New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1866-03-02
THE P.!EsInEN1,s MESSAGE

nave examined with care the ill
which originated in tlc SENATE, end has
been passed by the two houses If con.
gross, to a!nerd an act entlt1ed "A,
act to establish bureau for the relici
OF freedmen and refugees, and for othe,
PURPOSES. Having With much regr.,
come to the conclusion that it. would not
tie consistent with the pubic welfare tc
give ny approval to The measure, I re-
turn the bill TO the senate, with KY o..
Jec''"'s to sss hec" ming u law.
l.mlsht call TO aina, in advance o,
these objections, The fact that there is
no 'm'nt date necessity for the proposed
measure. The act to establish u t.u.
rean for the reliet Of freeAmcn and ref
ueees which Was approved in the month
Of March last, has not yet expired. /,
was thought stringent aud extensive
enough tor the purI ose in view. Be-
fore 1t ceases to have effect, farther ex
rerlence may assist to guide us to d
"'se conclusion as to the policy to be
adopted il time Of peace.
have, with Congress-, the stronges,
desire to secure to the freedmen the
fi'I e' joymcnt Of their freedom, their
property, and their entire inaepende' c.,
anh equality in making con,rac,s fn
their labor; but the ILL before E1e con-
'aius provisions which, III NY opinion.
'rs not warranted by the con 55.tu,iou
ana ...re not we'll suited 10 accomplish
,h, end in view.
Th, biIl proposes to establish, by
the au,h,,;;,v Of congress, military ju
risd,c,iou ov..' all parts # the Un'led
STATES contain, m. refugees and feel
men. 1t would, ~ :;ts very nature, ap
ply with ncst fo.c> to those parts OF
the United States in which the freed,
men most abound, and it !cxt 'es':y ex
tends the existing temp rar>' J''f'so'c'
llon Ct the treednel's bureau, Viii
greatly enlarged powers, over t.. os''
states in which tho ordinary course c,
judicial proceedings has Teen interrupt
ed by the rebellion.
The source from which this military
jurisdiction is to e.nana.e is none other
than the president Of the United States
acting through the war department. and
tbs commissioner of the freelmc,.'s bu
reau. The agents to carry GU! this
military Jurisdiction are to he selected
either fr'm the army Or from civil life.
The country is to be divided iu,o dis
tricrs and districts, aud tie humber
OF saiar'ed agents to lie employed may
he equal to the number of counties or
parishes in all the United States where
freedmen and refugees are to be f uni.
The subjects over which this military
jurisdiction is to extend in every part
of the United States include protection
to all employees, agents and ctfcers OF
this bureau IN the exercise Of the du-
ties imposed upon them by the bill In
eleven states it is further to extend ia
all cases If citing freedmen and refu-
gees disseminated against by local law,
custom or prtju lice. In these II states
the bill subjects a,y white person who
may be charged with deprivrg a freed
man of any civil nights or immunit.es
belonging to white persons to inprlson-
ment and fine. or both, without. how
ever, defining the civil rights and I'M
munltles which arc thus to he secured
to the freedmen by military law. Thus
military jurisdiction also extends 10 all
questions that may arise respecting con-
tracts. The agent whc is thus 70 exer-
else the office Of military judge my
be a stranger, entirely ignorant of the
laws of the place. and exposed to the
errors of jnagnent to winch all men are
liable. The exercise Of power, over
wh'c" there is no lie al supervise u, by
so vast number Of agents as is cv,-
tenp'a,ed by the bill, must, bv the very
nature Of man, he attended by acts of
caprice, i"jns;lce and power,
The trials having their origin under
tins bill are to take place without the
intervention Of a jury, and without any
fixed rules Of law or evidence. The