Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1866-02-19
EXIT A
Message from the Presidents
VETO OF THE FREEpMnN,s Bu-
,NDIBT ] hEAUFBILL.
y. M ssnqit QftAs united state.,

the two Houses ocrCcngress, 10 amend an act on
titled "An act 10 sstabfiln q bureau for the 70
ilef fIrssdfish aud Refugee ana for oths
purposes. Having, with much regret, come, i
the conclusion that It would not be sonsistsn
with the public welfare t6hgivs my approyapt I,
tho measure, return the bin 10 ne Senate WIN
my objections TO itA becoming law.
might call TO mind, In advance Of lhsss oh.
jsetions, that there 10 no immediats necessity FOL
the proposed measure TIE act 10 establish
bureau for the relief Of freedmen and refugees
which was approved In the month Of March last
has not yet expired, II was thought striig ont
snd sxtsnsiss enough for tho purppss In view In
time Of war Before 10 ceases TO have erect, fur.
Tier exparsncs may assist 70 guide us 70 wis,
eenslnsiOh Is 10 the policy 70 be adopted In lin,
OF peaceE % . T.. Vs. Nv srUi1.G 81. sa.vfHll gn
fshsrs with CSusrsssthe strongest desire to
secure ca 70 the freedmen the full ssleymen, Of
tire independence and equality In mskisg cons
tracts for their labor but the bill before me
contains provisious which, IN my opinion, arc
wen suited q aeeo mpiish. ne end In view =
The hill proposes 70 establish, BY authority Of
Congress, military Jurisdiction over all psrts Of
tbs United states containing refugees aud freed !.
most force to those parts Of the Unitsd State. in
which the freedmen most abound; and u ex-
pressly sxtends the existing temporary jurisdio.
ton Of the Freedmen Bureau. with greatly on
larged powers, over those States sin wsich the
ordinary COURSE ofjudielsi proceedings has been
interrupted BY the rebellion. - me source
from which This military jurisdle lion Is TO emr.
nate ID none other thar tho President OF the unis
ted States, acting through the War Department
aud the Commissi oner Of the Freed men q Bprsau,
Tbs agents TO carry out this military Jurisdiction
are 70 be selected either from the army or from
civil the country is to be divided into dis
I'd 81 ...1a - ll.A H.. -
ried SCENTS to be employed may be equal to the
number ofrounties or parishes in all the United
s..t.s where freedmen and refugees are, to be
The subjects over which, this, military Iuris.
dittionis to extend N every part Of the ,6nlled
States, Include protection TO 'all employees
agents, and oicers Of this BureAu In the exercise
Of the duties imposed upon them by the bill.
cases aheetDg freed mon and refugees discrimi-
mated against "by local law, custom, or preju.
dice. lnthese eleven States, the bill subjects
any whit. Psrsen whH pay b charged with
Duhlties belonging to whits persons,iI toim-
prisonmept or dns, or bethr-yithout, however,
defining the "siyil rights and INN upItiesH
which are thus to,be secured to the freedman by
military law. This military Jurisdiction also
extends to all questions that may arise respect.
ing contracts. The agent who Ia thus to exer
oiss the ohiee Of military Judge may be q
stranger, entirely Ignorant Of the laws Of the
which all men are liable. The exerclse Of power,
over which there is no legal superyislon, by so
yastA nunber Of agentsas Is contemplated by
the bill, must, by the very nature ~ man, be at;
tended BY acts Of caprice, injustice, and passion
The trials having their origin under this bill
are to lake place without the Intervention OF q
jury, and without any fixed rnles pf Law or eyi.
