Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-04-05
NO. 3;s:

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seems to me that under the Influence Of such
temptations had men might convert any hw,
however beiii6cent, nite 81 instpumcufof Pof-
sceufion and fraud. y
By the eighth section OF the bill the Cnitcd
States courts, which si3 Only Ia ene place for
whitecitizcns, must migrate, with the marshal
and the district attorney, (and necessarily with
the clerk, although heis not mentioncdl to any
] pa-t of the district, upon the order OF the rrc-
| silent. and there hold court "f'r the parptss
ef the more speessy arrest and trial es prFsoiis
charged with violation Of thisact, and thcrs
the Judge and officers Of the court must resaAin
upon the orer Of the President, ~fer tue time
therein designated"
The ninth section authorizes the President
or such person as hc may empower for that
purpose, ito employ such part Of the land and
naval forces Of the United States, or Of the
militia, lis shall be necessary ~ prevent the VI
oaion and enforce the due eIccuti m of this
act This language uccnss 10 impiya pesma-
1ient military force, thai isto bcalwaysat band,
and whose only businessis tobethe endorsements
of this measure over the vast region whcrs il Is
intended TO operate. 80.
| do not propose to consider the policy OF
this bill. 10 me the details Of the bill seem
fraught with evil The white race and tho
black race Of the South have hitherto lived to-
gcther under the relations Of master and slave
capital owning labor. Now, suddenly, that
relation is changed, and, rs to ownership, capi-
tai and labor are divorced. They stand now
each master Of ITSELF In this new relation, ono
being necessary to the other, there will be
new adjustment, which both are deeply interes-
ted in making harmonious. Each has equal
power in settling the terms, and II left to the
laws that regulate capital and labor, tits conf
IDENTIFY believed that they will satisfactorily
work out the problem. Capital, it is true, has
more intelligence; but labor is never SO Ignorant
AS not to understand its own interests, not to
know its own value, and not TO see that capi-
tai must pay that value. This bill illustrates
this adjustment Itintcrvenes between capital
and labor, and attempts to settle questions Of
political economy through the agency OF nu-
mcrous officials whose interests it %ill be TO To-
ment discord between the two races; for as the
breech wdens their employment will continue.
and when it is closed their occupation will ter
inmate. ff..
In all our history, in all our experience as .
people living under Federal and State law, no
system as that contemplated by the details OF
this bill has ever before been proposed or adopt
cd They establish, for the security Of the
colored race, safeguards which goininitcly be-
yond 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 opcratcin favor Of the colorcd
and against the white race. They intariars
,,.;tJ, Tho ,nuncinal looislafinn nf tho sfatess
with the relations existing exclusively between
a State and its citizens, or between inhabitants
of the same State-an absorption and assump-
ton of power by the General Government
which, if acquiesced in, must sap and destroy
our federatiye system of limited powers, and
break down the barriers which preserve the
rights of the States 1t is another step, or
rather stride towards Capitalization and tho
concentration of all legislative powers in the
National Government The tendency OF the
bill must be to resusctatc the spirit Of rebel.
lion, and to arrest the progress Of those infu-
ences which are more closely drawing around
the States the bonds of union and peace.
Ny lamented predecessor, in his proclama-
ton of the first Of January 1868, ordered and
declared that all persons held as slaves therein
designated were and thcnceforward should DO
free and. further, that the executive govern
ment of the United States, including the mill
tary and naval authorities thereof, wouldrecog-
nize and maintain the freedom of such persons.
This guaranty has been rendered especially OBJ
ligatory and sacred by the amendment Of the
Constitution abolishing slavery throughout tho
United States therefore fully recognize tho
obligation to protect and defend that class OF
our people, whenever and wherever it shall be-
come necessary, and to the full extent compst-
ible with the Constitution of the United States
Entertaining these sentiments, it only re-
mains for me to say, that will cheerfully CO.
operate with Congress in any Measure that may
be necessary for the protection Of the civil
rights of the freedmen, as well as those Of all
other classes Of persons throughout the United
States, by judicial process under equal and inn
partial laws, in conformity with the provisions
of the Federal Constitution.
now return the bill to the Senate, and re-
gret that in considering the bills and joint rcso-
lutions-forty-two in number-which have
been thus far submitted for my approval, am
compelled to withhold my assent from second
measure that has received the sanction Of both
Houses Of Congress.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
WAsHISGToy, ID. c., March 27, 1866.