Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-07-25

ihVhho vi lhOoS ClNii tIiOulhlS, dliipiO |
redress is afforded for all private
wrongs, whether to the person or the
property of the citizen, and without
denial or unnecessary delay. Theyl
are open to all without regard TO color
or race. ] feel well assured that Il
will be better to trust the rights,
privileges and immunities of the citi-l
zen to tribunals thus established andl
presided over by competent and inn
partial judges, bound by fixed rules of
law and evidence, and where the right
oftrial by jury is guaranteed and Sc
cured, than TO the caprice or judg
ment Of an officer of the Bureau, who,
il possible, may be entirely ignorant
of the principles that underlie the just
administration Of the law. There is
danger, too, that conflict Of jurisdic-
ton will frequently arise between the
civil courts and those military tribn-
mails, each having concurrent jurisdic-
ton over the person and the cause of
actioRs the one judicature admins
tered and controlled by civil law, the
other by military. How is the con-
flict to be settled, and who is to deter
mine between the two tribunals when
it arises In my opinion, it is wise
to guard against such conflict by leav-
ing to the courts and juries the pro-
lection of all civil rights, and the
redress of all civil grievances
The fact cannot be denied that since
the actual cessation OF hostilities
many acts of violence, such, perhaps,
as had never been witnessed in their
previous history, have occurred in the
States involved in the recent rebellion.
! believe, however, that public senti-
ment will sustain me in the assertion
that such deeds of wrong are not con
fined to any particular State or sec
ton, but are manifested over the en-
tire country, demonstrating that the
cause that produced them does not de-
pend upon any particular locality, but
rs the result of the agitation or de-
rangementincidentto to long and bloody
civil war While the prevalence Of
such disorders must be greatly de-
'plored, their occasional and temporary
occurrence would seem to furnish no
necessity for the extension of the Bu-
reau beyond the period fixed in the
original act.
Besides the objections which / have
thus briefly stated, | may urge upon
your consideration the additional rea-
son that recent developments in re-
gard to the practical operations Of
the Bureau in many of the States show
that IN numerous instances it is used
by its agents as a means ofpromoting
their individual advantage, and that
the freedmen are employed for the
advancement of the personal ends of
the officers instead of their own i'm
provement and welfare, thus confirm
ing the fears originally entertained by
many that the continuation of such a
bureau for any unnecessary length
of time would inevitably result in
fraud, corruption and oppression. 1t
is proper TO state that in cases of this
character investigations have been
promptly ordered, and the offender
punished, whenever his guilt has been
satisfactorily established.
Asanothcrreason against the necessity
Of the Legislation contemplated by this
measure, reference may be had to the
Civil Rights Bill, now law of the
land, aud which will be faithfully ex-
ecuted, so long as it shall remain un-
repealed and may not be declared un.
constitutional by courts of competent
jurisdiction. BY that act tits enacted
\ "that all persons born in the United
States and not subject to any foreign
power, excluding Indians not taxed,
are hereby declared te be citizens Of
the United States, and such citizens of
every race and color, without regard
to any previous condition of slavery
and involuntary servitude, except
as punishment for crime whereof
the party shall have been duly con-
victcd, shall have the same right in
every State and Territory in the Uni
ted States, to make and enforce con
tracts, to sue the parties and give
evidence, TO inherit, purchase, lease,
sell, hold and convey real an personal
property, and to full and equal benefit
of all laws and proceedings for the Sc
curity ofpersons and property as is
enjoyed by white citizens, and shall
be subject to like punishment, pains
and penalties, and to none other any
law, statute, ordinance, regulation or
custom to The contrary notwithstand-
ing"
BY the provisions of the act full
protection is afforded, through the
District Courts of the United States,
to all persons injured, and whose
privileges, as thus declared, are in
any way impaired, and heavy penal
ties are pronounced against the per-
son who wilfully violates the law. l
need not state that that law did not