Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-07-18
UNION STATE TICKET.

The New Freedmeu's Bureau Bill
Thank Heaven, the Freedmen's Bureau
Biu. defeated once five months ago, BY a
presidential veto, is at last a law in spite
of q second veto. 1t passed Congress on
Monday by a vote of lO4 ayes 10 80 nays
in the House, and by 30 ayes TO II nays
in the Senate. The of-hsnd and business
like manner in which Congress treated
the second veto, dealing with it as an OBJ
stacle which was to have been expected,
and to be removed as speedily as possible,
contrasts very strongly with the cautious
aud timid way with which it handled the
first veto, and suggests strikingly how
greatly the Presidents power for mischief
has diminished in the half year that has
ELAPSED since his treachery ~becamedehant-
When the President set out in his career
of opposition to the Union party, he had
all the ~ofice-holders, many Union news
papers, a large proportion of the conser-
vstive Union men, and & strong body of
Union members of Congress, who, II they
did not blindly support certainly dld
not oppose him. His first veto was sus-
tanned by q majority of the newspapers
in the country, and the bill vetoed could
not receive q two-thirds majority in the
very house IN which it originated Not
SIX months have passed, and soc how the
President has been shorn Of inhu-
snce by his own follyi The same
bill as that which he first vetoed is again
passed, with no practical provisions alter
ed, and his veto creates not the least SEN
sstion. Congress does not delgn even to
reply to his weak arguments, but treating
his message merely as an obstruction to be
removed, quietly goes through the neces-
ssry formalities of passing the bill by the
required two-thirds vote Andrew John
son is as powerless over Congress as 6
child. He has thrown away the influence
he once had, and is without supporters.
II is unnecessary TO waste words on tho
document itself. As the bill is already a
law in spite of il, perhaps we shall do
well to initiate the example Of Congress
in leaving its impotent malice uunoticed.
Il is worthy the head and heart of the
man who wrote the vetoes Of the Freed
mems Bureau and Civil Rights Bills. It
is but a reinstatement, in weaker but more
concise form, of the arguments which he
urged against the first bill.
The bill itself,sas submitted to the Pres
idenL and passed over his veto, was
printed in our daily and tri-weekly issue
of Thursday last. 1t consists of fifteen
sections. The first continues the present
law in force two years from date. The
second extends the care of the Bureau to
all loyal refugees and freedmen, so as to
make their freedom available to them and
beneficial to the Republic. The third sec
ton authorizes the appointment by the
President Of two assistant commissioners,
to have charge Of districts with such
agents and clerks as they may deem nee
essary, provides for their salary when
civilians-not exceeding 81, 200 each per
annum-and guarantees them military
protection in the discharge Of their duties.
The fourth authorizes the retention IN
service of officers of volunteers on duty
in the Freedmen's Bureau, after their regi-
ments are mustered out. The fifth author
ICES the Secretary of Warto issue necessary
medical supplies, stores and transporta-
ton. The sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth
tenth and eleventh sections confirm the
sale of the eonfscated land in St. Helena
and St. Luke parishes, South Carolina, te
negroes, and provide for the sale of the
remaining lands belonging to the United
States in these parishes in the same man
ner. The twelfth section authorizes the
Commissioner to seize and sell all build
ings belonging to the acknowledgement
ment and use the proceeds for the edu-
cation of the freedmen. The thirteenth
instructs the Commissioner to cooperate
with and assist benevolent societies work
ing for the same end. The fourteenth
guarantees equal civil rights to all with
out regard to race, color, or previous con-
ditiOn of slavery, and provides that the
Bureau shall have military
supervision over cases in which those
rights are denied The fifteenth pre-
scribes the oath for officers of the Bureau.
The only men elected as Unionists who
voted against it were Senators DoolitAs
Norton, and Van Wake, and Representa-
tives Raymond ROEsssaH and Fashburae
of Indiana.
The vote on the rarlnr am.