Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-03-17
MISCELLANY. :.
Veto Of the Freedmen's Bureau Bill.

7 have examined with care the bill which
originated in the Senate. aud has been passed
by the two Houses of Congress, to amend an
for the relief Of Freedmen and Refugees" and
for other purposes. Having, with much re-
rrct, come to the conclusion that it would not
be consistent with the public welfare to give
my approval to the measure, return the bill
to the Senate with my objections to its bccom-
ing law.
| might call to mind, in advance of these
objections, that there is no immediate nccessi-
ty for the proposed measure. The Act to es-
tablish Bureau for the relief of freedmen and
refugees, which was approved in the mouth of
March last, has not yet expired. twas thought
stringent and extensive enough for the pur:
pose in view in time of war. Before it ceases
to have effect, further experience may assist
to guide us to u wise conclusop as to the pol
icy to be adopted III time of peace.
I share with Congress the strongest desire
of their freedom and their property, aud their
entire independence and equality in making
contracts for their labor; but the bill before
me contains provisions which, in my opinion,
are not warranted by the Constitutions and are
The bill proposes to establish, by authority
of the United States containing refugees amp
ply with most force to those parts of the Uni.
Scii States iiishiti1 tlie freedmen most abound,
and it expressly extends the existing tempora-
ry Jurisdiction of the Frecdmcn's Bureau, with
greatly enlarged powers, over those States,
~, tl,O nr1i itnr rca nj
cccdngs has been interrupted by the rebel
lion'' The source from which this military
jurisdiction is to cnlanate is none other than
tile President Of the United States, acting
through the War Department and the Com
missioner of the Frccdmens Bureau. ! he
agents to carry out this military jurisdiction
nre to be selected either from the army or from
civil life; the country is to be divided into
districts and sub districts and the number of
snlaried agents to be employed may be equal
to the number Of Counties or Parishes in all
the United States where freedmen and refu-
gees are to be found
The subjects over which this military juris-
dction is to extend i'll every part Of the Uni
ted States, include protection to call employ
ees, agents and officers of this Bureau in tile
exercise of the dufcs imposed upon them.
by the bill. In eleven States it is further to
extend over all cases affecting freedmen and
refugees dscriminated against '"by local law,
custom or prejudice" In those eleven States
the bill subjects any white person who may be
charged with depriving freedman of "any
civil rights or immunites belonging to white
PERSONS" to imprisonment or tinc, or botl,-
without however, defining the ";civil rights
and immunities which arc thus to be secured
; 20 the freedman by military law. This mill
tary jurisdiction also extends to all questions
that may arise respecting contracts. The
agent who is sl,us to exercise the office of a
military Judge may be stranger, entirely ig-
norant of the laws of the place, aud exposed
to the errors Of judgment to which all men are
liable The exercise Of power, over which
there is no legal supervision, as is contempla-
ted by the bill, must, by the very nature Of
man, be attended by acts Of caprice, injustice
and passion.
The trials having their origin under this
bill ire TO take place without the intervention
of jury and without any fixed rules Of law
or evidence. The rules OIL which offences are
to be heard and determined by the numer-
ous agents, are such rules and regulations as
the President through the War Department,
shall prescribe. No previous prescntment is
required, nor any Indictment charging the
commission Of crime against the laws; but
the trial must proceed on chargcs ana specifi.
IL, .,ll l, -l..I