Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-02-28
The Freedmen's Bureau Bill.
The Presidents Veto.

AAO hiC party III UT Jul VI SOU2ECSS 2c0-
orally, has caused much feeling on the sub
ject throughout the country. The Union
party, which prior to the veto was almost
unanimously favorable to tn e Bill, is divided
in sentiment since the issuing of the Presi-
Dental manifesto. Every Southern reb-
ell and every Northern Democrat are de-
lighted with the veto. and profess to have
great sympathy for the President, and in
State Conventions and town caucusses are
passing resolutions, of endorsement and sup
port! 1t Is the first substantial aid the
South and its Northern sympathizers have
received, hence their Joy and fearful graf
itude.
We propose to briefly state the chief points
of the Freedmen's Bill and those of the We
to Message.
The bill vetoed was presented in the SEN
ate by Mr.. Trumbull, of Illinois. 1t passed
that body by the remarkable vote Of 81 to 10.
The measure was entitled "a Bill to Enlarge
the Powers of the Freedmen's Bureau, and
was briefly as follows:
First, the old act establishing the Bureau
is to continue in force; and the President is
20 divide the country containg the refugees
and freedmen into districts, not exceeding
tive I've in number, and each district shall
nave a commissioner, or two, who may,
however, be detailed from the army. Sec
ond, the commissioner, General Howard, is
to divide each district into sub-distrIcts, with
the proper agents and clerks therein. Militia
~ jurisdiction shall extend over all these
agents and employees. Third, the Secretary
of War shall issue such supplies of provis-
ions, clothing, fuel, medical stores and
transportation, and such other aid as suffer-
ing refugees and freedmen may need
Fourth, the President is authorized to re-
serve unoccupied lands in Florida, Mississip-
pi and Arkansas, not exceeding three mil
ions of acres of good land to be allotted to
the freedman, by the commissioner, in par
GELS not exceeding forty acres each, for speci-
fed times, at rents based upon 8 valuation of
the land. These lots can be purchased by
the occupants. Fifth, the occupants of the
sea islands, who we're settled thereon by
General Sherman, when that officer captured
Savannah, are confirmed in their possessions
for three years from the date of his settle
ment of them, Ii. e., until January Is, 1852
Sixth, the Commissioner shall purchase such
lands within the districts as may be required
for the dependent refugees or freedmen, and
cause asylums and schools to be built, after
Congressional appropriations for this pur-
pose, and he may also sell such land and 9TH
er property in the manner prescribed. Sew
enth, wherever the rights or immunities of
whites are ~wrongfully withheld from the ne
groes, and wherever the State codes violate
the national laws on the subject of freedmen,
the President is to extend military protection
and jurisdiction over such cases, through the
Commissioner. Finally, whoever attempts
to subject to slavery or involuntary servituds
any person, except in punishment of crime
whereof he is duly convicted, or 10 deprive
him of any civil right secured to white per-
sons, or to punish him with a punishment to
which white persons are not liable, shall be
punished by fine not exceeding one thousand
dollars or Imprisonment not exceeding one
year, or both. The Bureau is to have juris-
diction of these offences, but never sin any
State after it shall have been fully restored in
all its constitutional relations to the United
States, and the courts of the State and Of the
United States within the same are not dis
turbed or stopped in the peaceable courts of
Justice. The necessity of a measure of this
character, to protect and render tolerable the
lives of loyal people in the South, seems in
~dispensible. Gov. Brownlow, Of Tennessee,
declares very positively, that it would be i'm
possible for Union men to live even In that
State if the military protection afforded
them by the Bureau were withdrawn. If
true of Tennessee, how much more so of the
Cotton States? 1t is objected to on the
ground Of expensiveness. But the allotment
of lands is only to be made in consideration
of rent to be returned; and the supplies and
aid to be issued are expressly limited to the
temporary shelter and support of the desti-
tute and suffering refugees and freedmen,
their wives and children" The measure has
the approval of General Grant, who recon-
mended placing the Bureau more directly
under the army, by having the assistants de-
tailed from the army. This would also re-
dnce the expense, and the rental and sale Of
lands would also further reduce the expense.
But who will not say it is a humane, Chris
tain and necessary measure? No man can re-
gard it otherwise, whose heart is true to the
permanent interests of the country. The
President, however, has seen properto exercise
e a constitutional p~rerogatiFe, and kill the bill.
The message is lengthy, and as we have given
a~synopsis of the Freedmen's Bill, We viii also
give the substance of the Presidents objee-
ton.
The principal objection, is its unconstitu-
t~ionality in giving to freedmen's agents pow
ers belonging only to the Judiciary. He OBJ
jects also that the present powers of the Blu
seau have proved sufficient, and there is no
need of enlarging them. he says that as
the Government has never deemed it among
, its duties to educate and support any class,
not even the children of soldiers and sailors,
he sees no reason for doing these things for
freedmen, and he thinks the freedmen cap
able of providing for themselves if they ere
not encouraged to idleness. The expendi-
ture made necessary by the bill he estimates
at S22,OO0,00, much greater than the coun-
try can afford He objects to the vast pow
er confded to the Executive in the appoint
ment of the great numbers of agents, the
= necessary responsibility of these agents,
and the absence of any provisions for appeal
from their decision.
A large portion of the message is devoted
to the question of admitting eleven States
into the Union that are affected by the bill.
Although the President has not yet issued a
proclamation of peace, he seems to think the