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the local Justices of the Peace, deviate from the propositions & wishes of the Whites, even when justice clearly demands it, for fear of giving offence to them. They would rather do injustice to a negro then offend a white man. More of these cases I should report to the Military Commissioner than I do, had I reasons to suppose that they would receive from said authority even an investigation but many of them being of little magnitude, though important to the poor freedman, they would doubtless receive no attention, knowing the reluctance with which the Commanding General of this District & his subordinates ever interfere with the action of the civil authorities or the notice of the complaints of Bureau officers, inviting his attention, his late report to Genl Grant to the contrary notwithstanding.
The Bureau would have been attended with no greater expense to the Government had the officers thereof been invested with proper and competent authority than it is now. They could have then performed the duties of Mil. Commissioners (and probably as faithfully) and thereby saved