The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-07-21
.yrro OF rHE rEEapnEs,s BUREAU BILL..

,hyrFo OF THE FREEDMEN,s BUREAU BILL.
The President yesterday returned to tho
3 House of Representatives the Freedman's
| Bureau bill, without his signature, giving his
reasons therefor, as follows:
To the House OF, Representatives:
A careful examination of the bill passed
by the two Houses of Congress, entitled & An
act to continue in force and to amend An
act to establish bureau for the relief OF
freedmen and refugees and for other pur-
poses" has convinced me that the legislation
which it proposes would not be consistent
with the welfare of the country, and that 1T
falls clearly within the reasons assigned in
my message of the 10Th of February last, re-
turning without my signature similar
measure, which originated in the Senate 1t
is not my purpose to repeat the objections
which then urged. They are yet fresh in
your recollection, and can be readily exam
incd as a part of the records of one branch
of the National Legislature Adhering to
the principles set forth in that message, L
now reaffirm them, and the line of policy
therein indicated.
The only ground upon which this kind of
legislation can be justified is that of the war
making power The act of which this bill
was intended amendatory was passed
during the existence of the war. By its own
provisions it is to terminate within one year
from the cessation of hostilities and the de-
claration of peace. 1t is therefore yet in ex-
istence, and it is likely that it will continue
in force as long as the freedmen may require
the benefit of its provisions. 1t will certainly
remain in operations as law until some
months subsequent to the meeting OF the
next session of Congress, when, if experience
shall make evident the necessity of additional
-, Al. will hox-a
time to mature and pass the requisite meas
ures In the meantime, the questions arise,
why should this war measure be continued
beyond the period designated in the original
act and why, in time of peace, should mill
tary tribunals be created to continue until
each " State shall he fully restored in its con-
. S;itutional relations to the Government, and
shall be duly represented in the Congress of
the United States" 1t was manifest with
respect to the act approved March 3, 1865,
that prudence and wisdom alike required
that Jurisdiction over all cases concerning the
free endowment of the immunities and rights
Of citizenship, well the protection of
person and property. should be conferred
! upon some tribunal in every State or district
where the ordinary course of judicial pro-
ceeding was Interrupted by the rebellion and
until the same should be fully restored. At
! that time, therefore, an urgent necessity ex-
| listed for the passage of some such law. Now,
| however, war has substantially ceased; the
ordinary course of judicial proceedings is no
| longer interrupted: the courts, both State
and Federal, are in full, complete, and sue
cessful operation, and through them every
person, regardless of race and color, is enti-
tied to. and can be heard. The protection
granted to the white citizens is already con-
ferred by law upon the freedman strong and
stringent guards by way of penalties and
punshments are thrown around his person
and iS hn1ia hot
protection will be afforded him by due pro-
cess of law, without resort to the dangerous
eXpedient of military tribunals" now that
the war has been brought to a close. The
necessity no longer existing for such tribunals
which had their origin in the war, grave OBJ
lections to their continuance must present
themselves to the minds of all rejecting and
dispassiOnate men. Independently of the
danger i'll representative republics of confer
ring upon the military in time of peace
extraordinary powers-so carefully guarded
against by the patriots and statesmen of the
earlier days of the Republic, so frequently
the ruin of Governments founded upon the
same free principle, and subversive of the
rights and liberties of the citizens, the ques-
ton of practical economy earnestly COM
mends itself to the consideration of the law
making power. With an immense debt
already burdening the incomes of the indus
trial and laboring classes, due regard for
their interests, so inseparably connected with
the welfare of the country, should prompt us
to rigid economy and retrenchment, aud in
fluence US to abstain from all legislation that
would unnecessarily increase the public in
debtedness. Tested by this rule of sound
political wisdom, l can see no reason for the
establishment of the " military jurisdiction"
conferred upon the officials of the Bureau by
the fourteenth section of the BILL
BY the laws of the United States, and of
+l,a, Il; Cfn+a re Eo1-
era and State, have been established and are
now in full practical operation. BY means
of these civil tribunals ample redress is at
forded for all private wrongs, whether to the
person or the property of the citizens with
out denial unnecessary delay. They are
open to ALL without regard to color or race.
| feel well assured that it will be better to
trust the rights privileges, and immunities
OF the citizen to tribunals thus established,
and presided over by competent and impair
tial Judges, bound by fixed rules of law and
evidence, and where the right OF trial byJury
is guaranteed and secured, than to the ca
price and judgement of an officer Of the Blu
reau who, it is possible, may entirely 1gnor-
ant of the principles that underlie the just
administration of the law. There is danger,
too, that conflict of jurisdiction will fire.
quently arise between the civil courts and
these military tribunals, each having concur
rent jurisdiction over the person and the
CAUSE III dCIIOll-IHS OuC JutilShtuiC
istered and controlled by civil law, the other
by the military How is the conflict to be
settled. and who is to determine between the
two tribunals when it arises In my opinion
it is wise to guard against such conflict by
leaving to the courts and juries the protec-
ton of all civil rights and the redress of all
civil grievances.
The fact cannot be denied, that since the
actual cessation of hostilities many acts of
violence-such perhaps as had never been
witnessed in their previous history-have oc-
Cured in the States involved in the recent
rebellion. 1 believe, however, that public
sentiment will sustain me in the assertion
that such deeds of wrong are not confined to
any particular State or section, but are
manifested over the entire country-demon-
strating that the cause that produced them
does not depend upon any particular locality,
ment incident to a long and bloody civil
war While the prevalence of such disorder