Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-03-01
FAYETTEVILLE, TENN.
Thursday Morning, March l, 1866
.THe fREEDMEN'S BUREAU BILL.
The Presidents Veto
Message.


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 San act to establish a
bureau for the relief of freedmen
and refugees, and for other pur-
poses"
Having with much regret,
came to the conclusion that it would
not be consistent with public well
fare to give my approval to the
measure, and return the bill to the
Senate with my objections to its
becoming a law, l might call to
mind in advance of these obiec-
tons, that there is no immediate
necessity for the proposed measure.
The act to establish a Bureau for
'the relief of freedmen and refu-
gees, witch was approved in the
month of March last, has not yet
been repealed. 1t was thought
stringent and extensive enough
for the purpose in view. Before
it ceases to have effect further ex-
perience may assist to guide us to
wise conclusion as to the policy
to be adopted in time of peace.
Ihave, with Congress, the stron-
gest desire to secure to the freed
men the full enjoymentoftheir free
dom and their property, and their
entire independence and equali-
ty in making contracts for their Ia
Tor. But the bill before me con-
tains provisions which, in my
opinion, are not warranted by the
constitution, and are not well suited
toaccomplish the end in view. The
bill proposes to establish, by law
Of Congress, military jurisdiction
over all parts of the United States
containing refugees and freedmen.
1t would, by its very nature, apply
with most force to those narts of
the United States in which the
freedmen most abound, and it ex-
preSsly extends to the existing
temporary jurisdiction of the
Freedmen's Bureau, with greatly
enlarged powers, over those States
in which the ordinary course of
judicial proceedings has been in
terrupted by the rebellion.
The source from which this
military jurisdiction is to emanate
is none other than the President
of the United States, acting
through the War Department and
the Commissioner of the Freed
mems Bureau. The agents to car
ry out this military jurisdiction
are to be selected either from the
army or from civil life. The
country is to be divided into dis
tricts and sub-districts, and the
number of salaried agents to be
employed may be equal to the
number of counties or parishes
in all of the United States, where
freedmen and refugees are to be
found. The subjects over which
this military jurisdiction is to ex-
tend in every part of the United
States, included particularly all
employees, agents, and officers of
this Bureau in the exercise of the
duties imposed upon them by the
bill. In eleven States it is fur
Their to extend over all cases af-
fectiug freedmen and refugees dis
eliminated against by laws, Gus
toms, or prejudice in those eleven
States.
The bill subjects any white
person who may be charged with
depriving a freedman of any civil
rights or immunities belonging to
a white person to imprisonment
or fine, or both, without, however,
defining the civil rights and i'm
nunities which are thus to be Sc
cured to the freedmen by military
law. This military jurisdiction
also extends to all questions that
nay arise respecting contracts;
the agent who is thus to exercise
the office of military judge may
De a stranger, entirely ignorant
If the laws of the place, and ex-
posed to theories of judgment to
which all men are liable; to the
exercise of power over which there
S no legal supervision by SC vast
, number of agents as is contem-
dated by the bill, mustby the very
nature of man be attended by acts
i caprice and injustice in passion.
The trials having their origin
Inder this bill are to take place !
n