, was recovered to-day, the very day on which his successor assumed office.- The body of Mr. King was easily recognized by big friends, although somewhat mutilated from having been so long in the water. COTTON AND COTTON GOODS. The tone continues depressed, although the firmness of holders supports prices. The great difficulty now in the way of cotton 13, the low price of cotton goods. Standard sheetings are selling to-day at twenty cents, which docs not covet- cost, and does not warrant the purchase of cotton at over twenty-eight cents for mid dlings. The supply of cotton goods is not large, but there is only a “hand-to-month” de mand, upon which it is impossible ta force an advnuceinpric.es. The private accounts from the Liverpool cotton market are less favorable than the published reports. Willoughby. Washington Correspondence. Washington, May 11,1866. ‘ The passage of the Constitutional amend ment yesterday, by the present delectable rump House of Representatives, was the occasion of very considerable demonstration of saturnine gladness by the Radicals. They smoothed their grim Plutonian features into the nearest ap proach to a smile, amt congratulated each other through their noses on the near approach of the millenium. The real trouble, however, is iu the Senate. The important part of the amendment, providing for the restriction of tin: basis of representation, tailed before in the Senate. And the question is will it fare any hotter there now. It was amusing to see how true Mr. Ray mond, of New York, was to himself yesterday. Mr. Raymond, proprietor of the New York Times and M. C. from the imperial city of New York, is, according to the sense of the word as the times go, Conservative. He is a great friend of Mr. Seward’s, and the main pillar of the Johnson policy in the Republican camp in the lower Houso. Well, Mr. Raymond, in his paper and in his speeches, supports the Presi dent’s policy, but when it comes to the small matter of voting, Mr. Raymond always deposits his “aye” or his “no” on the Radical side. He is really a remarkable specimen of the genus trimmer. What a pity to see a public man possessing every quality of his station ex cept the ability to follow his own convictions. The committee on finance are considering Sherman's bill to consolidate all the different forms of the national debt, so as to reduce all to the uniform rate of five per cent., payable in gold. Some opposition is manifested to the proposed feature of perpetual exemption from taxation. But this is aft essential matter In the bill. Exemption from taxation is only one form of paying interest. It is a part of the bonus the Government pays. If, upon a hun dred dollars, the Government agrees to pay five per cent., and to remit live per cent. ®f taxation, it is the same thing as if the Govern ment paid ten per cent. And it is much more convenient to the Government than to collect five per cent, from the bond holders, who would purchase the bonds at such a price as would enable them to get the natural rate of profits, the condition of financial matters would justify. In short, it is the same thing to the Govern ment, whether it taxes its bonds or not. It it taxes its bonds it sells them so much cheaper, and therefore it loses the amount of the tax in the depreciation of the bonds. It is better not-’ to tax the bonds, because, by exempting the same genera] result is obtained, and the Gov ernment is saved all the trouble of the collec tion of an unnecessary tax. The programme of one portion of the Radi cal leaders in Congress is to take away from Washington and Georgetown their municipal governments. The object of this is to punish the people of these cities for kicking against negro suffrage, and to givo themselves an ex cuse for not pressing negro suffrage to a prac tical result In the District, which some of the more astute among them do not think is as ’ popular generally as it deserves to be. In the great annual anti-slavery meeting which has just taken place in New York, Wendell Phillips'appears in his well known character of avant-courier for the political Abolitionists, and demands not merely suffrage immediate and universal, but negro representation. He gives notice that lie will feel discomfort until a half dozen or more colored gentl men shall be seen jn their places in the Senate and House of Representatives. Then he says the good time will come when we will have social equality; when a Caucasian lover will fly to the sooty bosom of his dulcinea, with as much delight as if said bosom were white as the drifted snow. In tin: same meeting Mr. Pepper lifted up his voiceagai.ist the Freedimm’g Bureau and the military despotism South. He called loudly for the removal of the Bureau and the troops. Well done Mr. Pepper, I ertjoy thy warmth on the occasion. It becomes tliee, being of fiery particles. Senator Nyn In the Senate yc-torday