APPENDIX 157 
will exercise only a reasonable degree of patience, we shall 
be able to pay dollar for dollar; and this is my opinion now. 
Respectfully yours, 
Freperick Doucrass. 
LETTER FROM FREDERICK DOUGLASS TO THE 
HON. A. H. GARLAND, 
Reviewing Senate Bill Amending Charter of Freedmen’s 
Savings and Trust Company. 
Washington, D. C., Feb. 19, 1880. 
Hon. A. H. GARLAND: 
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have care- 
fully read and duly considered your bill for amending the 
charter of the Freedmen’s Savings and Trust Company, 
and for other purposes. It is in my judgment a wisely- 
drawn bill. It covers the whole ground of the present situa- 
tion of that institution. Its enactment by Congress would 
be a credit to the national sense of justice, and would 
bring speedy though small relief to a class of persons to 
whom the nation cannot be too just or too generous. Many 
of the newly-emancipated class put their money into this 
bank, believing it to be—like the Freedmen’s Bureau—a 
government institution, and about as safe as the govern- 
ment itself. Though the misapprehension of these poor 
people cannot be entirely cured by any present action of 
Congress, it does appeal to Congress to exert what power 
it may to help them and to restore their broken confidence. 
In respect to the details of your bill, I am not sure that 
you have made the commissioner’s - bond quite large 
enough. The property is large and his power over it is 
large, and while I do not attach great importance to bonds 
as a guarantee of honest management, the bond in this 
case should be large. I see, too, that the approval of a 
majority of the trustees of the company is required in the 
appointment of the commissioner. I do not know that any 
positive harm can come of this feature of the bill, but I 
think it an unnecessary provision of the bill. There has 
been no regular meeting of the trustees as required by the 
charter. this five years, and it may be fairly questioned if