Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-07-16
VETO VI THE FREEpmENs BURxauR111

VETO VI THE FREEDMENfS BUREAU BILL
The President to-day returned TO the House
of Representatives the Freedmen's Bureau
bill without his signature, giving his reasons,
therefor, as follows:
To the House Of Representatives "A careful ex
animation of the bill passed by the two Houses
of Congress entitled aAn act to continue in
force and TO amend san act to establish q Ru
reau for the relief of Freedmen and Refugees,
and for other purposes" has con WINGED me tina,
the legislation which it proposes would not be
consistent with the welfare of the country and
that il falls clearly within the reasons SIS
signed IN my message of the 10Th Of February
last, returning without my signature a
similar measure, which originated in the
Senate. 1t s not my purpose to repeat the oh
JectIons which l then urged. They are vet
fresh in your recollection, and can be readily
examined as part of the records of one
branch OF the National Legislature. Adserins
to the principles set forth in that message I
now re-affirm them, and the line of policy
therein indicated,
The only ground upon which this kind of
legislation can be justified lie that OF the war
making power. The act of which this bill wa 6
intended as amendatory, was passed during the
existence of the war. By it's own provisions
il is to terminate within one year from the ces
1t is therefore yet in existence. and il is likely
that II will continue in force as long As the
freedmen may require the benefit OF its pro-
visions. Ii Will certainly remain in operation
as law, until some months subsequent to the
meeting of the next session of Congress when
if experience shall make evident the necessity
OF additional legislation, the two Houses will
have ample time to mature ant pass the req nj
site measures. In the meantime. the questions
arise, Why should this war measure he CON
tnued beyond the period designated in the
original act: and why, IN time of peace, should
military tribunals be created to continue untiI
each Estate shall be fully restored in its con-
stituuonal relations to the Government and
shall bc duly represented in the Conpress of
StatpS W
respect TO the act approved March 3 1865 thar
prudence and wisdom alike required that
Jurisdiction over all cases concerning the
free enjoyment OF the immunities and
rights of citizenship, as well as the
protection OF person and property. should he
conferred upon some tribunal in every S.tats
or District where the ordinary course of judi
clal proceeding was interrupted by the rebel
lion. until the same should be fully restored
At that time, therefore, an urgent necessitv ey
listed for the passage of some snch law Now,
however, war has substantially cea.ed. the
ordinary course OF judicial PROCEEDINGS is NO
longer interrupted the courts. both State and
Federal, are in full, complete and successful
operation, and through them every person,
regardless of race and color, is entitled to
and can be heard. The protection granted
TO the white citizen is already Conferred nv
law upon the freedman: strong and stringent
guards by way of penalties and punishments
are thrown around his person and pronerty
and IL Is believed that ample protection viii
be afforded him by due process of Law with
out resort TO the dangerous expedient of "mil-
ltary tribunals now thai the war has been
brought to close. The necessity no lorper
existing for such tribunals. which had their
orgih in the war. grave objections to their con.
IiRuance must present themselves to the minds
OF all rejecting and dispassionate men
Independently of the danger in representative
repuollcs OF conferring upon the military i'm
time OF peace extraordinary powers-so care.
fully guarded against by the patriots and
statesmen Of the earlier DAYS OF the Rennhlic
so frequently the ruin of governments found .
ed upon the same free principle, and subyer
sive OF the rights and liberties OF the citizen,
the question OF practical economy earnestly
commends itself TO the consideration of
the law-making power. With an immense
debt already burdening the incomes of
the industrial and laboring classes a due re
gard for their interests, so inseparablv connec-
ted with the welfare Of the country, shouIs
prompt us TO rigid economy and retrenc bment
ana influence us to abstain from all legislation
mat would unnecessarily increase the public
Indebtedness. Tested by this rule of sound
political wisdom, i can see no reason for the
establishment Of the 'nilitary Jurisdiction
conferred upon the officials of the bureau nv
the fourteenth section of the bill
by the laws OF the United States. and of the
different States, competent courts, Federal and
State, have been established and are now in
full practical operation. BY means OF these
civil tribunals, ample redress is afforded for
all private wrongs, whether to the person or the
properly OF the citizen without denial or unne.
cessary delay. They are open to all without
regard to color or race. feel well ass ured that
II will be better to trust the rights privileged
and immunites OF the citizen to tribunals thu
established, and presided over by competent
and impartial judges, bound by fixed rules
CT law and evidence, and where the rights
OF trial by jury is guaranteed and secured
than to the caprlce and judgment Of an OF.
ficer of the Bureau, who, it is possible, may
be entirely ignorant Of the principles that nm.
derlie the just administration OF the law There
is danger, too, that conflict of Jurisdiction will
frequently arise between the civil courts and
these military tribunals, each having concur
rent jurisdiction over the person and the cause
Of action the one judica' ure administered and
controlled by civil law, the other BY the mill.
tary. How is the conflict to be settled, and
who is to determine between the two tribu.
mails when it arises! In my opinion it is wise
to guard against such conflict by leayingto
the courts and jurIes the protection of all
civil rights and the redress OF all civil griev.
ances.
The fact cannot be denied. that since the &C.
tual cessation Of hostilities, many acts of yio-
lence,-such perhaps as had never been wit.
messed in their previous history-haye oc.
CURED in the States involved in the recent
rebellion. i believe, however, that public sen.
timent Will sustain me in the assertion, that
such deeds OF wrong are not confined to any
particular State or section, but are manifested
over the entire country-denonstrating that
the cause that produced them does not depend
upon any particular locality, but is the
incident to q long and bloody civil
war. While the prevalence OF such dis.
order must be greatly deplored, their oc-
casional and temporary occurrence would
seem to furnish NO necessity for the extension
Of the bureau beyond the period fixed In the
original act Besides the objections which I
have thus briefly stated, may urge upon your
consideration the additional reason, that recent
developments in regard to the practical opera
ions OF the bureau IN many of the States show
that In numerous instances 1t is used by its
agents as means Of promoting their indiyl.
dual advantage; and that the freedmen are
employed tor the advancement Of the personal
ends OF the officers, instead Of their own i'm.
provement and welfare-thus confirming the
fears originally entertained by many that the
continuation of such a Bureau for any un.
necessary length of time would inevitably re.
suit in fraud, corruption, and oppression.
It's proper to state that in cases Of this charac.
ter Investigations have been promptly order ID,
and the offender punished, whenever his guilt
has been satisfactorily established. AS an.
other reason against the necessity Of the leg.
islation contemplated by this measure, refer.
ence may be had to the ssCivil Rights Bill
now law Of the land and which will
be faithfully executed as long as II shall
remain unrepealed. and may not be declared
unconstitutional by courts Of competent juris.
diction BY that act 1t is enacted ssthat all per.
sons born in the United States and not subject
to any foreign power, excluding Indians not
taxed, are hereby declared to be citizens Of the
United States; and such citizens, Of every
rac0 and cOl0r xrithouf roOard 20