114 THE FREEDMEN’S SAVINGS BANK
72,000 depositors . . . do not care very much
about sympathy provided only they get their
money. They have been sympathized with by
their friends until they have been literally
robbed. These friends of the colored people have
hugged them around the neck with one hand
while they have stolen the money out of their
pockets with the other.”
Some of the northern members acknowledged
a certain responsibility on the part of Congress
for the condition of the bank. Senator Morrill
admitted that Congress was largely responsible,
for, as he said, “we certainly gave this institution
of the Freedmen’s Bank some sort of credit
throughout the country.” He thought the original
 trustees should have been prosecuted.” Senator
 Cameron, of Pennsylvania, contented himself
 with reminding the Senate that he had predicted
 the failure of the bank as a result of the
amendment of 1870.2 Senator Sherman, who
had persistently tried to induce Congress to regulate
 the bank, declared that “the original management
 of the Freedmen’s Bank grossly and
scandalously abused its trust; and all the powers
conferred by Congress on that corporation were
in my judgment abused.”?
THE TASK OF THE COMMISSIONERS
But until 1881 all the debates concerning the
bank resulted in no action, and the commis-8
 Cong. Record, March 3, 1875, p. 2262.
¥ Cong. Record, December 8, 1878, p. 36.
» See above, p. 72.
# Cong. Record, Feb. 5, 1877, pp. 1273, 1274.