Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-13

Letter from Hon. Edward bate,

The Hon. EDWARD BATES, having beer
invited TO address mass meeting in ST
Louis called to endorse the Presidents vet,
of the Bureau bill, and his general policy
wrote in reply letter, from which we tax,
the subjoined extracts, regretting that W,
cannot find room for it entire:
al am very sorry that the bad state of m,
Ishealth forbids my attendance; and the NOR,
so, because 1 believe there will not be mar
at the meeting who feels greater ahhor
renee than do, for the bill whose wicket
career has been stopped by the President
timely vote. Ny feeling upon this subiec
does not spring entirely from my disgust O
the factious spirit and ridiculous egotism O
the clique which now domineers over Con
gress, but from the intrinsic dement's of tn,
bill, ascertained from careful examination
Of its provisions, / think / understand it.
can see 1.-THE most casual reader can see) il
glaring and defiant breaches of the Consti
tution-and / think / can see, also, the hid
den motive, the secret design Of the conspira
tors who planned the scheme to overturr
our government of law, and set up in il.
stead frightful military oligarchy. AND
this wicked purpose betrays itself in severa
provisions of the bill, which are so arranged
in the context, as to seem, to hasty OBJ
server, TO be secondary and subordinate tC
the ostensible object, the protection of freed
men,"
After giving a synopsis of the Freedmen.
Bureau Bill, he continues:
Only imagine such military organiza
ton, with despotic head at the seat of Gov.
eminent, and despotic pervading the
whole mass of community and exhibiting
its power in organized form, in every county
and parish, and the President bound, by
TrumbulPs bill, to extend military protec.
ton over them, against every effort to re-
strain by legal and civil means, the wanton'
ness of their arbitrary power.
Think you that the people of the United
States, are already, so far degraded into pas
sive obedience rs to submit, tamely, TO such
an atrocious outrage, even if sanctioned by
the unanimous voice Of factious Congress
and approved by subservient President
No, verify. They are not yet ready to aban-
don their Constitution and renounce all
hopes of legal liberty, by giving over their
lives liberties and properties, to be dis
agents Of petty subdivision of the War De
partment, called a bureau. They will insist
upon their legal rights as freemen and Ameri-
can citizens; they will demand the protec-
ton of the laws of their country, and il
charged with crime, or drawn into contro-
versy about property or contracts, they will
insist upon court and jury and will refuse
to be tried by any petty despot, detailed
from the army" whether he be white or
black.
Constitutional government and liberty by
law are worth fighting for. We have Just
passed through bloody war to maintain
them against one set of traitors and | make
no doubt that the the people will be as ready
if need be-to resist, in the same way, any
other set of traitors who seek to DESTROY the
government by insidious artifce and bold
usurpation.
| think it fortunate thing for the corn-
try, that the Radical faction is so demented
as to pick a quarrel with the President, be-
cause he refuses to be their instrument to
overturn the Constitution and substitute in
its place a military despotism, and to STAKE
their political fortunes upon the monstrous
vices and follies fthe Trumbull bill. For,
in doing so, they do but insure their own
defeat, and, consequently, the restoration of
law, order and peace, andrevival of national
respect for legal government, and national
love for liberty by law.
Even the emancipated negro, for whose
sake it is pretended that this wrong is done
will not long fail to see the hypocrisy and
fraud of the transaction. They will see that
while they are caioled with the pretence of
liberty and equality before the law, this
wicked bill subjects them to the power of
military overseers, excludes them from all
legal protection, denies them the right to APP
peal to the courts of law, for redress or
grievances, and requires the agents and
officers of the bureau to "take jurisdiction
of all cases" which concern them and their
interests.
Very Respectfully,
Your friend and fellow-citizen,
EDWARD BATES.