The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-01
The President and Congress.

ally, to determine when a state of war
is ended and state of peace begun, and
seeing also that by the act of March Sd,
1865, providing for the supervision and
management of all abandoned lands, and
the control Of all subjects relating to ref
ugees and freedmen, the present bureau
of freedmen is to continue in operation
during the war of rebellion and one year
thereafter, the simple vetoing of the amen
datory act extending ana enlargiDg the
powers of this bureau ought not to cause
alarm to the country nor alienation among
the members of the Union party. 1t is
matter of regret that the President con-
'ceived it to be his duty to withhold his
assent from bill that had passed, both
branches of Congress by two-thirds vote,
but entertaining the conviction that the
measure was needless, or unconstitutional,
or dangerous to the welfare of the coun-
try, he was right in exercising his consti-
tutional preroga.ive. Had the President,
however, so chosen, he could have made
use of his vetoing power without precipi-
tating upon the country an actual or
threatened disruption of that great party
to which he owes his elevation. The dec
laration in the second paragraph of his
message, that there is no immediate ne
eessity for the measure, the act Of March
last not yet having ceased to be effective,
and that before it would so cease, further
experience might guide us to another and
wiser policy, would have been an abun-
dainty sufficient reason for his action. Orr
had he added to this, that the expense to
be incurred under the vetoed bill was too
great, that its tendency was 10 disturb
trade, that it kept the mind of the freed
men in an unsettled state, that it central
lied too much power, he would have
secured his end without producing
breach with Congress, and without unset
Ting the business IF the country in all its
branches to an extent far greater than the
passage of dozen such bills could have
caused But the President elected other
wise. He either did not understand, or
he chose to misrepresent, one Of the main
features of the bill, by saying that it pro-
posed to establish military jurisdiction
over al parts of the United States con-
tanning freedmen and refugees, while it
merely made provision that military juris-
diction and protection should extend over
all employees and officers of the bureau in
the exercise of their duties.
Many, if not majority of the objec-
tions urged apply with no more force to
the bill vetoed than to the one now in op-
Grafton, or to any other that can be
framed. That the powers given to the
President, and through him to the officers
of the bureau, might be abused, that a
system for the support Of INDECENT persons
was never contemplated by the constitu-
tional fathers, that trials Of persons in
certain cases by the officers Of the bureau
are TO take place without Indictment and
the usual forms o. evidence, that the bill
contemplated for the black man what has
never been thought of for the white,
Uhough the bill applies alike to white
refugees and black freedmen,) are ohjec-
tions having no greater bearing against
the measure discarded by the President
than against any other that would recog-
D;ze the cruel injustice of the laws and
the unchristian hatred of the white people
of the entire South toward the emaGcipa-
ted black loyalists.
Taking advantage of that clause Of the
Constitution which gives to each State at
least one Representative, and provides that
no State shall, without its own consent, be
debarrcd of its right to two Senator'S, and
bringing to his euppor, that cardinal prln-
ciple of the early fathers that there should
be no taxation without representation, the
President assails the right vf Congress TO
pass this law in the absence OF the Sena-
tors and Representatives Of eleven States.
Going still further, he makes whatever OF
disloyalty there is in the South an argu-
ment for the Immediate admission of the
Southern delegation, in order that they
NAV nexplain their condition (disloyalty')
repjv TO accusations, and assist In the per-