insisted earnestly on hanging the leaders In the rebellion, and being requested to furnish a list of the pro scribed, called for pa), r and was about to d<> so. It is a singular wnil, t Ltd: some people" have for blood. Mr. Xyc is si novel specimen of the ferocious* He U a kind of laughing Robespierre. He proposes to hang you and accompanies Ins <Awj', r o fey with so much funny nonsense, that you can't help laughing at the proposition. Washington, May 14th, 1866. Tic: falsehood of the Radical newspapers is shocking, and yet calculated to do immense harm. For instance, the Chronicle, of to-day, contains a letter from Georgia, which represents that the negroes in Georgia, South Carolina, and Alaljuna, have no security whatever for their lives, but are murdered constantly, with perfect impunity. Now, of course, nothing can be more false than this statement; yet, It is believed, and the injury to the South is im mense. Napoleon said he coakl overthrow any Government, if he could have a He believed for twenty-four hours. The Southern people should not remain passive under these falsehoods of men who are no better than assassins. The true condition of affairs South should be con stantly explained, so that the antidote of truth might constantly be furnished, to meet the error constantly sought, to be infused into the Northern mind. In some way or other, the (hvoratile views which truth will authorize, of the conduct of Southern society, should be made known to the North through such papers there as arc willing to do justice. It is con stantly represented that Union men South are persecuted, Northern men ill-treated, and negroes murdered, and the Union denounced, Ac. Can’t these things be counteracted ? Thb condition of tho President Is reully cu rious. He lias not a moment of privacy. All day, until late at night, visitors throdg his ante chamber. A good deal of this is owing to the fact that a vast number seek him because they do not consider his Cabinet as having his lib eral views. A person, for instance, who has something to ask of the War Department, some simple act,, it may, be of mere justice, and not of grace, yet having no faith in the tender mercies of the “divine Stanton,” he seeks the President. Mr. Seddon is here, in search of a pardon. He was up to sec the President Saturday night.— The President Is as mereifully disposed as pos sible, but ho is reluctant to give tlie dema gogues who arc hunting him down like a wild beast any more capital than he can help, so Hence there is a disposition to postpone pat dons in such cases ns Mr. Seddon’R. The position taken by the Radical leaders as to the constitutional questions Involved In the present stat us of the seceding States is curious In the extreme. One set say the seceded States fire destroyed, and are mere territories. An other set say they arc States not in full politi cal relation with the Federal Government, and therefore the Congress can debate such terms as it pleases, as conditions precedent to the admission of representatives. Butler, in his recent speeeli at Boston, says cironinstuuces have altered the Constitutions That is a funny doctrine. How much have they altered it ? What provision* are void ? Buck as the major ity in Congress think Inconvenient ? What a melancholy exhibition these wonlil-be states men make of themselves. Alas! what sad friends of Democracy. In the hour of the. country’s greatest need, not a heart in Congress towers above the dead level of the most sterile mediocrity. Fanaticism, folly, prejudice, vanity, selflshnr** rule the hour, and the ship of state is drifting among thq breakers, nndor the guidance of niudineu. The rod of terror is held over the heads of the Republican members of Congress, who are suspected of being at all conservative in their tendencies, poster, Senator from Conrtetieut and the acting President of the Senate, has been defeated because lie was not quite ns rabid as some of his Radical associates. Thus, the weaker members are kept in harness by the fear of political decapitation. The report of General Steadman as to the workings of the Freedmen’s Bureau in Virginia and North Carolina, is gall and wormwood to the Radicals. lie shows up the system of prl vate speculation by which ffie officers are making merchandize of the freednion, and treat j ing them in many instances with the most ■ shocking cruelty. This examination of Gen erals Steadman and Fullerton into the rascalities of the Freedmcn’s Bureau, will eontlhnc to bring to light rich specimens of the philan thropy of the officials in this department. The most vigilant eye should be kept on these men everywhere, and they should not be allowed to grow rich by cheating the poor negro. In the State of Maryland there arc indications of a reaction in the dominant party. The State for several years lias lawn governed by fraud violence nnd proscription, but