Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-02-20
MESSAGE FRGM TEE PRESIDENT.
Veto of the FreeCImen's Bureau Bill.

regret come 10 the conclusion that it would B.
consistent with The public welfare to give my aD.
prevail to the measure retarn tie hill 10 the Scunt,
WI, my objections to It's Incoming q law
=. might cali TO mind, in alyance of these obicc
uonS' tnat there Il no Immediate necessity FIR The
proposed measure Ihe act to establish u bureau fol
Inc f9Ief Cl TeCdnen ana refugees which wa an
proved IN the mOD:l OF March last ha, not vet ey.
PRED. 1t was thought Sjriu ugert and extensive
enough for the punose in view in time of yr T.rr
1t ceases to have eject further experience NAV
TO guide US to TBe conclusion as To the mol 70 a. ir
adopted iii time otpeace. ~
snare with Congress- the strongest desire to secure
10 thetteedmen th5 full enjoyment Of their freedom
ana egNAty ID making contracts for the labor: but
the bill hr fOre ne contains provisions which IN nv
opinion, not warranted BY the Constitution anI
are no5 we'll spltcdtU accomplish the end in view
The hi'j proposes TO establish By authority gf CON
gresS, ntary jurEdiCt0n over all parts of tn. nj.
ted States containing refugees and freedmen II
would by It's veTyEature. Apply with most force Ne
those parts Of thel ritcd States In yich tine feed
men most &@0uuGaEd it expressly extends the Xei-
NJ '-lbu.lEJ jurisdiction q the freedmen 5 Bureau
with greatly tuiJIged powers over those States in
whlch the ordinary course oejaiicial proceedings has
been interrupted " the rebellion Tho yfs.TrE g-nT,
which this military Jurisdiction l. fo I'm !. ol
other than The President of the limited ,,t,ta. ,t
ing through the Mar tjepartrlrnt aud ;ho T.l,,,r:
sionor 81 the Freedmen: RurnaI Tbe .ca.,. w. 80,
cut this military Jurisdiction trS 10 H.. lIl ~ ~ &!
from the army eriroip civil Iiir. IN n
divided into districts and :iIh-d;strirrs I,d r. ,,,,
Der Of saar-d agents Ia he eEplovcd my HH r,aI
10 the uulnncr Of .OunticS or risbcs In ali th nj
ted States where freedmen and refugees ara ~ h.,
found. ~ ~
The subjects Ovr which This r;Iirar,- ,;
TO extend in ever, payt of the United St@tcs Nina
protection 10 "aempluyeeS agents and nifi"SrS nt
this Bureau in tie exercise of tho ufirs itg,I,Gs
upon them ny th bill IL eleven States il j. fIihe,
TO eXtund over al cases affecting freedmen ana rpf
gees disern;Hatgl against .'Ly ilrai ~ 49, 'o
prejudice" In hose eleven States the Iii sbis3
any white uaq,lI no rugv he rllg-rg4 Viii -.
ing freedman Of ANY civil rights ar ;rnutnIiti.,
belonging to white persons 10 iU,;isonTna,5 M
or both without however, defining tho ..ci,ii ri"b+
ana immuniteS' which aIe thus to bc assured T.. thn
freedmen by military law. Ihismilitary iuri,iirtior
alsu extends to all questions tAntuav ar csfact;
contracts Ihe agent who is thus to eN ercise +lc
of military Judge NAV be Il STRANGER ,,nF.t..,, -
ant o. tho laws of the llgrp and a,,,,''.-! - ~
errors Of Judgment to which ali men .r. lilI, n!
exercise of power over which there mo a-i s,Iia
vision, by 50 vast a number of agents as i ro-taTn
ted by the bill, must by the very uaurq or man he
attendad by acts Of caprice injustice and fis.itn
The tria.s having their origa under this bill aro to
take Place without the Intervention Of q iurv and
without any fixed rules Of law or eviden.r TIr
rules IN which uileuses are To be "hcarl ana d.ta-
nis,ed'' by the niIin4raus agents ,rg s.l '
reguirt0nS as the President through iGe NJ 10
partmcnt. shall prescribe. No prcyi,rie
is req1ired any Indictment charging the roTtni
sion m crime against the laws: but the t-r!I mus.
proceed on charges aud specifications. The ruuisI-
mcnt viii be-uut what the law declares LAT -r.L a.,
q cOuft-ugTtlUl may thiuS proper: and FROM, t,.o
htraTy tibuuas there lies no aplcal no yrit Of arry
to any OF the courts IN which the CoGsrut,nu Oh tb
United safes vests exclusively tho udci4l power O!
the country.
