The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-04-06

ance OF quasi judicial duties.
The 9th section empowers the commits.
siouers to be selected by the courts, to ap.
point in writing, under their hands, one
or more suitable persons, from time to
time to execute warrants and other pro.
cosses described by the bil These nu.
merous official agents are mado to con.
stitute n sort OF police, in addition to
the military, aud are authorized to sum.
mon u posse comitatps aud oven TO call
TO aid such portion of the land aud naval
forces of the United States, or Of the militia,
"as may be necessary to the Performance ot
the duty with which they are charged" ="
This extraordinary power is to bo conferred
on agents irresponsible TO the Government
and to the people, to whose number the do.
secretion of tho commissioners is the only
limit, aud in whose hands such authority
might be made terrible engine Of wrong,
oppression and fraud. The general stat
utes regulating the land and naval forces Of
the United States, the militia aud the cxocu-
tiou o! the laws are believed to be adequate
for every emergencywhch can occur in time
Of peace. If it should prove otherwise,
Congress can at any time amend those laws
IN such manner as, while subscribing the
public welfare, not to leopard the rights,
interests and liberties of tho people
Tho 9TH section provides that fee Of $40
shall be paid to each Commissioner in every
case brought before him, aid a fee of IS to
his deputy or deputies "for each person he
or they may arrest and take before any such
Commissioner, with such other fees as may
be deemed reasonable by such Commits
sioner, in general for performing such other
duties as may he required in the premises
All these fees are to be paid ont of the treas.
ury of the United States" whether there il
conviction or not but in case Of conviction
they are to bo recoverable from the defend.
ant 1t seems to Inc that under the influ.
ence of such temptations bad men might
convert any law, however bene6cent, into
an instrument Of persecution aud fraud.
BY the Sth section of the bill, the United
Estates Courts, which sit in ono place for
white citizens must migrate with the Mar
shal aud District Attorney, and necessarily
with the Clerk, although lie is not mem
toned, to any part of tho District upon the
order Of the President aud there hold a
Court, for the purpose Of the more speedy ar.
rest and trial of persons charged with vio-
lation Of this act, and there the Judge and
the officers of tho Court must remain upon
the order of the President for the time
! therein designated.
The 9th section authorizes the President
or such person as lie may empower for that
purpose 10 employ such part of the land or
naval forces of tho United States, or of the
militia, as shall DO necessary to prevent the
violation and enforce the due execution of
this act. This language seems to imply a
permanent military force that is to be al
ways at hand and whose only business is to
be the enforcement of this measure over the
vast region where it is intended 10 operate.
| do not propose to consider the policy Of
this bill. To Inc the details of the bill seem
fraught with evil. The white race and
blOck race of the South have hitherto lived
together under the relation of master and
save--oapital owning labor. Now, that rc.
lation is changed, and as to ownership,
capital and labor are divorced. They stand
now each master of itself. In this new rea-
ton, one being necessary to the other,
there will he new adjustment which botl
are deeply Interested in making harmo
nious. Each has equal power in settling the
terms, and if left to the laws that regulate
capital and labor, it is confidently believed
that they will satisfactorily work out tho
problem. Capital it is true, has more in.
tolligenoe, hut labor is never so ignorant as
not to understand its own interests, not 20
know its own value, and nut to see that
capital must pay that value. r
This bill illustrates this adjustment.
It intervenes between capital aud labor,
and attempts to settle questions of po-
litical economy through the ngency of
numerous officials, whose interest it will be
TO iomeut dscord between the two races,
for as the breach widens, their employment
will continue, aud when it is closed their
occupation will terminate. In all our his
tory, in all our experience as people liv-
ing under Federal aud State law, no such
system as that contemplated by the details
of this bill has ever before been proposed
or adopted. They establish for tile security
of the colored race. safeguards which 90
infinitely beyond any that the General Cow
3ernment has ever provided for tho white
race. ln fact, the distinction OF race and
color is, by the bill, made to operate in fa-
vor OF the colored and against the white
race. They interfere with the municipa leg.
islation of the States with the relations ex,
listing exclusively between State aud its
citizens, or b tween inhabitants of the same,
Staies--an absorption and assumption of
power by the General Government, which,
il acqulesced in, must sap and destroy our
fedcrative system Of limited powers, and
break down the barriers which preserve
the rights of the States. Ii is another step
or rather stride towards centrulizatiou and
the concentration Of all legislative powers
in the Dational Government. The tendency
of the bill must be to resnsctate the spirit
of rebellion and to arrest the progress of
those influences which are more closely
drawing around the States the honds Of
Union and peace. Ny lamented predecessor,
in his proclamation of the LIST of January,
1863, ordered and declared that all persons
held as slaves within certain States and
parts Of States therein designated, were and
thenceiorward should be free, and further,
that the Executive Government Of the Uni.
ted States, including the military and naval
authorities thereof, would recognize aud
maintain the freedom Of euch persons. This
guarantee has been rendered especially OBJ
hgatory and sacred by the amendment of
the Constitution abOlishiug slavery through
out the United States.
therefore fully recognize the obligation
t. project and defend that class Of our peo-
pie whenever aud wherever il shall become
necessary, and to the full extent compatible
with the Constitution OF the United States.
Entertaining these sentiments, ID only 70
mains for me to say that will cheerfully
cooperate with Congress in any measure
that may be necessary for the protection
of the civil rights of freedmen as well az
those Of all ofher classes OF persons through
out the Upited States, by judicial process
under equal and impartial laws, OF IN con-
fOrmity with the provisions Of the Federal
Cot stituiion. .fu
now return the bin to tile Senate, and
u 4 4