Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-04-13

longing to every freemen, the blfthrlght
of every American citizen, and carefully
avoided comforting or interfering with POI
litical rights or privileges of any kind
The bill neither confers nor abridges the
rights of any one, but simply declares that
in civil rights there shall be an equality
among all classes of citizens, and that all
alike shall be subject to the same punish
ment in each State, so it does not abridge
the fundamental rights belonging, under
the Constitution, to all citizens. All that
is required is that in this respect its laws
shall be impartial. And yet this is the
bill now retusnedzbyz,tiae.-Pse
The Constitution gives Congress the
power to make all laws necessary and
proper for carrying into execution all
powers vested by the Constitution in the
Government of the. United States, or in
any department or Office thereof; the Pres
ident is required, in carrying out his pow
ers to achieve obedience to law, the very
thing which he refuses to do. He says:
''The tendency of this bill must be to re-
suscitate the spirit of rebellion" What
an assumption III one who denies the au-
thority to punish those who violate United
States laws under color of State authority,
declaration from which the rebellion
sprung, in entire harmony with the dec
laration of Mr.. Buchanan, that there was
no power to coeree a State. ~ 7i-5. sc
But Sir, out of the mouth of Senator
Andrew johnson, Twill prove that Presi-
dent Andrew johnson has violated the
spirit of the Constitution, if not its letter,
in yetoing the bill. 1t Will be remembered
that the bill passed both Houses of Com
gress by more than a two-thirds majority !;
the vote in the Senate being, yeas SO,
nays II; in the House, yeas lis, nays SO.
l will read from the remarks of Senator
Andrew johnson, on the. veto of the
Homestead bill by Mr. Buchanan: 'The
President of the United States presumes
yes, sir, presumes--to dictate to the
American people, and to the two Houses
of Congress, in violation of the spirit, if
not the letter of the Constitution, that
this measure shall not become a law
Why do l say this? l ask, is there any
difference in the spirit OF the Constitution,
whether measure is sanctioned by "a two
thirds vote, before its passage, or after
wards When measure has been vetoed
by the President, the Constitution requires
that it shall be reconsidered, and passed
by two-thirds vote, in order to become a
law. But here, in the teeth of the Exec
utive, there was a two thirds vote in favor
of this bill. The vote was SO to IL in this
body. The two houses have said that
this measure is Constitutional and right
In the other House, rejecting the popu-
lar sentiment of the nation, the vote was
lI5 to 5S, ten more than the two-thirds
majority, which the Constitution requires
and when there is a two-thirds vote for a
measure, say it is against the spirit Of
the Constitution for the Executive to say
"No; you shall not have the measure. |
will take all the chances of f-vetoing it. y
Apply this language to the facts connected
with the bill, and then say who has viola
ted the spirit of the Constitution. This
bill in no manner interferes with the mu-
nicipal regulations of any State, which
protects all alike in their rights of person
and property 1t could have no operation
in Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, OF
most of the States of che Union. How
preposterous, then, to charge that unless
some States can have and exercise the
right to punish somebody, or to deny
somebody civil right, on account of his
color, that its rights as State will be de-
stroyed. .
It is manifest that unless this bill can
be passed, nothing can be done to protect
the freedmen in their liberty and their
rights. Whatever may have been the
opRion of the President at one time, as to
good faith in requiring the security to the
freedmen of their liberty and their prop
erty, it is now manifest, from the character
of his objections to this bill, that he will
approve no measure that will accomplish
the object That the second clause. of the
Constitutional amendment gives this power
there can be no doubt Some have con
sidered that it gives the power eyento con.
fer the right of suffrage. l have moi
thought so, because | have never thought
suffrage any more necessary to the liberty
of freedman than Of non-voting white
whether child or female. But his liberty
under the constitution he is entitled to-
and whatever il. necessary to secure it te
him, he is entitled to have, be it the bal
lot or the bayonet. If the bill now be
fore -, and which goes no further than tc
secure civil rights to freedmen, cannot be
passed, then the Constitutional amend
ment declaring freedom to all the ihhabi
tants of the land, is cheat and a delu
sion.
| cannot better conclude what l have tc
say than in the language of Mr.. johnson
on the occasion of the veto of the Home
stead bill when, after stating the fact that
because the President was inconsistent and
changed his opinion with reference tois
great measure and great principle is nc
reason why a Senator or Representative
who had acted understandingly should
change his opinion, he said: al hope the
Senate and House of Representatives, who
have sanctioned this bill by a two-third'
majority, viii, according to the Constitu
ton, exercise their privilege and power
and let the bill become law Of the land
according to the high behests Of the
American people"
| #t ----44~z.~s- -.
National johnson Club has been formed
at Washington, with Montgomery Blair fol
| President E-s- et..l -Ht
One hundred guns were fired in New Yori
city Tuesday over the final passage of tbs
Civil Rights bill in the House.
John II. Reagan, late Postmaster General o
the rebel government, writes from Texas tina
he has settled down to farming.
A band of guerrillas, led by notorious reb
el officer, are plundering indiscriminately il
the interior of South Carolina aa7 .#
Texas viii hold her State election on the fourth
Monday in June, and the Legislature will meet
on the fourth Monday in August. u at.o
The Tritunc's Washington special says it i.
generally expected the President will in few
days release JEFF. Davis and C. c. Clay OF