794 



UNION COMMISSION. 



Freedmen's Bureau, with which the Freed- 

 men's Commission or the local organizations of 

 which it was composed were working in con- 

 cert, it seems desirable to have but one organi- 

 zation to appeal to the public for aid, and thus 

 to reduce the working expenses while maintain- 

 ing the efficiency of the charitable operations 

 in which both were now engaged. The aims 

 and objects of the two organizations were, to a 

 considerable extent, identical, for while the 

 Union Commission aided blacks as well as 

 whites, the Freedmen's Commission opened the 

 doors of its schools and its stores of supplies to 

 whites as well as blacks. Fully impressed with 

 the idea that they could become more efficient 

 by consolidation than by separate action, a 

 proposition for union was made by the Freed- 

 men's Commission in November, 1865, and a 

 conference committee from the two Commis- 

 sions appointed, who agreed upon a plan which 

 was, after a full discussion, ratified at a joint 

 meeting of the two Commissions, held at the 

 Chamber of Commerce, in New York, and this 

 was finally consummated by the adoption of a 

 Constitution, on the 31st of January. At the 

 meetings at which this union was effected, rep- 

 resentatives were present from Boston, New 

 York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburg, Cleve- 

 land, and Chicago. The union was subsequently 

 formally ratified by the Societies in New Eng- 

 land, New York, Cleveland, and Detroit. The 



fundamental princij. e of the Commission, as 

 thus organized, was set forth in the Constitu- 

 tion in these words : 



The object of this Commission is to nid and co- 

 operate with the people of the South, without dis- 

 tinction of race or color, in the improvement of their 

 condition upon the basis of industry, education, free- 

 dom, and Christian morality. No schools or supply 

 depots shall be maintained from the benefits of which 

 any shall be excluded because of color. Art. II. 

 Constitution. 



The officers of the new consolidated organi- 

 zation were Bishop Matthew Simpson, Phila- 

 delphia, President ; Kev. Joseph P. Thompson, 

 D. D., N. Y. William Lloyd Garrison, Boston ; 

 Charles G. Hammond, Chicago, Vice-Presidents ; 

 Francis G. Shaw, New York, Chairman Execu- 

 tive Committee ; Kev. Lyman Abbott, General 

 Secretary, New York ; J. Miller McKim, Cor- 

 responding Secretary, New York ; George C. 

 "Ward, Esq., Treasurer, New York ; Kev. J. R. 

 Shipherd, Washington Secretary, Washington, 

 D. C. ; Rev. J. M. Walden, D. D., Western Sec- 

 retary, Chicago. The headquarters of the Com- 

 mission were in New York. 



The work of the United Commissions belongs 

 to the year 1866, and must be recorded in our 

 next volume. We append, however, the fol- 

 lowing table, which exhibits, though not quite 

 completely, the operations of the two organiza- 

 tions during the year 1865 : 



TABLE OF OPERATION'S OF FREEDMF.X'S COMMISSION AND OF UNION COMMISSION IN PART. SHOWING NUMBER OF 

 SCHOOLS, PUPILS, AUXILIARIES, MONEYS, SUPPLIES, ETC., FOR THE YEAR 1865. 



* This statement ia merely a proximate showing of the teachers paid by the Baltimore Association. There are in Mary- 

 land, under the direction of this Branch, but sustained in part by otter Associations, and included In their reports, a total 

 as follows: Schools, 60; teachers, 65; pupils enrolled, 6,000; average attendance, 5,000. 



' Since January 1st, the amount in the treasury has been increased to $6,028.45, the expenditures to $22,662.62, goods to 

 the value of $43,500 have been shipped, and arrangements have been made for opening schools at Atlanta, Selma, Montgom- 

 ery, and Talladega. 



: The present number of teachers employed is 54. 



S The report received shows schools at 28 different points, but not the number at each point This statement as to the 

 total number of schools is hosed upon estimates received through other sources. Agents are included among the teachers 

 in this report, and the last monthly report shows but 47 teachers and 24 schools now in actual service. Of the $68,000 and 

 odd collected, a considerable portion was received from Europe. 



I No report has been received from the Pittsburg Association. These figures are obtained from a recently published 

 newspaper report 



In all, probably from $75,000 to $100,000 Commission than is here accounted for in the 

 more was received and expended by the Union foregoing table. 



