Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-04-05

desirable by the bill. These numerous
official agents are made to constitute a
sort of police, In addition to the militia
ry, and are authorized to summon
posse comitatus and even to call to their
aid such portion of the land and naval
forces o. the United States, or of the
militia, as may be necessary to the per.
Torrance of the duty with which they
are charged, This extraordinary power
Is to be conferred upon agents, irrespon-
sible TO the government and to the peo-
pie, TO whose namber the discretion of
commissioners is the only limit, and in
whose hands such authority might be
made a terrible engine of wrong, OPP
| preston and fraud. The general stat
utes regulating the land and naval
forces OF the United States, the militia,
and the execution OF the laws, are be-
lieved to be adequate to any emergency
which can occur in time of peace. If it
should prove otherwise, Congress can at
E. any time amend those laws in such a
manner as, while subscribing the public
welfare, not to leopard the rights, inter-
ests and liberties of the people.
The seventh section provides that a
fee OF $40 shall be paid each commits
sioner, in every case brought before him,
and fee of s. to his deputy or deputies
for each person he or they may arrest
and take before any such commissioner
and with such other fees as may be
deemed reasonable by such commissioner
in general, for performing such other du-
ties as may be required in the premises.
All these fees are to be paid out of the
| treasury of the United States, whether
there is conviction or not; but in case
| of conviction they are TO be recoverable
from the defendant. 1t seems TO me
that, under the influence of such tempt
ations, bad men might convert any law,
however benefcent, into an instrument
of persecution and fraud.
By the eighth section OF the bill the
United States courts, which sit only in
one place for white citizens, must mi
CRATE with the marshal and district at
torney, and necessarily with the clerk,
| although he is not mentioned) to any
part of the district, upon order OF the
President, and there hold court for the
| purpose OF the more speedy arrest and
trial of persons charged with the viola
ton of this act; and there the judge and
and officers of the court must remain,
upon order of the President, for the
time designated.
The ninth section authorize the Presi-
dent, or such person as he may empower
for that purpose, to employ such part of
! the land or naval forces of the United
Statess or of the militia, as shall be nee
| 70 hn Nj lot nv
force the due execution Of this act.
This language seems to imply perma-
| nent military force that is to be always
at hand, and whose only business is to
be tho enforcement OF this measure over
the vast region where it is Intended TO
operate.
do not propose to consider the policy
OF this bill. TO me the details OF the
bill are fraught with evil. The white
race and the black race OF the Soath
| have hitherto lived together under the
relation OF master and slave, capital
owning labor. Now that relation is
changed, and as to ownership, capital
and labor and divorced. They stand
| now each master OF itself in this new
relation, each being necessary to the
olher, and there will be 3 new adjust
ment OF the relations which both are
deeply interested in making harmonious.
Each has equBl power in settling terms,
and if left to the laws that regulate cap
ital and labor, it is confidently. believed
that they will satisfactorily work out
| the problem. Capital st is true, has
more intelligence, but labor is nevsr so
| ignorant as not to understand its own
| interests, not to know it's own value,
and not to see that capital must pay
| that value. This bill illustrates the ad-
| justmenJ. IL intervenes between capital
and labor, and attempts to settle ques-
lions OF political economy, through the
agency of numerous officials, whose in
teresC it will be to fonenJ discord be-
tween the two races, for as the breach
widens their employment will continue,
and when closed their occupation will
terminate.
In all our history, in all oar expez-
fence as a people, living under Federal
and State law, no such system as that
contemplated by the details OF this bill
bas ever before been proposed or adopt
ed. They establish for the security OF
the Colored race safeguards which go IN
tinitely beyond any that the general
| government has ever provided for the
white race. In fact, the distinction Of
race and color is by the bill made to op.
crate in favor of the colOred and against
the white race. They interfere with the
municipal legislation Of the States, with
the relations existing exclusively be-
tween i State and it's citizens, or be-
tween the inhabitants OF the same State
The bill proposes On absorption and as
sumption of power by the general gov.
eminent which, l. acquiescsd in, must
sap and destroy our federative system
OF limited powers, and brs&k down the
barriers which preserve the rights Of
the States. It is another step or IA.
ther stride, towards Capitalization and
the concentration OF all legislative pow
ers in the national government. The
tendency of the bill must be to resusci
tate the spirit OF rebellion, and tc
arrest the progress OF those influences
which are more closely drawing around
the bonds of union and peace.
My lamerSed predecessor, IN his proc
lamation OF the lst OF January, 1868