North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-02-28

whose decision there is to b" no supervi-
sion or control bv the Federal courts. The
p >wer that would he thus placed in the
hands of the President is >nch as in time of
peace certainly ought never t. be entrust-
ed to anv one man Tit b asked whether
the crtarOn of such tribunal within a
Stat" il warranted AS - measure of war, the
Question immediately presents itself wheth-
er we are still engaged in war Let us rot
unnecessarily disturb the commerce. and
credit and industry of the country hy de-
c airing TO the American people and the
world that the United States are still in "A
CONDITION Of civil war At present there:
is no part of our country in which the a,l-
th"ri,y Of the United States is disputed. -
Ofprses that may be committed 10y inIi.
vduals shond not work a forfeiture of the
rights nf the same communities. The
country has entered, or is returning to a
state of p' ace and industry, and the rebel
| lion Is. in fact ut on end. The measure,
therefor. seems 10 be as inconsistent with
! tht actual condition "f ,he couotrv, as it is
at variance with the Constitution Of the
| United States.
If passing from general considerations,
we examine the bill in detail. it is open to
weighty objections. In time of war it was
| eminently proper that We should provide
for those WHO wrr" pass NC suddenly from
a cnnd ton OF bondage TO a state of Fl ee,Iom
Bur this l,ill proposes to make the Freed
mems Bureau-establisle by the act of
1865 AS one of many great and extraordi-
nary military measures to suppress 'or-
midable rebelliOn-a permanent l.rmch of
the public Administrations, with its powers
greatly enlarged. | have no reason to
suppose, aud do not understand it to be
alleged, that the act of March, 1865, has
proved deficient for the purpose for which
it was passed although at that time, and
| for cons derAhle peri6,l thereafter. the
! Government f the United States remain
ed unacknowledge IN most of the States
whose Inhabitants have been involved in
the rebellion. The institution of slavery,
i for the m litary destruction of which the
Frrpdmen'> Bureau was call into existence
| "a An auxiliary force. has been already eff
! fectually and finally ahrog lted throughout
the whole country by an amendment of the
! VI INC - itCI 'DI"'os '''N
practically its eradicafio has received the
assent and concurrence of most of the
States IN whlrh II any lime had existed.
! I am not. tn.refo G, abl" to discern in tic
country ANYTHING rojust fy an apnr"h"r-
| sion fh't The POWERS an a"encieS ct the
! Fre"dmrn's Ruraau which were effective
o. the protect n of free imnn and refugees
during t'e actual continuation Of hnstiliIies
end of African servitnde, will now in
| time Of peace and after the abolition of
| slavery prove inadequate 10 the same prop
or ends. If [ am corr ct in + ese views.
th-r,' can be no Necessity for III" enlarge
lnpnt of the powrrs of the Bnreau, for
which provision is made in the bill. Th"
iird -rctior. ofrhr b II authorizes a general
and unlimited grant of support TO the dcs-
! tiiutr ard Srf; ring rcfnrets and freedmen
and their wives AMI chil'ren Succ"rdinr
sections max. provision for the rent or
! purchase of landed t tes for freedmen and
! f,r the erertion. for th.ir her.f fir. ot sIila-
hl- buildings for asy INNS ard schools. the
! EXPENSES tn drfrave from the treasury o.
the whole people The Congress of the
! United States has never heretofore ihonght
! its II corr petrnt TO es abli>''nr laws beyond
the District Of C"lamb'a. except for the
benz fiji of our disabled snl.i erS and sailors.
3 II has never founded schools f'r auy class
of our ow" people, lot evn fer the or
) phans "f those. who have fallen in the de
. fi.nS of the Ino1. bnt has left the ear of
! their education t. tie much more CONF: -
, tint and efficient control Of he States. Of
! communities. of private assoc natr ns and of
! individuals. 1t has never deemed itself
author I'D 20 expend tn" public m"'"v for
the rent or purchss" of home. FOR Q ho's-
ands not to saw millions. of the white race
who are honestly toi ing from dav to dav
! for their subsistence A system for the
support Of INDECENT persons IN the United
States was never co templated by the AL
thors of the Constitution Nor can anv
good reason be- advanced WHY AZ pernla-
nent cStah ishmtnt. it should be found' d
| for one class or color Of orr peonle more
than for another. Pending e war. many
! refugees and freedmen received support
i from th- Government. but it was never IN
tenlel that they should heneeforth he fed.
clothed, educated and sheltered by the
| United States. The idea on which the
slaves were assisted to freedom, WIS that
on becoming free they wo lid be sef s's-
tanning population Any LEGISLATION that
shall imply that they are not expected to
attain s.lf sustain ing condition have
a tendency injurious alike to their charac-
ter aud their prosperity. The appointment
of an agent for every county and pirl<h
will create an immense patronage and The
expcnse of the numerous officer. and their
clerks, to be appointed nv the President
will he great in the beginning. with ten.
dency steadily TO increase. The appropria-
tions asked by the Fresdmen's Bureau, al
now established for the year 1868, amount
to- $ll.745, 900. 1t may be safely esti-
mated the cost TO be.incurred, under the
pending bill, ~ill require double that