some of the lenders of the party In power are taking ground Hi favor of the. President’s policy and for re moving the existing disabilities from the voting population. When that is done, the men now acting with the Radicals in Congress from “My Maryland,” will receive a prolonged leave of absence from the scenes of their present labors. Montgomery Biair ban taken the lead in this movement of reform, and deserves great credit for his bold course in the premises. Maryland is all right if her voice were not smothered by oppressive edicts. The Crescent Monthly for May is before us, with the subjoined interesting table of con tents, Genl. Lee and llis Campaigns , The Ha madryad, Philip, my Son, Lee to the Rear, Chess Gossip, Tbe Bewitched Farm Part 1, Rational ism in Europe, The Letter, Notes in Rome, So cial and Artistic, Ixjrd Macaulay, Editorial Notes (very interesting), Literary Notices, The Confederate Flay, and a Sonnet. The Crescent is destined to wax not wane, and we advise those desiring a sound and lasting magazine ot the right tone, to patronize it. Subscription one year, 85, six months, S3. Address Wm. Evelyn, publisher, No. ‘JO Camp street, New (Weans, fA I— ! Franklin County.— Wc spent a few days \ among our friends In Franklin county last j week. There was but little business of inter est transacted in court. We were pained to learn that there is a great : scarcity of provisions in the county, and that if I speedy relief is not extended many families ! will sutler for bread. I The crops generally look well. Sonic tears . were expressed by farmer? of damage to wheat ,by the 1'(!-. protracted raitis. If the seasons are fivoi .ib!' , ntwin(fsmcc of grain will tie made. ; We saw very little cotton growing, the farmers , having adopted the sensible rule of making breads! nffs the first object of their labor. The negro's (we believe the word has not yet been constitutionally amended out ot the dictionary) are doing about as well as in former years. The public will be pleased to learn that the bridge across the Hudson is up again.— Athens Banner. . SELAH! A GOOD TIME COMING! The Bureau Courts a Usurpation from the be ginning, and tv be abolished in the State of Georgia. From yesterday's Savannah News $ Herald we condense the following interesting and im portant intelligence, and thank our cotempo rary for an enteprisu that places such gratify ing news at our disposal so early. Generals Steedman and Fullerton are expected In * Augusta to-day: Generals and Fullerton, who con stitute a committee seut out by President John son to investigate the operations of tire Freed mcn’s Bureau in the Southern States, held an interview last evening witli some, twenty-five of thirty of our moat respected citizens,- repre senting all the various interests and profes sions. General Steedman opened the conference by stating briefly the objects of his mission to be to inquire into the operations of the Freed men’s Bureau—to learn the influence it exerted upon the relations of the two races ; whether Its tendency was to produce harmony or an tagonism between them ; whether, in general, its effect was for harm or for good, and whether it was necessary or expedient to continue its existence. He invited the gentlemen present to state what they knew of the evils of the man agement of the Bureau In Georgia. Mr. J. M. B. Lovell said that he had been re quested as a member of the Bar to call the at tention of the Commissioners to the Freed men’s Court. The action of this court, in which both civil and criminal eases were ad judicated without a jury, while all the other courts was open and equal rights for the blacks mid whites were guaranteed by the laws of the State were calculated to foster a feeling of an tagonlsm between, the races. If a white man assaulted another white man he was allowed a trlnl by jury; If he assaulted a negro ho was de nted that manifest right. General Steedman replied that he was unaware that the agents of the Bureau were exercising ju dicial functions; that he had not conteniplated their doing so when he gave General Tilbon au thority to apply to the State Convention for the no/MiitUment of civil agents of the Bureau, He c ould examine into the matter when he reached . . I ugvsta and have the Freedmen's ('ourts abqtisk cd in Georgia. General' Fullerton remarked that the great pretext for maintaining the Freoilnion’s Courts was, that the froedmon cannot obtain justice iu the civil courts, ns the local judges refused to receive testimony from negroes, and that this (tfiiuion had obtained a very general belief in the North through the representations of news paper correspondents. Also inqnired whoflier any attention was paid to the rules of evidence in Hiking testimony iu the Freedmen’s Courts. Mr. Lovell renlied, noift whatever; that officers had filled the bench of the court who had no legal education, anil who had