Viewing page 97 of 298

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

688

September 6th

Sir
Since my return I have been pained to learn that you charged the Grand Jury of your county at the June term of court, in substance, as follows: that they were to receive the evidence of Colored Persons only in cases where they were parties interested, and even then, to admit such evidence with great caution. - that the Agent of the Bureau had no jurisdiction over past cases of Larceny - that he had no right to try offences committed by freedpeople or against them and to take cognizance of all cases that had been tried and disposed of by him & find true bills that the parties might be legally tried. If these statements are true, as I have good reason to believe, you have not only shown your ignorance of the laws of your own State, but have exhibited an indisposition to execute them in a just and impartial manner.- The Government of the United States is pledged to secure justice to the freedpeople.- You are mistaken in supposing that injustice and Mal administration of law will be tolerated, simply because it has the sanction of judicial form, I am sincerely, anxious for the restoration of the supremacy