The Portland daily press., 1866-03-29

of police in addition to the military, and are
authorized to summon posse coililli.auf
and even to call to their aid such portion vi
the land and naval forces of the Unlteu otates
or of tbe militia as may be necessary 10 the
nerformance of the duty with which tney are
CHARGED This extraordinary power IS to De
conferred upon agents irresponsible 10 the
Government and to the people, TO whose hum-
har the circulation of the commission is the |
III, limit and in whose hands such authority
MIGHT he made a terrible engine of wrong, OPP
nression and fraud. The general statutes reg
Hating the land and naval forces of the Uni
ted States, the militia and the execution of
the laws are believed to be adequate for any
emergency which can occur in time of peace.
If it should prove otherwise, Congress can at
any time amend those laws in such manner as
will, subscribing the public welfare, not jeopar
disc the rights, interests and liberties of the
people.
The seventh section provides that fee of
ten dollars shall be paid to each commissioner
In every case brought before him, and fee OF
i've dollars to his deputy OF deputies for each
person he or they may arrest and take before
any such commissioner, with such other fees
as may be deemed reasonable by such COM
missionerin general for performing such other
duties as may be required in the premises.
All these fees are to be paid out OF tne
4ICdSuIy vi OulJcQ OtdtCS
is a conviction or not, but in case OF convlc-
ton they are to be recoverable from the deten-
dant. 1t seems to me that under the influence
OF such temptations bad men might convert
any law. however beneficial, into an instru-
ment of persecution and fraud BY the eighth
section of the bill United States Courts which
sit only in one place for white citizens, must
migrate with the Marshal and District Attor-
ney, and necessarily with the Clerk, although
he is not mentioned, to any part OF the dis
trict upon the order of the President, and
there hold Court for the purpose OF the more
speedy arrests and trials of persons charged
with violation of this act, and there the
Judge and officers of the Court must remain
upon the order of the President for the time
therein designated. The ninth section author
ICES the President or such person as he may
empower for that purpose to employ such part
OF the land and naval forces OF the u. States,
or of the militia as shall be necessary to pre-
vent the violation and enforce the due execu-
ton OF this act.
This language seems to imply permanent
military force, that is to be always at hand,
and whose only business is to be the enforce
ment of this measure over the vast region
where it is intended to operate. lido not pro-
pose to consider the policy of this bill. Tome
the details of the bill are fraught with evil
The white race and the black race of the
South have hitherto lived together, under the
relation of master and slave, capital owning
labor. Now that relation is changed. and as
to ownership, capital and labor are divorced.
They stand now, each master of ITSELF In this
new relation, one being necessary to the other,
there viii be a new adjustment, which we are
deeply interested in making harmonious
Each has equal power In settling terms and if
left to the laws that regulate capital and labor,
it is confidently believed that they will salts
factorily work out the problem. Capital, it is
true, has more intelligence. but labor is never
so ignorant as not to understand its own in
terests, not to know its own value, and no: to
see that capital must pay that value.
This bill illustrates the adjustment. 1t in
terferes between capital and labor, and at
tempts to settle questions of political economy
through the agency Of numerous officials,
whose interest it will be to foment discord be-
tween the two races, for as the breach widens,
their employmenatwill continue and when it
is closed their occupation will terminate.
In all our history, in all our experience as
people living under Federal and State laws, no
such system as that contemplated by the de-
tails of the bill have ever before been proposed
or adopted. They establish for the security of
the colored race safeguards, which go infinite
ly beyond any that the general Government
has ever provided by the white race.
In fact the distinction of race and color is
by the bill made to operate in favor of the col
ored, and against the white race. They inter
fere with the municipal regulations of the
State; with the relations existing exclusively
between State and its citizens, or between
the citizens of the same State. An absorption
and assumption CT power by the General Gov
eminent, which ii acquiesced in, must sap
poWe destroy our federative system of limited
preserve the rights Of exc the barriers which
er step or rather stride towards centra,;1aI,nn
in the N fHfhSsatra9n OF all legislative power
OF the bill must be to resuscitate the spff1f Oh
rebellion and to arrest the progress of those
influences which are more closely drawing
around the States the bond of union and
peace. - a. l4f .s ..-t...r. 49,
My lamented predecessor, in his proclamation
of January, 1858, ordered and declared that
all persons held as slaves within certain States
and parts Estates therein designated, were and
thenceforward should be free. And further,
that the Executive Government of the United
States, including the military and naval au-
thorlties thereof would recognize and main
tain the freedom of such persons.
This guaranty has been rendered especially
obligatory and sacred by the amendment Of
the Constitution aboishing slavery throughout
the United States. therefore fully recognize
the obligation to protect and defend that class
OF our people whenever and wherever it shall
become necessary, and to the fullest extent
compatible with the Constitution of the Unit
ed States.
Entertaining these sentiments, it only re
mains for me to say that will cheerfully CO.
operate with Congress in any measure that |
may be necessary for the preservation of the
civil rights of the freedmen, as well as those of
all other classes Of persons throughout the
United States by judicial process under equal
and impartial laws or conformably with the
provisions of the federal Constitution.
Inow return the bill to theSenate, and re-
greet that, in considering the bills and joint res
buttons, fltty-two in number, that have been
thus far submitted for my approval. am COM
PEELED to withhold my assent from second
measure that has received the sanction of both
houses of Congress. 5,4 80
(Signed) ANDREW JOHNSON,