The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-21

may be committed by InglVldualS should
not work forfeiture Of the rights Of the
same communities. The country has en-.
tered or is returning TO state of peace
and Industry, and the rebellion is in fact
at an end, The measure, therefore, seems
to be as inconsistent with the actual
condition Of the country as 1t Is at varl-
| apce with the Constitution Of the United
States. II, passing from general consid-
erations, we examine the bill In detail, it
is open to weighty objections In time
of war it was epInently proper that We
should provide for those who were pass.
ing suddenly from condition OF bond
age to state Of freedom, but this bill
proposes to make the Freedmen's Bureau,
established by the act Of 1866, as one Of
many great aud extraordinary military
measures to suppress Ia tormidablel rebel
lion, permanent branch Of the pubic
administration, with its powers greatly
enlarged. ! have no reason to suppose,
| and i do not understand it to be alleged
that the act OF March, 1865. has proved
| deficient for the purpose for which 1t
was passed, although at that tlme aud
for a considerable period thereafter, the
Government OF the United States remain
ed unacknowledged in most of the States
whose inhabitants had been involved In
the rebellion The institution Of slavery,
Tor the military destruction OF which the
Freedmen's Bureau was called into eX-
istence, as an auxiliary force, has been
already ettectually and finally abrogated
throughout the whole country by an
amendment to The Constitution OF the
United States, and practically its eradica-
ton has received the assent and concur.
renee of most of those States in which
at any time ii had existed. am not
therefore able TO discern IN the country
anything to justify au apprehension that
the powers and agencies OF the Freed.
mems Bureau, which were effected for
tho protection of freedmen and refugees,
during the actual continuation OF hos.
tilitieS, and of African seryltude, will
now in time Of peace and after the abol-
itiOn Of slavery, prove inadequate to the
same proper ends. If am correct il
these views, there can be no necessity
for the enlargement Of the powers OF the
Bureau, Tor which provision is made in
the bill.
The third section OF the bill author
ICES general unlimited amount OF sup.
port TO the destitute and suffering freed. |
Ii Ell and their wives and children. Sue
Ceediug sections make provision for the |
rent or purchase of landed estates tor
freedmen, and for the erection for their |
benefit OF suitable buildings for asylums
and schools, the expenses to be betrayed
from the Treasury Of the whole people.
The Congress of the United States has |
never heretofore thought itself compe-
tent TO establish any laws beyond the |
limits of the District of Columbia, eX
cept for the benefit Of our disabled sol. |
diers and sailors 1t has never founded |
schools for any class OF our own people,
not even for the orphans of those who |
have fallen in defense of the Union, but |
has left their education to the much |
more competent and efficient control OF
the States, Of communities, OF private as,
SociatiOns, and Of individuals. 1t has
never deemed itself authorized to eXpend |
the public money for the rent or pur'
chase of homes for the thousands, not to |
say Mullins OF the white race who are
honestly toiling day BY day for their
subsistence. a system for the support
was never contemplated by the author
ity Of tbs Constitution, nor can any
good reason be advanced why, as per.
manent establishment, it should be
founded IoI one class or color OF people |
more than another. Pending the war,
many refugees and freedmen received |
support from the Government, butt was |
never intended that they should hence
forth be teG, clothed, educated aud shsl'
tered by the United States, Ihe Idea on |
which the slaves were assisted to tree.
dom was that, on becoming treei they !
would pe self.sustaining population
Any legislation that shall imply that |
they arc lot expected to attain a sell |
sustaining condition, must have teu-
deDcy Injurious alike 10 their Character
and prosperity
Tie appointment of al agent f5r every |
county and parish vii! create az In
msnse patronage, and the eLpsuso VI tue |
numerous officers and their clerks to De |
arpointed by the President will be great
in the beginning, with tendency stead
iIv 10 increase The appropriations
asked by the Freedmeu's Bureau as now
established, for the year 1855, amount to
al 745 900. II may be safely estimated
Tbar tha cost 70 DO Incurred under the |
peudtng bill will require double that
amount, more than the entire sam eX'
pauded il any one year under the ad.
mialstratiou OF the second Adams. II
the presence Of an agent Ia every parish |
aud county is to 6e considered as d war
measure, opposition or even resistance
might be provoked, 30 as 10 give effect to
their Jurisdiction; troops would have 10 |
be stationed within react OF every Que
of them, aud thus large tOrce would be-
come necessary large appropriations
would therefore be required 10 sustain
and enforce military jurisdiction IN eY'
erv county and parish frem the Potomac
to tbs Ris Grands. The condition otour
fiscal affairs is encouraging, but IN order
10 sustain tie present measure OF puoAc
confidence, IL Is necessary that we prac-
tice not merely customary economy, but,
as far as possible, general retrepchments.
In addition TO the objections already
stated, the fifth section of the bill pro.
poses 10 take away land from its former
owners without any legal proceedings
being first had, contrary TO that provl'
sion of the Constitution which declares
that no person shall be deprived Of life,
liberty OF property without due process
of law. Il does not appear that the
lands TO whicn this section refers may
not be owned by minors or persons OF
unsound mind, or by those who have
been faithful TO all their obligations as
citizens Of the United States. II any
! 4. ! y,