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their grievances and extend protection and afford redress & that if the address was given to you it would probably be a long time before it would get through the various ramifications of the Bureau to Gen. Howard— & that he might then be away in some distant part of the country and the grievances become intolerable — While on the other hand if sent directly to President Johnson it would command immediate attention, and more over, would be flashed over the wires to every part of the country the next morning thereafter-
His expressions were almost precisely the same, in this part of his remarks, as those made by Mr Van Fleet to me on the way to the meeting—
In this conversation with Mr Van F I urged prudence- avoiding anything that (might)