The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-02-22
THE NEW ERA.
THE PRESIDENTS VETO.

direct the attention of oar readers to the
NJ .sSage of the President to the Senate.
vetoing the Bill 10 enlarge the powers OF
the Freedman Bureau. 1t Will be
found substantially, under this heading.
1t will be approved by the conservative,
laM-abiding people Of the whole coun-
try. Its reasoning is conclusive and If,
style admirable. 1t IS the first gun from
the Executive battery a5ainss radical in
Vi lers Of the Constitution, and when the
sm ,>a clears away. W shall iial th,t II
has dDae 90 execution. Fian VI ,ina
to the RIO Gtanda, the people Of this
eol1frY desire relief rom tn an artain
~. agitation uni inevitable oppressive
ness OF astate OF war. They long for the
freal3m, saeafity and peaee which they
Oh . elioEal aaler the Constitution and
la45 OF cir fathers; aal WIEN hey jul
II IN lerstanl that President JOHNSON
h1s raised The fig ofG9nstitatioaal law
right in the fac Of those Who have been
tsdin2ling it under foot, an#l is resolved
AT all hazard, b bear Il aloft in triumph.
their voice, like shout Of nations,a
will sustain him in lis glorious hero.
ism.
After an expression ofrcgret at his in
ability To approve Of the Bill, and re-
minding the senate that there exists no
immediate necessity for the proposed
measure and declaring his readiness to
do all in his power TO secure to the freed
men f,,ll ,r III, r.a.
dom, the President proceeds to speak of
the provisions of the Bill as establishing
by authority of Congress, military ju-
risdction over all parts Of the United
States, the source of this jurisdiction
being none other than the President of
the United states acting through the
War Department and the Commissioner
.ofthe Freedmen's Bureau. The agents
to carry out this jurisdiction are to be
selected either from the army or civil
life and to equal in number the counties
or parishe, of the United States, where
freedmen or refugees are found-these
agents to be protected hy military au-
thority III the performance of the duties
assigned them BY the Bill. In eleven
OF the States, this military jurisdiction
Is % extend ia all cases, affecting freed |
III u D. taflgees, disseminated against |
by les.al Inv, custom or preiudiee,8 and
subjects any white person to punish
ment by imprisonment or fine or both
who may be charged with depriving any |
freedmen of amy civil rights or immu-
n hiai t, ija wifi,
out defining the rights or immunities |
thus TO be secured to freedmen by mill |
.afy iaw-this military jurisdiction to
extend also to all questions that may
arise on contracts with freedmen. The |
agent who j, To be the military Judge in
these cases may be q stranger, ignorant
Of the laws of the place and exposed to
the errors of Judgment to which all are
liable, and yet the trials are to be with
out a jury and without any fixed rules
of law or evidence. When crimes are
charged, the accused, without previous
presentment or indictment, are to be
tried on charges and specifications, not
By II court Of law, but by an arbitrary
Court Martial from whose decision there
: is no appeal. This Bill should ii be-
come a law is without limitation as to
time, and j, to form a part Of the per-
manent legislation of the country. The
President then says:
81 cannot reconcile a system of mill
tary urisdi .tion of this kind with the
words of the Constitution, which de-
clare that no person shall be held to
answer for a capital or otherwise infa
nous crime unless on a presentment or
indictment of Il grand jury, except in
eases arising in the land and naval
forces or in the militia when in actual
service in time Of war or public dam
GER and that, in all criminal prosecu-
lions, the accused shall enjoy the right
to a speedy and public trial, by an inn
partial jury Of the State or district
wherein the crime shall have been COM
mitted.' The safeguards which the eX-