Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-01
From the New Orleans Picayune
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The veto OF the Freedmen's Buseau bin has
alien upon the country with thesafne electric
thrill az the cry OF land hoi does upon the tesH~
pest driven vessel whose crew, worn by storms
and thunder and darkness, are ready to aban-
don themselves aud hope 10 a career OF RUTHLESS
fate. It is the first glimmeringo Of day upon the
mountain top; the first streak Of light that
gilds the cloud that has hung like a pail OF
utter darkness upOn the land. The madness OF
secession mas been succeeded by the. wldef
mauMess Of faction the revolution tunF was
Quelied hy the suppression of the rebellion has
been followed by an attempt at q revolution
more sweeping han The secessiOntsts pro-
posed. FOR who will say that II the Com
Inittee OF Fifteen, in whose hands all the
powers Of the Naifonsl Legislature seem
the GoNernment they VII give US would
resemble the time-hon0red fabricOf our fathers.
any more than an accomplished secession would
have doneF The very TACT OF the formation OF
such q committee, who's secret proceedings are
conducted upon the Venetian model when
Venice WINS q scarlet whore, WINS such a depar-
ture from the traditions Of American legisla-
ton as fOreboded the monstrosities which have
been incuhated in that nest Of cOcatricies.
They have scarcely LEFT a feature OF the Old
Constitution iptact; they have assaulted 10 in
all its parts, and iD such measure, that We're
half their innovation 20 prevail, the govern
uent they would give Us, would as htle resem-
bic the ancient charter OF American liberty rs
the statue Of Apollo, adorned in the gro
tesque habit Of the Harlequin. would the great
est achievement OF the Grecian chisel.
I. Apart from the adaptation 81 the veto 10 the
particular bin which drew 1t forth. II Is grand
M the STURDY nfsilfnn AHF 1ft1iaEElA has NthEtt
in defense Of the Constitution WheneNT an as
sault against II is meditated. The particular
I points OF the veto require special attention, ana
win receive IT. but for TIE present II Is more
l agreeable to sneak OF to in this large ana com
manding aspect The Constitution Is threat
ened in many other measures besides tnls one
I o the enlargement Of THE powers of the Freed
mems Bureau-measures Rermain " 50 Tar as
inspired 10y the same spirit Of sectional amhl~
ton, prejudice or hatred; Dut dhlerent IA iofti
and somewhat so in application. In the veto
before us. the President with nrmness more
] imposing from IFS being entirely nee rom Naunt
I or rhetoric. places himself In the breach, res
Bv a drment OF the Council of Fifteen -
| for the Committee on Reconstruction, with its
usurned powers, better deserves the name OF
council than 'committee"-by a hgInent OF
1 this Council the country is considered 10 be yet
ina actual war, though from the centre TO the
I circumference Of the Union the old nag waves
the emblem OF an lndtspu5able sovereignty
I although in every place Of public resort the
star Spangled Hammer Is played ~ IulsQnof-
l Gus orchestra, and Yankee Doodle piped at
I all the cross roads of the extinct cOnfederacy
and further, though the great chieftain who
struck the rebel nag ere yeti stain was upon 10
or his own bright escutcheon, has been an one
dent witness In Washington at the OF
I he~dfeen. evertheIes the legislation tuauEu-
rated In this reservoir OF me aufreidrrel po"tIa
of Congress is preulcateu upon tins same Lg-
ment that war IS fragrant tnrougnout lne
South. To give vitality 20 THIS notion, spies are
I DISPATCHED into lusurrectiunary states 10 dis
cover Ormanufacture treason the dlsappointed
] a~dyeufurrr attributes his losses 70 seditiOn the
I bafHed Spectator Is 10 less clamorOus OF South
ern disanection these and the outpouringN OF
certain very great percentages. Whor When lhT
South became barren OF moFaieS attempted
TO manipulate her into close DoroCghs 10 Eahhp
@ damaged political reputation, are alas on
which the Committee relieS 10 Keep the puDlc
mind at the North IN a state Of frenzy.
The purpose of the fifteen in this matter is
patent 10 eyerLacandid mind, North OF south.
me idea OF a contlnued state of war" is kept
IN to Justify the exclusion Of the southern
members uOm the halls OF Congress, auc TINS
exclusion is maueuyereu 10 secure the Passage
OF d series Of laws OF which that now vetoed is
a principal one. Win q luli southern repre-
~eutaUOn these laws could not pass, ana with a
partial one they could not pass over the veto.
Hence the reference 70 the fifteen" OF the ere
deufialS of the southern members, ana their
abavaurp in that Committee tin he cOnSumma-
ion OF the revolutionary projects ofthe radical
marty. These laws affect IN a special manner
The constituencies that are excluded from a
hearing, and 10 is the design OF the committee
that they shall not be heard untH their IN
famous bills are ont Of reach OF recall.
IL is right here that President Johnson makes
his stand. The rebellion IS IN act' az an end.
This is the language OF me Veto. 10 speak IN
Bbrase0logy Of late too familiar in the land,
This is the grand centre OF his position. He has
the truth OF history as a breastwOrk, and either
y-ing IL covered by the Constitution and By JUS
lice, Moreover, as q corrOlary Of the war
being al an end, all those laws which were
iusfi6ei alone by the eXieencies Of war
should be 10 an end also. There has been
an hshltual misuse OF language which has
had It's effect corfu tiug the public Judgment,
in speaking OF % measure prlIE cphSulutlona4
from the necessities OF war. We have nothing
10 saw against O. resort 70 measures iB order 20
save the life of the nation winch were not con-
temuIated By nor were within The grants of the
Constitution. However luSfinahle these might
be al the time. il IS as clearly @ misuGu1er to
cali Them constitutional as 10 would be to call a
powerful alkii the normal food of a man, be-
cause il may have caguJe-actei some virulent
acid which Ge had accidentally swallowed.
Again, the war being over, the rebellion
ended. the acts of secession void, the insurgent
States naturally lake their places in the Union,
and any laws passed to their prejudice which
could not have been passed had they been
allowed their Constitutions right of repreSen-
tatiOu in the Legislature, are SO clearly unjust
as TO be evolutionary II not unconstitutional
from that defect. The language Of the veto
uu0n the doctrine of representation and Taxa
ton as cOrrelative in respect Of right and
duty. applies with equal force 70 laws which
are quite as bUrden>Ome as taxation, and OF
vastly more consequence as dISOrEaniZing the
sources from wf1euceth he means Of pay ding taxes
are derived.
It seems, however, that one grand end of the
reyDIutiDuiSt> has been ueleat-H-ihe veto has
been sustained without the aid of southern
votes. This has been accomplished 10y the aid
of SIX members OF the dOusuanr party in the
senate. who gave 70 thelE'cuuntry what was
due 90 theiE country. II this presaEes the fate
OF the entire batch OF kindred measures. the
people may take courage and bldc the coming
day. There g.. a natural impatIeUCe in "a brave
being treated as beligereut and spoken OF
as having consented TO peace in fraud or
for bad purposes. The manifestations Of this
imUatIeuce are her0lded as indications of
another outbreak. The great events which we
now record should have their weight in calm
ing the popular feeling and Christening the lrrf-
liability of calumniatBd people. by the hope OF
better things TO come. The darkest hour Of
but like an old savings has a wise moral al the
bottom oft. Its complication may be near
upon rs. Meanwhile let us strengthen the
hands that are raised in our succOr.