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A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

It is with much pleasure we record the fact that Mr. Conway, the Assistant Commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau for this State, has issued a circular which will in future prevent any such obnoxious conduct as that which Mr. Chaplain Calahan has perpetrated in Bossier Parish. Not only will this be its effect, but we venture to promise that if the spirit of this circular be generally observed, a great stride will be taken towards that indispensable element of the future prosperity of the State - the re-establishment of good feeling between the proprietary and the laborers, and as a consequence of an available and just labor system. Chaplain Calahan's high handed vagaries may be considered as blessings in disguise, should they aid in producing so happy a result as this; and we allude to them simply because we cannot resist the suggestion that it is to them that we are indebted for this circular, which is dated September 23d, and which we consider of so much importance that we give the body of it at length:

Whenever any judicial officer of the state arraigns and tries freedmen for alleged fault, and shows by his proceedings that he is disposed to deal as justly with this class of persons as with white persons, no interference by any of the agents of this Bureau will be allowed. The co-operation of such officers assists rather than retards the work of this Bureau. 

Officers of the Bureau will only interfere with the civil authorities when the testimony of the freedmen is denied, or when, by reason of old codes or disregard of new ones, impartial justice is denied on account of the color of the persons applying for it. 

The officers of the State will everywhere be invited (and they are hereby invited) to aid this Bureau in administering justice to the freedmen, and in promoting the peace and industry of the country. 

Each State officer who accepts this invitation, and who is willing to receive the testimony of freedmen, without prejudice on account of color or origin, is requested to make the same known, in writing, addressed to the Assistant Commissioner, at his Headquarters, in New Orleans. 

In all cases where State officers will not treat freedmen in this manner, the duly authorized officers of this Bureau will establish, in connection with their offices, tribunals for the trial of all cases where freedmen are interested, in accordance with the law of Congress, act March 3d, 1864, and the orders of Major General Howard in pursuance thereof. 

For the judicial officers of the State generally we undertake to say, that they will give no cause for the interference of the agents of the Bureau, under the terms of this circular. Individual exceptions may possibly be found; but they will not be recognized either by the people or the press. Nay, more than that, the press will condemn them as both wrong in principle and mischievous in policy. For ourselves, to show our convictions on the subject, we have but to refer to two articles, headed "Negro Testimony Refused," which we published in our paper of the 9th inst., and in which we condemned the decision of Judge Eastin of St. Martinsville, that negro testimony was inadmissible under the laws of Louisiana, and supported the course of Mayor Forsyth of Mobile in accepting his office expressly to carry out the policy of admitting it. That this is the general feeling, we have not since witnessed an attempt to question.

There never was in the people of this State a desire to deal otherwise than justly by the negro, and there never will be. The danger is the other way. Let the whites not be oppressed and wronged, and improperly subjected to insult, on account of the negro, and there will be no trouble between them. There will be no opposition to the reception of the testimony of the freedmen, that will not be immediately condemned. There will be no injustice done them that all good citizens will not exert themselves to have redressed. We accept the promise of the Freedmen's Bureau of this State that under such circumstances, there shall be no interference by its agents, with the ordinary course of justice, merely on account of color.

To the most earnest attention of judicial officers throughout the State we commend the invitation of Mr. Conway to notify him of the cordial acceptance of the terms of this circular. This will go far to undeceive the Bureau of the mistaken notions entertained with respect to the feeling prevailing among us, and to relieve the whole community of a source of serious injury, annoyance and irritation. Indeed, in a view of the vexations already experienced and others feared, we can scarcely regard the issuing of this circular as anything less than a boon to be highly appreciated. We hope a corresponding spirit may continue to actuate and to guide the Bureau.

[[stamp]] BUREAU R.F. & A.L. REC'D OCT 6 [[/stamp]]