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corporeal punishment on those who were lately their property, caused by the protection afforded by the Bureau I cannot say that a majority of, or a third part of the citizens would if they had the power abuse the Freedmen or injure them in any way, but there are some in whose hands it would be dangerous to leave them without law or council. The citizens are gradually becoming accostomed to regard them in the light of Freedmen, and time is having its effect upon their anger and mortification caused by loss of the people they held as slaves; the good [[strikethrough]] conduct [[/strikethrough]] and generous conduct of the Freedmen has done something toward breaking down the unjust prejudices against them, and the most inveterate despiser of the race cannot find anything in their actions to complain of in this County. -
But one case of theft by them was represented to me during the past month, and I was much gratified that there was no more as many of the opponents of the colored men had predicted that they would impoverish the county by their thieving this winter. I believe them to be as honest industrious and more religious than the same number of whites in this county. The citizens are learning gradually that justice is the object for which the Bureau aims, and truth though not received at first is finding its way to the most bigoted minds. It gives me pleasure to report that the feeling between all classes of white men, and this bureau is friendly and has decidedly improved during the last month.- With regard to the infirm and 
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Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-02-20 11:33:19 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-02-20 12:59:49 corrected "same number of white" to "same number of whites"