The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-20 00:00:00

Pre ident Johnson's Second Veto.

It was confidently stated some time ago that the
PRESIDENT of the United States had finally deter-

mined to veto the Civil Rights Bill. It was inti

mated by some that he would approve the general
aim of the bill, but would object to some of the
details. We are sorry to see, however, that his
objections are fundamental. No amendments could
_ _ _

secure for it his approval, for he believes that no

special legislation by Congress is needed to secure
at the South the rights of the blacks, while the sup-

porters of the bill hold that legislation is necessary
to attain that result. He not only objects to the
bill, but he wants no bill. There is therefore no
possibility of agreement on the point between the
PRESIDENT and the friends of the bill. If this bill
is not passed over the veto, none of a similar cha-
racter can be passed.
The friends of the bill are inspired by the belief
that the Southern States will not of themselves
secure to the blacks the civil rights to which they
are, and as free men ought to be, entitled, and that
itis the paramount duty of the Federal Government,
which claims obedience and allegiance from them,
to guarantee to them the enjoyment of those rights.
They propose therefore to make them citizens of the
United States, and to give them the power to be
parties in court, to inherit and purchase and sell
property, and to enjoy other civil rights specified in
the first section of the bill.

It seems to us the solemn duty of the Federa
Government to do so much. The PRESIDENT seems
afraid to have the blacks made citizens, though he
fails to show any evil result which could come from
such a step. Is he quite ingenuous when he infers
that if the civil rights named in the bill are guaran-
teed by Congress the political right of voting may.
be ? A distinction has constantly been made be-
tween these two classes of rights, and many who
hold that Congress may assure the former to the
negro do not think that it can grant the latter.
That objection looks a little too much like special
pleading, like an appeal to the prejudices of those
who are opposed to negro suffrage. He inquires
whether the citizens of the Southern States have
expressed the conviction that the negroes should be
made citizens, and refers to the bill as unprecedented
in history. Of course the citizens of the South
have not asked for this kind of legislation. If they
had shown a disposition to grant to the black 'the
rights this bill was intended to secure, then there
could have been no necessity for it. It is needed
just because they have not the conviction of which
the PRESIDENT speaks. The bill is unprecedented
because the occasion is new. The emancipation of
four millions of men may well call for some new
legislation.
But it is useless to dwAl on details whin the
PRESIDENT'S objection is as well to the whole scope
of the bill. It cannot be denied that there is force
in some of his legal objections to the machinery
which the bill employs. But if amendments should
remove those objections, the bill would still fail to
command his approval. We doubt whether it can
obtain in the Senate the two-thirds vote requisite to
pass it over the veto. And if it should become law,
the execution of it under these circumstances would
be attended with a good deal of trouble in the
South.—Anglo-American

John P. Ihle, United States Minister at Madrid,
has written to prominent members of Congress,
urging an increase in his salary, which is now
$12,000 in gold.
A BRAV.E FELLOW.—On the 28th ult., as Laugh-
laud, an engine driver of the Grand Trunk Railway of
Canada, was driving a freight train down the line, on
crossing round the curve two miles west of Cornwall he saw
a drunken man sleeping on the track. He immediately
whistled " down brakes," which the conductor and brakes-
man applied as quickly as possible ; but the distance was
so short that it was impossible to pull up iu time. Laugh- j
land immediately ran out on to the cow-catcher, and as the
locomotive came up he stooped forward and seized the
man by the neck, and endeavoured to pull him on the cow-
catcher, but being unable to do so ho jumped off with the
man and succeeded in throwing him clear of the train.
The whole train of 17 cars passed. the train befe.re
it could
Im..stoppeq: _ learning Atti fp.Fj?,flo„o6ViTiltn 861
Ap timp gl& Yolflat.-12#11p
as
a igk " ff.;
or ;ant con( uct.--,.. ontrca
;APP.