New-York daily tribune., 1866-02-21
without any statute or provision The Freedmen's,
Bnrean AZ haxe said alre adv axsts COnrte bsld


military authority of the United States Laws ncos-
siseni as Is believed with the safety OF the Govern
ment, or Incompatible with military operation. ere @ ss
aside at this time in all these Staes The eoeet OF inc
bill was 20 continue in existence the Freedman bnfeae
not permanently, not az permanent lnsutntoh-xI
snch intent disayowed during the discussion o1 sbe
bill IL IS true no time IL specified IN Inc ON y
to when 1t shall cease " operate nor 10 >h4
customary to insert such clause any law but it was
provided by law II is known that the Congress Of the
United States assembled every year. and one sup
poses this proposed bill TO establish Bureau " be CD
grated as permanent institution Of the coUntry-fsr
from IL, No sir. IL is not intended that the bill shall
20 into the States and control the domestic ahairs of
these States Far from IT, II is simply oii designed
10 provide not for OCO of emancipacd slaves or
refugees but only for the INDECENT, for those who are
unable take OF themselves so that they could
come sesnpgortng In eonseaaehee "t ine soms,
sll the South This particularly the ease m
Tennessee where they had been stripped Of te, Prot
erty and women aud children had fed destitute irop
their homes They had neither TODD clothing They
focked around armies during The whole progress
the and were fed by onr supplies 30 also Win uo
freedmen. Congress at an early day passed law
declaring free all slaves who come within the lines OF
our armies They came flying within our h1es Wild
ont clothing without hats. wounded, foot sore and or
trescd Many OF them entered onr ranks 70 bgnt ior
the cause of the oOnntry and others we bad clothed
and fed While the war was in progress, while tnese
people were docking around onr armies on the 81 or
March lsG5. not one year ago. the Congress Oh .po
United States passed law to systematize the ciotemG
and feeding ofthesc destitute negroes and place 'hem
under the Chnrgc Oh eUfclaI VI
tay establishment, whose duty should be 70 look after
them. That ives called the FreedDens Bureau ana
officers assigned 10 take charge OF IT, chieny no
the army. Since that time the conflict OF war laS
ceased and there are still hands some OF these
destitute people who must be provided fora far less
number than would have been upon our hands II DO
system had been devised for taking care OF tbem for
finding them employment and settling them upob
tracts of laDd wherever It may be oofaineo
And 1 undertake to say rs that % .nei.
by the establishment of the system through which EN-
pIoyment has been found FOR these people. and they
have been made selfsupportng, who would cther@isc
have been entirely dependent upon the bounty Of the
Government for support. since the rIeedmehs
Bureau was organized. an amendment mas peen
adopted to the Constitution Of the United States De-
clarng that Slavery shall not exist anywhere withio
it's jurisdiction BY virtue Of that enactment, hond
reds of thousands of slaves have become free; tbey
have become free the midst Of hostile population
II they have become free without any Of this worlds
goods not owning even the hats upon their heads or
the coats their backs without any supplies OF any
kind or anywhere TO obtain the next meal to save them
from starvation Something must be done 10 take care
Of people; and tie Freedmens Bureau has been
endeavoriDg to do do that something. Now sir, the
Freedmens Bureau has not had jurisdiction over these
four millions Of people Its work has been confined 10
small compass shall presently show by the official
record aud this measure which comes 20 US denounced
unconstitutional, as great public charity as an in
sttution designed to feed cothe take Of and for
nsh homes 100000 Of people. is designed only TO
find employment for yhese destitute, these ignorant
these unprovidedtor people, who are few 10 mum
Der compared with the gielt number OF blacks IN tho
whole country and not simply for the freedmen and Tor
the refugees; and before / sit down viii show
that more white refugees in many instances, have
received support and supplies from the Government
from this Freedmaps Bureau than blacks have. Tho
President in his yeomesssge says there noimmedate
necessity for the proposed measure. He says the Act
which passed 10 establish bureau for the reef OF
freedmen aud refugee III the month OF March last has
not expired 1t thought stringent and expensive
enough says the President for the puI pose IN view al
the time Of Now, sr when will that act expire'
What 1t provided in It's nrst section hat there
81 ha1 in Ia Wap fna IN nor
tnue during the present War OF Rebellion and for
year thereafter. Bureau OF refugees freedmen, and
abandoned lands BY the terms of tue act II was to
thereafter Now sir when did the War OF the Rebellion
ceasei Why. so far as the conflict OF arms Is eos
serned all admit that me wa. eoased wDsa ,ns zee.
sometime in the month Of May when the Rebel army II
Texas surrendered the Union forses; 80 that the
present bureau must BY its own limitation have e1prea
within one year from the time when the war ceased.
do not hold that the consequences OF the war arc over
DO not understand that peace Is restored wn an iH
consequences We have not yet escaped rom the eVs
ipfc ted By the war Peace and harmony are not yet
restored But the of the Rebellion Is over and ths
bureau must expire in May next according 70 the
of the act that passed the Sd Of Marcb s63 and
10 the views Of the President Rscssed In
his veto message. The President says 1t Was
thought stringent and enough FOR the pcrposs
| in view in time Of war. Why. sir. what was
the condition Of the country when that act passed. IN
March 1861 At that time most OF these States, where
the freedmen were were under Ke0ei control ana inc
Freedmcns Bureau at that time could OILY take l1rs
ction of such freedmen and refugees came within
the lines of the army. For exercising any Jurisdiction
throughout most Of the Southern States II was limited
in its operations and desire TO ask in all candor and
fairness when the war progressed and the slaves o..
Texas and Mississippi and Alabama and Florida snd
| Georgia and Virginia and North Csrolina
were ali made free by the constitutional amend
ment, want to know II It was not
proper that the Freedmen's Bureau should b.
20 AIMED as 10 embrace the destitute and suffering of
these states as well as the few who had come within
our lines when the bill enacted in le65i Was there
no occasion extend its operstlonsf Ana because u
was extensive enough for the purpose IN time of ar
wond n follow that is expensive enough tor The pIr
pose in time of peace, when We have Jurisdiction oi
country very much larger than we had IN time OF war
But sir the President says the bill proposes to estab
sh by act of Congress military jurisdiction over all
par,s OF the United States containing refugees and
freedmen. Sir. desire TO speak respectfully OF the
Executive; but would like to know where
in that bill. is any provision that extends ;
military jurisdiction over all parts OF the United
States. containing refugees and freedmen Sr. .
her sion of the bill What does it sayi The clause Of
the bill upon that subject is this The Presdentoft
United States. through the War Department and TIE
shall extend military jurisdiction and pro
ion over all empoyes and officers OF this Bureau IN
the exercise of the duties imposed or authorized by this
act or the act to which this is amendatoy notthe
difference manifest 20 everybody betaeen bill that
extends military jurisdiction the officers and en-
ployes Of the Bureau and bli which should extend
military jurisdiction over all parts oi tue ned states
containing refugees and freedmeDt Why, Sir, this
bill makes the Frcedmeu's Bureau part Of the War
Departreut 1t makes it's officers and agents amensb!e
to the rules and articles Of war, Does that extend
military Jurisdiction over the whoe COUNTY, now q"
they dier from any other portion OF the army oi the
nlted States The army Of the nited STATES is gov
erned by rules and articles wherever IT may be
whether in Indiana or Florida; and all
operations in it are portion Of the military establish
meDt and subject to the rules and articles Of
But did any soy ever suppose that the Whole country
where they under military jurisdictoDf IL
company Of soldiers are stationed Of the forts
New York harbor and the officers md soldiers sGb