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of their great impoverishment, it can be readily seen how grievous will be the extent of burden thrown upon them, if "all the indigent colored people now in charge of the Freedmen's Bureau" within the limits of the Town, are required to be supported by the Citizens of Fredericksburg. It is a familiar fact that a large proportion of the freedmen now in the Town have flocked here since the close of the War, many from remote points, that many of them by reason of the temptations common to town life, continue in habits of idleness and dissipation, most prejudicial to their thrift and health, that a large per centage of pauperism and suffering is constant, by exhibiting itself among them, while it is equally plain, that no practical aid can be denied by the white people, from any effort at levying taxes upon the colored people, to help in the support of indigent and deseased blacks.

It is with sincere pain, that the Board feel constrained under a solemn sense of duty to report its absolute inability to provide for the large class of paupers proposed to be committed to them. They are glad to know, that you are personally acquainted with the painful facts which create their inability. If the Board either had, or could reasonably expect to obtain the means adequate to undertake the proposed work, the Board [[strikethrough]] will [[/strikethrough]] would assume this duty without hesitation,

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-10-20 11:08:39