New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-02-27

are invited to come here now, and suppose
they had kept on, and had predominated in Con.
gress SO as to prevent any provision being made
lor errestlng the progress of treason you could
not nave enlisted a soldier. Had they not COM
United the blunder of Withdrawing, the Demo-
cratle party would have stood by them.
mr.; wilson offered a resolution, which was
adopted, instructing the Committee on Reconstruc.
ton to inquire how far the lately rebeous States
mad conformed to the requirements of the Pres.
ident's reconstruction policy.
MAt one O'CLOCK the Chair announced that the
morning hour having expired, the unfinished busi
ness of Yesterday, which was the bill returned Nv
the President with his exceptions to it, was before
the Senate.
When the Presidents veto message was called
up at one o'clock Mr.. Davis, in a written dozen.
ment, reviewed the main features of the bill reit.
Grating his objections, heretofore presented ot
length, and complimenting the President upon his
action in returning the bill deemed to be unconsti.
tutonal subversiye of early reconstruction. irrtat
ing, unwise and expensive. He produced author
tiles and considerations, showing the propriety in
certain circumstances of Presidential vetoes, and
declared his firm conviction of the necessity of such
action in the present case.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Davis remarks Mr.
Trumbull, the originator of the vetoed bill, took
the floor. He expressed his regrets at the veto,
and said it had been his desire that the several
departments of the government should harmonize
in an effort for the restoration of the States. He
claimed that his only purpose had been to carry
out such measures as should protect loyal refu-
gees and freedmen in the rebillious States, and
supposed such measures would harmonic with the
views of the Executive, who had declared in his
message that Congress should do its duty in accord
ing equal and exact justice to all men.
Mr.. Trumbull was greatly surprised that the bill
designed for such purposes should be returned as
unconstitutional. Having taken an active part in
the passage of the BILL he felt called upon to vim
dictate himself from having urged bill so uncon
stitutonal and at variance with the condition of
the country as this is declared to be. He said the
bill was not an original measure, and did not en-
large the powers of the treedmen's bureau. 1t
was merely amendatory of an act already existing
1t does but little more than give the sanction of
law to what is already being done without any sta
tute or provision. The freedmen's bureau already
exists. Courts are held by the treedmens bureau
throughout the entire country where that bureau
has any operation under military authority. Laws
inconsistent as is believed, with the safety of the
government. or incompatible with the military
operations are set aside at this time in ali these
States. The object of the bill was to continue
in existence the freedmens bureau-not perma-
nently. All such intent was disavowed dur.
ing the discussion of the bill. No time is
specified in the bill as to when it shall
cease to operate, nor is it customary to insert
such clause in any law. But it was declared
that it should operate until otherwise provided by
law 1t is not intended that the bill shall go into
the States and control the domestic affairs of these
States It is simply bill designed to provide not
for four millions of emancipated slaves, but only
for the INDECENT, so that they could become self
supporting. Thousands of Union men were
driven from homes all over the South. This was
particularly the case in Tennessee. They had
neither food nor clothing. They hocked around
our armies during the Whole progress of the war,
and were fed by our supplies; so also with the
freedmen, while these people were focking
around our armies On the Sd of March. 1865
Congress passed law to systematic the clothing
and feeding of these destitute negroes, and place
them under charge of special department of the
military establishment called the Freedmen's Blu
reau There are still on our hands some of these
destitute people who must be provided for. There
has been saved to the government millions of
money by the establishment of this system,
through which employment has been found for
these people.
An amendment has been adopted to the const.
tuition, declaring that slavery shall not exist by
virtue Of that enactment. Hundreds of thousands
of lives have become free in the midst of hos
tile population, without any of the worlds goods,
without any supplies of any kind Something
must be done to take care of these people. The
Freedmen's Bureau has not had jurisdiction over
these four millions of people. Its work has been
confined to very small compass, and this measure,
which comes to us denounced as unconstitutional
as great public charity is designed only to find
employment for these destitute, ignorant, unpro-
vided people, who are few in number compared
with the great number of blacks in the whole
country and not simply for freedmen and for refu.
gees. More white refugees, in many instances,
have received support and supplies from this
Freedmen's Bureau than blacks have. The Presi-
dent in his veto message says the act which was
passed to establish the bureau for the relief of
freedmen and refugees in the month of March
last, has not yet expired, as by the terms of the
act it was to continue during the war and one
year after. Sofar as the conflict of arms is CON
cerned, all admit the war closed when the last
rebel army laid down its arms. That
was some time in May, when the rebel
army in Texas surrendered. l do not hold that CON
sequences of thewar are over. But the war of there
belion is over and this bureau must expire in NAV
next, according to the terms of the act of March,
1865. The President says it was thought stringent
and extensive enough for the purpose in time of
war. At that time most of these States were
lnder rebel control, and the freedmen's bureau
could only take jurisdiction of such freedmen and
'efugees as came within the lines of the army
When the war progressed, and the States of Texas
Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Virginia
md North Carolina were made free by constitu-
aonal amendment, was it not proper that the
bureau should be so framed as to en-
orace the destitute of those States, as well as the
ew who had come within our lines when the bill
vas enacted? The President says the bill pro.
poses to establish military jurisdiction over all
parts of the United States containing freedmen and
etugees. The bill contains no such clause. 1t is
misapprehensiOn of the bill 1t says the
President shall extend military jurisdiction and
protection over all employees and officers of this
bureau in the exercise of duties imposed by this |
ct. This bill makes the Freedmens Bureau part
# the War Department. It makes its officers and |
Does that extend military jurisdiction over the
Whole country? Did anybody ever suppose the
Whole country where they were was under military |
Jurisdiction? The bill extends military iursdic- |
ion no where. 1t merely places under military
Jurisdiction those persons belonging to the Freed |
nen's Bureau, who nearly all of them are now
nder military jurisdiction.
The next objection of the Presidents which Mr.
rumbull noticed was that the country is to be di-
ided into districts and subdistricts, and number
f salaried agents to be employed, which NAV be
DUAL to the number of counties and parishes in
he States where freedmen and refugees are TO be
)und. He denied that ii was necessary to appoint
ny such number, notwithstanding it was provided
the bill that they might be appointed. To an
ONT such number he said would be an abuse of
ne powers intrusted in the President
Mr.. Trumbull continued in reply to the objection
nat this bill establishes military jurisdiction in
lv cases, and denying that it created any mill
Try jurisdiction whatever not now existing. Off.
ers of the bureau were officers Of the army, now
Gliding military commissions by authority of the
resident. A short time SINCE in Georgia, tn
tizens were arraigned for crime before military
commission. These culprits being found guilty
ere sentenced to death and hung by direct an
royal CT the President himself. Was it unconst
ltiona to do by virtue of law of Congress what
being done every day without one? In this CON
aCtion he referred to several orders affecting per-
ms and property in Southern States. He re-
ewed the objection that the act would establish
rank of public administration, having ,
realty enlarged powers. He denied that its es.
or that its powers were greatly en-. !
rged. He proceeded to show the relative
egree of power confded to the two bills, 4
ID the msapprehension under which he :
resumed the President had labored. He declared | r