"hesrd aud detsrmined'' by the bnu merous
agents are such rules and regulations rs the
President, through the War Department, shall
No previous presentment ia required,
a crime against the laws; but the trial must pro.
coed on charges and specifications. The pnnish.
ment will be--not what the law declares, but
such As court: martial may think properj aud
from these arbitrary tribunals there lies no APP
peal, NO writ Of error TO any Of the courts In
which the Constitution OF the United States vests
The Judicial power Of the country
While the territory and the classes Of action
and offences that are made subject to this messl
ura ara 80 extensive, the bill ITSELF should Il be-
come Ahw, will have no Limitation In point Of
time, but Will FORMS part Of the permanent le- |
gislahon Of the country, ! cannot reconcile a
system Of military Jurisdiction Of this kind with
the words OF the Constitution, which declare
that mo person shall be held to Answerfor q
capital or otherwise Infamous crime, unless on a
prssentment or indictment Of grand Jury, ex-
rept In cases arising In the land and naval forces
Or In the militia, when In actual service In time
Of war or public danRer;' and that Din all
criminal prosecution the accused shall enJoy the
light to ssPsedy and public trial, BY an Impartial
ury Of the State or district wherein the crime |
hall have been committod - The safeguards |
which the experience and wisdom OF ages taught |
our fathers to establish as securities for the pro-
setiOn Of the innoeent ths Paai thmset q the
are to be set aside, and, for the sake Of more
vigorous tnterpositiou N behalf Of justice, We
IRE to take the risk Of TIA many acts OF injustice
hat would necessarily follow from an almost |
countless number OF agents, established in every
parish or county in nearly third OF the States Of
he Uuiou, over whose decisions there is TO be no
supervision or control by the Federal courts The
power that would DO thus placed In the hands OF |
he President Is such as In time Of peace GER
ainly ought never to be entrusted to any one
man.
II II be asked whether the creation Of such |
tribunal within State Is warranted as a meas.
are Of war, the question Immediately presents
tself, whether We are still engaged In war. Let |
is not unnecessarily disturb the ommeroe and |
,redit and industry OF the country, by declaring
z 2 the h Ansrlsan people aud to the world that
var. Al present, there u no part Of our country
u which the authority Of the United States Is /
disputed. offences that may be committed by |
ishis Of whole communities. Tho country has
Industry, and the REBELLION Is, Il fact, x an end
The Measure, therefore, seems 70 be as inconsst-
!, At variance VIII tAs Constitution Of the enited
n, passing from general considerations, we
xamlns the bill In detail, y Is open to wsfghty
IN lime Sr war II was snihsntiy proper that
70 should provide f5r thoss who were passing
pddsnlv from condition Of bondsgeto state
4 Freedom But thu bill pfeposss' 70 make the
'reeaBen's Bureau, estAblished by the act OIL
seo As one Of many great aud extraordinary
nililAry measures q 4pPpress a formidable re-
'ellion. q permanent branch Of the public ad-
with It's powers greatly saiStged.
have no reason to suppose, and do not under.
iand Il to 30 alleged that the act OF March, 1855,
las proved deficient for the purpose for which II
'assed, although at that time, and for . considef-
BILE period thereafter, the Government Of the
lated States remained unack nowledged In most
4 the States whose inh lbitauts had been Involved
a the rebellion. The Institution Of slavery, for
he military dsttruption OF which the Freenen's
bureau was called Into existence as al auxiliary,
las been alreed y sdectuAlly and nnally abrogated
hroughou the whole country by an amendment
{ the Constitution flhs United States, ADD prae-
icaly Its Grad icaton has resolved the assent and
occurrence Of most fthose States In which Il at
BILE to diAcern, In the condition Of the country,
anything to Justify an apprehension that the |,
overs and agencies Of the Freed mel q Bureau, /
Ehiah wore elective for the protection OF freed
nen and refugees during the actual continuance
hostilities aud 81 African aeryitude, will now.
layery, prove Inadequate TO the same proper
nds II I am correct In these views, there can
% no necessity for the enlargement OF the powers
the bureau for which provision Ia made In the
The third section Of the bin AUTHORIZES gen II
raj and unlimited grant OF support to the dest-
ute and suffering refugees and freedmen, their
Rvs and children. Succeeding sections make
toyision for the rent or purchase Of landed ss. Id
Atea for freedmen, and for the erection, for their