NuhC 4N territory ana inc classes Of GgiiuvS and
offences mt are made subject to this measure are So
extensive. the bill ITSELF sAOuIt il become, I,- =, i'm
have no Imitation in point Of dine. but viii tin "a a
part Of the permanent legislation Of fhn cntt,,try
cannot rec0cic a system Of military inrsjirtinr o
this kind win the words OF the Constitution which
declare that no person shall be held 10 answer I a
capital or ohcrwlse infamous crime. nnieSs on pre-
sentiment oFnuictmelt Ot = grand jury, except in
cases arislnam the land and naval forces or in tn
militia, whg II actual service in time of,gar or nI
lie danger aud that in all criminal rrn.c.,,iiY,.
the accused shall eujuy the ri-bt To a .-.eci, on.
public tFia by an impartial juyy Of the >tafe - az
Lrct wherein the crime shall haze been committed
The Sai'sua IS winch the experience and wisdom q.
taught ur fathers to establish as securities E
the prUec-In of the innocent, the Punishment If fht
guilty, and tie equal administration Ok Justice gre t
be set asiGetud Tor the sake OF more vigorous in
teTpUSitOu II behalf Of justice, are 10 f.lr ~.
risk of the many acts Of injustice that wo3ld nocs
sarily tcilowtr2m an almost countless n,mbcr of
agents, eStatlsAcd In every parish com -, aa-
Is third Of the States Ot the HGn, over Wil3sa h
cISiOus there's TO be SupUrE lSlDn or control H. l
Federal coWts. The power that would be thus pi,rp5
III Jhe nahu3o1 Lhe ireSlueuJ 1 Such as IN time t
peace certainly ought never to be entrusted to any
one man.
If ii be asked whether the creation of such tri-
hunal within a state Is warranted as a measure Of
war, the 4!eSupn imMe'tlateF presents itself
whether we sfe sui engaged ~ war. ct ns not EI
necessarily disturb the commerce and credit sud iL
u1Slry oI lqt country 9E uGt'aljhR - me Ametcal
people and 70 me world, nat The United States ar
stll III e'rlItlon OF civil WIT. At present there Is
United states IS disputed. Offences tuHt may D.
committed ly in4jvidaals should not work to5
lecture ol tls rigAt& pt "A"ie communities III
country mas returned or is f"tnruln- 20 a aJltc u
peace aHG GduStfE, ana me rebellion i, IN fact,
an end. Inc measure, therefore. seems to be a- ln
consistent with the actual condition ui the rDUntf
as II IS I variance Win the CONSTITUTION rI tEC Uni
ted States.
II, passing from general considerations, We exam
ms the Dill IN DETAIL II Is opeu TO Wcighty objections
IN tiihc Oi "aT II was 1t-LhcHay proper that
should provide l1r those who were passiuz suGdent!
nom condition OF bondage - . stale Of freedom
but this bill proposes 10 make the FTccGMga's Gu
rG&a, established yy he ar- OF 1853 as one Of mar.
press Formidable rebellion "a permanent branch O.
Erscd- / have no reason ,:'h its power. greatly en-
understand 1t to be alleged. that the itcJ o Aaf.T
1900. has prov ed achclGnt Tor the purpose for which
pissed, although at that time, and q couSidcr;tn.
period thcreaIlSr the G"Eclumaut of the Unite
States renamed UH&cknaW led Cd N TAOS Of the State
whose inhabitants haa scC.. luru.VCtlH the rebellion
Inc institution OF sittct3 "r the nllI'asy scstruc
tion Oi which the Freedmen Bureau was called i,
existence asan suxiliaIy has ageg already rlFsc..
ally and finally abfU-;..v,! thruugiuut the 7y,.l
country by amendment of the Constitution % th
United States, and practically IT'S eradication hne r
ceiyed the assent anu concurrence of most pf thos
states IN WAich IT. nj any time had an existence.
am NOT therefore, aDlc tn discern, ia the cpnGi.
son that thG pOTeTs ana agencies OF Inc Freedmen
bureau, winch were elective Tor the protection e.
freedmen ana refugees during the actual continuance
Of hOsiiliues and OF African scrvitude will now in
time of peace and after the abolition OF elaver .
inadequate to the 3atuc proper cu.s II mn r.rrr
IN these views. there be no necessity for the r
largcment OF the powers ot the bureau lor which pro
vision Is made IN tho bill.
HE ta.T4 section OF the bill authorizes 4 genera
D.. e.