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orders would warrant me in taking. I read him your telegram, told him I wished to be perfectly frank, and to acquaint him fully with the present condition of matters. (He had seen Mr. Stanton's telegram already) and showed him clearly, as clearly that he did not even attempt to deny it, that the Agent of the Bureau, instead of standing in his way, was acting squarely up to his orders, and promptly. I then told him that I wished him distinctly to understand, that if he should write the President as he proposed to write him, he would be making incorrect statements which could not be substantiated. He seemed to be better contented, and then frankly intimated that he took a peculiar personal pride in his enterprise with regard to these lands, and that if he succeeded he should secure to himself individual benefits and advantage of no ordinary moment, while a failure would interfere with his purposes and be a sore disappointment.  He was quite earnest in these expressions, has left me entirely in the dark with regard to the object to [[strikethrough]] f [[/strikethrough]] which he thus obscurely alluded.  Immediately after his departure, I sent him official notice that it would be necessary for the owners of lands on Edisto Island to select a person to represent them on the Board of Supervisors to be constituted pursuant to S.F.O. No 1.

My desire in detaining you with the synopsis of [[strikethrough]] a [[/strikethrough]]