Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-03-02

patronage, and the expense of the Aumerous
officers and their clerks to be appointed by
| the President viii be great in the beginning
with a tendency steadily to increase. The
appropriations asked by the freedmen s
Bureau as now established, for the year
1866 amount to $l1,T45,0O0. 1t may be
safely estimated that the cost I'd be incurred
under the pending bill Nill reauire double
that amount, more than the entire sum ex-
| pended in any one year under tie administra-
tion of the second Adams If lhe presence
| of an agent in every parish anccounty is to
| be considered as a war measure, opposition
or even resistance might be pT0yoked. so as
to give effect to their juriAdistion; troops
would have to be stationed within reach of
every one of them, and thus a large force
would become necessary; l4ge appropria-
tions would therefore be required to sustain
and enforce military jurisdiction in every
county and parish, from the Potomac to the
Rio Grande, The condition of our fiscal af-
fairs is encouraging, but in Otder to sustain
the present measure Of public confidence, it
is necessary that we practice lot merely Gus
tomary economy, but, as fai as possible,
general retrenchments.
In addition TO the objections already
stated, the fifth section Of The bill proposes
to take away land from It's former owners
without any legal proceedings being first
had, contrary to that provision Of the Con-
stitution which declares that no persons
shall be deprived oflife, hberSy or property
without due process of law.I 1t does not
appear that the lands to whith this section
refers may not be owned by minors or per-
sons Of funsound mind, or by those who have
been faithful to all their obligations as citi-
zens OF the United States. L any portion
OF the land by such persons, il is not come
tent for any authority to deprive them of it.
LII, on the other hand, it be found that the
property is liable to confscatDn, even then
it connot be appropriated to public purposes
until, by due process of law, it shall have
been declared forfeited to the Government
There are still further objections to the
bill on grounds seriously affecting the class
OF persons to whom it is intended to bring re-
hef 1t will tend to keep the mind of the
freedmenin state of uncertain expectation,
while to those among whom he lives, it viii
pe a source OF constant apprehension. I'M
doubtedly the freedmen should be protected,
by the civil authorities. especially by the ex-
ercise Of all the constitutional powers of the
courts of the United States, and Of the
States. His condition is not so exposed as
may at first be imagined, lie is in a por-
tion of the country where his labor cannot
well be spared. Competitor for his services
from planters, from those who are construc-
ting or repairing railroads, or from capital
lists IN his vicinity, or from other States,
viii enable him to command almost his own
terms. he also possesses a perfect right to
change his place of abode and if, therefore
he does not find In one community or state
a mode of life suited to his desires. or prop
er remuneration for his labor, ne can move
to another where labor is more esteemed and
better rewarded. In truth, however, each
State, influenced by its own wants and inter
ests, will do what is necessary and proper to
retain its borders all the labor that is need
ed for the developments of its resources.
The laws that regulate and demand will
maintain their force, and the wages of the
labor will be regulated thereby There is
no danger that the great demand for labor
viii not operate in favor of the laborer.
Neither is sufficient consideration given to
the ability of the freedmen to protect and
take care of themselves. 1t is no more than
justice to them to believe that as they re-
ceived their freedom with moderation and
forbearance, so they viii distinguish them
selves by their industry, and they will soon
show the world that ina condition of free
dom they are self-sustaining and capable
ofselecting their own employment and their
own places of abode of insisting for them
selves on a proper remuneration, Of establish
ing and maintaining their own asylums and
schools. 1t is earnestly hoped that instead
ofwasting away, they viii by their own ef-
forts establish for themselves a condition of
respectability and prosperity. 1t is certain
that they can attain to that condition only
through their own merits and exertions.
In this connection. the query presents it.
self whether the system proposed by the bill
viii not, when put into complete operation,
practically transfer the entire care, support
and control of four millions of emancipated
slaves to agents, overseers or taskmasters
who, appointed at Washington, are to be
located in every county and parish through
out the United States containing freedmen
and refugees; and such a system would GER
tainly tend to such a concentration of power
In the Executive as would enable him, IF so
disposed, to control the action of numer-
Gus class, and use them for the attainment
Of his political ends
| cannot but add another very grave OBJ
lection to this bill. The Constitution i'm
peratlvely declares in connection with taxa
ton, that every State shall have at least one
Representative, and fixes the rule for the
number to which in future times each State
shall be entitled 1t also provides that the
Senate of the United States shall be COM
posed of two Senators from each State. and
adds, with peculiar force, that no State,
without It's consent, shall be deprived of its
equal suffrage in the Senate. The original
act was necessarily passed in the absence of
the States chiefly to be affected. because
their people were then contumaciously enga-
ged in the rebellion Now the case Is chan
ged, and some at least of the States are at
tending Congress by loyal Representatives.
soliciting the allowance of the Constitutional
right of representation. At the time. how
ever, of the consideration and the nassinr of
the bill, there was no Senator or Represen-
tative from the eleven States which are to
be mainly affected by its provisions The
very fact that reports were and are made
against the good disposition of the country,
is an additional reason why they need and
should have Representatives of their own
in Congress to explain their condition reply
to accusations, and assist, by their local
knowledge, in the perfecting Of measures i'm
mediately affecting themselves. While the
liberty Of deliberation would then be free,
and Congress would have full power to de-
eide according to its Judgment there could be
no objection ureed that the States most in
terested had not been permitted to be heard
The principle is firmly fixed in the minds of
the American people that there should be
no taxation without representation Great
burdens are now to be borne by all the eoun-
try, and we may best demand that they shalI
be horne without a rnurmur when thew are