Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-03-23
HENRY WARD BEEcHER' susTA1Ns THE
VETO:

, In aiecture delivered in Brooklyn, N.
Y, Henry Ward Beecher, commenting
upon the Presidents veto Of tue Freed,
mems Bureau Bill, said:
lam sorry that he felt it his duty to ye.
to it, and am sorry that the Bill was 80
drawn up that lie was obliged to feel it his
duty to veto it. But mark! this is not
.vetoing the Bureau, but only particular
form Of bureau that the Bill contained. It
does not commit the President against any
proper department administering for the
blacks throughout the South. We know,
Oh the other hand, that be is in favor of
such bureau. confess that reading his
message it has left a profound impression
on my mind that he urges most serious
and welghty reasons why, in the form in
which it went before him, it should not at
present become the law Of tho land. But
| believe I am sure that no man in the
land is more in favor of efficient legisla-
ton for the black man than President
johnson himself. Loud and continued
applause and few hisses.l They are to
be protected, bnt they are not to be pro-
tectediAssthe expense of the Constitution,
but bysitsihntegrity. No grade in the Uni.
ted Statessis more in need of having that
immortal instrument maintained than the
recently enslaved but now emancipated
black man. There are smen who speak on
ly Of freedmen, who are worked by their
sympathy and by their generous sentiments
so as not we'll to consider that while they
are legislating TO save the freedmen, it may
be at the expense of those laws and those
instruments in which his very safety re-.
sides, and if they are carried past that
point Of moderation, it is we'll that they
should be brought TO reconsideration.
hold it to be dangerous to have power
centralized. I think the most extraordina-
~ thing Of the present time is this: Con-
gress puttinga Bill full OF additional pow.
ers INTO the Presidents hands, making him
stronger than any crowned monarch thi.
side of Russia, and the President saying,
"No,I cannot give my consent 20 bill
that makes me SO strong" What if va
had had the President that had set there
before our martyred Lincoln7 Would he
have vetoed it because there was too much
powers What if we had the President
before him? Would he have been thus
honest3 He may be mistaken in his iudg.
ment; but am greatly mistaken in my
judgment OF men if, since the earliest and
best days Of our Presidency, there has been
a man there who was more honest, more
aingle.minded, and who, without bias Of
party, and without bias Of any kind, has
thus endeayoredto do that which be thought
to be for The best interests of the country
Of, the whole country. [Loud and long
continued applause, fmipgled with few
hisses.] I holdsthat it would be a bad
sign, however, if, he should pass without
criticism or his papers without review. It
is. dangerous to have any man who isnot
amenable to The judgment ~ tie whole
country, and President Johnson as much as
any man, and more because he is in a
place Of more Importance than any other :;
but while, you use your citizens liberty of
speech and Of judgment, dosnot fpiget4hat
you have an able statesman, and an honest
man in the ehairsof the, Chief: Magistrate.
EApPiauae.], + think there ought 70 be
great jealousy Of accumnlating power at
the centre. .: -. - y,