. . . . The Freedmen's Bureau, established to assist former slaves, lent its support to the idea. General O. O. Howard, the commissioner in charge of the bureau, in July had prepared a circular directing that land be set aside for refugees and freedmen.
But, such policies directly conflicted with the President's views of Reconstruction. If he wanted to maintain the dominance of the white race, Johnson could not permit the transfer of land to the freedmen. Undoubtedly thinking that blacks ought to labor for their former masters, when Johnson began to issue pardons he decided that these included the restoration of landed property. Consequently, he directed Howard to rescind his former circular and issue a new one (September 12, 1865), which in effect returned abandoned lands to former Confederates. Even plantations which had already been worked by Negroes were given back to their former owners.
pages 12-13, Impeachment of a President
But, such policies directly conflicted with the President's views of Reconstruction. If he wanted to maintain the dominance of the white race, Johnson could not permit the transfer of land to the freedmen. Undoubtedly thinking that blacks ought to labor for their former masters, when Johnson began to issue pardons he decided that these included the restoration of landed property. Consequently, he directed Howard to rescind his former circular and issue a new one (September 12, 1865), which in effect returned abandoned lands to former Confederates. Even plantations which had already been worked by Negroes were given back to their former owners.
pages 12-13, Impeachment of a President