The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-02-28
IL Is too Burdensonle ON the
Treasury.
The Justice and, Policy or nd
nlttting the Excluded States.
WASHINGTON, February 49,

w hS'NUtNNI GOpAuohJ -AVs
President johnson to day returned the
Freedmen's Bureau bill to the Senate,
vetoed, with the following commanicd.
ton: .Ff
To the Senate Of the United States
/ have examined with care the bill
which originated in the Senate, and has
been passed by both Houses of Congress,
to amend an act entitled "An act to es-
tablish a Bureau for the relief Of freed
men and refugees, and for other purpo.
Ses." Having, with much regret, come
to the conclusion that it would not be
consistent with the public welfare to give
my approval to the measure, l return
the bill to the Senate, with my objec.
tons to its becoming law. l might call
to mind, in advance of these objections,
hat there is no immediate necessity for
the proposed measure. The act to estab
| lish a Bureau for tho relief of freedmen
and refugees which was approved in the
month Of March last has not yet expired.
1t was thought stringent and extensive
enough for the purpose in view. Before
it ceases to have effect further experiences
may assis. to guide us to wise conclu.
sion as to the policy to be adopted in time
of peace.
Ihave, with Congress, the strongest dc,
sire 10 secure TO the freedmen the full en-
ljoymcrt of their freedom and their prop.
eriy, and their entire independence and
equality in making contracts for their Ia
Dor. But the bill before me contains
provisions, which, in my opinion, arc not
warranted by The Constitution, and are
not well suited to accomplish The end in
view. The bill proposes to establish, by
authority of Congress military jurisdic.
lon over all parts Of the United States
containing refugees and freedmen. 1t
would, by its very nature, apply with
most force to those parts Of the Urited
States in which the freedmen most
abound, and it expressly extends the ex.
isting temporary jurisdiction ofthe Freed.
mems Bureau, with greatly enlarged pow
err, over those States in which the oIdi.
nary course of judicial proceedings has
been interrupted by the rebellion.
The source from which this military
jurisdiction is to emanato is none other
than the President Of the. United States,
acting through tho War Department and
the Commissioner Of the Freedmen's Blu.
reau. The agents to carry out this mill.
tary jurisdiction are to be selected either
from the army or from civil life. The
country is to be divided into districts and
sub-districts, and the number of salaried
agents to be employed may be equal to
the number Of counties or parishes in all
the United States whore freedmen and
refugees are to be found, The subjects
over which this military jurisdiction is to
extend in every part Of the United States
includes protection to all employees, agents
and officers of this Bureau, in the exer.
else Of the duties imposed upon them by
the bill. In eleven States, it is further
to extend over all cases affecting freed
men and refugees Disseminated against
BY local law, custom, or prejudice. In
those eleven States the bill subjects any
white person who may be charged with
depriving o freedman Of any civil, rights
or immunities belonging to white persons,
to Imprisonment or fine, or both, without,
however, defining the civil rights and i'm,
mpnities which are thus to be secured to
the freedman by military law. This mil
itary jurisdiction also extends to all ques-
tiona that may arise respecting contracts.
The agent whois thus to exercise the
office of d military judge, may be stran-
ger, entirely ignorant of the laws Of the
place, and exposed to the errors of judg'
mont, to which all men ore liable. The
exercise of power over which there is no
legal supervision by SO vast a number Of
agents as is contemplated by the bill,
must, by the very nature of man, be at
tended by acts of caprice, injustice and
passion. The trials having their origin
under this bill are to take place without
Intervention Of Jury, and without any
Fixed rules of law or evidence. The
rules on which offenses are to be heard
and determined by the numerous agents,
are such rules and regulations as the
President, through the War Department,
II A - II 2.