not the capacity, oven if they had the best intentions, to conduct examinations in accordance with the established rules of courts of justice. ' Also Inquired whether penalties were inflict ed by the jndge in accordance with the laws, of tho State. Judge Win. B, Fleming answered that tlie penalties were oltcu at variance with the laws of tho State; that for the same offense for which a whlto man was sent to the penlteu tiury a negro wan sentenced to labor a short pe riod on the streets. Hon. S. Cohen went on to say that the action of the Freedmen’s Court In this respect had a more deleterious Influence on the negro, lead ing him to feci that he had a special protection and license, und that it gave rise to jealopsy and animosity between the races. He was confident that the better elnss of citizens and the well feeling of all classes were disposed to recognize fully tlie new relations of the negroes,to them —the luws of Georgia showed it. General Steedman asked if any complaints had been made of unjust discrimination in the decisions rendered by the civil courts. Judge Fleming said lie had heard of none ; he promised for himself that the negro should have the same justice meted Out to him in his own court as the white man. Rev. Mr. Wynn was here introduced. He spoke ot the convention of colored clergymen, now being held in this city, composed of dele gates from the neighboring Btnte.s • he had been pleased to observe the feeling that pre vailed in this convention ; it had been publicly avowed in a set of resolutions, as the sense ol' the convention, that n bad and dangerous foci ing wur growing out of the interference, in their relations with their former masters, of strangers coming Among them pretending to be their friends. The resolutions also thanked tlie citizens of Charleston for their uniform kindness to the colored people; in the lan guage of the resolutions, they hurled back the libels upon the Southern people Who were their true friends, and condemned the conduct of Tlie, Northern emissaries who had cortie to incite insurrection. Mr. Wynn said he find beeu greatly impressed with the sensible and manly toite’of the convention, which would have done credit to any deliberative assembly. In the discussions and the proceedings generally an intellectual ability was manifested for in ad vance ofwhat he had looked for. Gen. Steedman remarked that the negroes, wherever he bod passed, had borne testimony to the kindness of the intelligent people ol the South; thuy regarded them as their friends/ aud had no complaints to make of then), ex cepting of a certain class in the cities' whom they denominated “ roughs.” Judge Law spoke at considerable length. He said the great desideratum at the present time Is a maintenance f>f a kindly feeling between the, two mutually dependent classes; whatever tended to produce the eontrary state of tilings was deleterious and would cause “ delay iu the retnru of prosperity.” The happiness of the country depends on their coming together in their iiintual relations. There was a difference in their conditions social and natural; we can not expect an obliteration of this difference at Once, if ever, bnt mutual interests would in evitably bring thorn into the kindly relations which had existed heretofore. As for the re sults of the operations of the Bureau, be knew only wiiat his former servant* had told him that they had been advised not to make con tracts to wait for the Government land boun ties, and the consequence was that while he and his neighbors had 56 or 75 acre* of rice plant ed, instead of 400 or 600 acres, as formerly, Northern men iu the same neighborhood had from 500 to 1,000 acres under cultivation, with plenty of laborers. He mentioned this to show that tike Southern people would be compelled from interest to treat thefreedmen well. Mean while they should not be prejudiced against their old masters nor the latter inflamed against them by outside pressure. Mutual dependence would establish the* true relations between the rfiCCk if they were left to themselves. But the Bureau had produced alienation on account o the distinction which it made. General Fullerton inquired if any One knew of any instance of malfeasance on the part ol any officers'of the Burean, Buell a* accepting bribes, working plantations, demanding recom pense for "procuring laborers for planters, Ac. There was no response to this interrogatory. After this a general conversation ensued, the conclusions reached being that the.tendency of the Freedmen’s Bureau was mischievous in re cognizing tlie wTrftcs as the enemies of the blocks, and th*t. if it were the re sponsibility felt by the jieople to protect and core for the freedmen would he increased. The commission, after completing the Inres tigation of Bureau affairs Iu the vicinity, will proceed at once to Augusta. . Guizot, it is said, has become a Catholic.
