Nebraska advertiser., 1866-03-01
Nebraska aOpertiser
john CoLHAPP EDITOR.

9OOnGA A1un We AhNASAFGhC4 1-SA
has been made among the friends of the
the Union at the head of our Govern
ment. On the 2Oth President Johnson
vetoed the Freedm ans Bureau bill. and
sent it back to Congress with an able
message setting forth his objections to
its becoming a law. The friends of the
measure Immediately opened up their
batteries Of denuncialion upon The Presi-
dent, and with appeals to passion and
during a time of great excitement, at
tempted to pass it Over the Presidents
veto, and failed. And then Ben. Wade,
of Ohio, denounced the President as a
traitor and Thad Stevens. of Pa, i'm
medialely introduced a reso luton that
no member should be received into Con.
gress until Congress shall have declared
such States entitled to Representation,
thereby implying that The President was
attempting to force on them Southern
Representatives agains; the wish of
Congress.
In presenting this resolution. he said
There had been an earnest investi-
CATION by the committee into the condi.
lion Of Tennessee, to see whether they
could admit the State to representation
but, since yesterday, there had been such
a state Of things as had induced The com.
Inittee TO consider it wholly out of their
power TO proceed further without surren-
dering the rights of this body to The
patton Of another POwer."
Meaning, of course, the President.
This was passed by a large majority.
In order TO see to what extent great
men % in Congress can lose common
sense in times of excitement, we quote
from the reconstruction portion of the
Presidents Veto Message, which is the
portion from which Indications of
patton are drawn by the above resOlu-
ltion
u lrOu6 In no rise interfere wpth the
discretion Of Congress with regard to the
qualification of members. But / hold it
my duty to recommend to you IN the in
terests Of peace and interests of the
Union, the admission of every State to
It's share of public legislation, when,
however ~insubordin ate, insurgent or re.
bellious its people may have been, il pre-.
sents itself In an attitude Of loyalty and
harmony, but in the persons of represen,
tatives whose loyalty cannot be Questioned
under the existing constitutional and
legal test"
No one but a consumate demagosue,
appealing 10 passion and prejudice, could
End any attempt al "usurpation" of the
rights of Congress in the acts of Presi-
dent johnson. The resolution of Mr..
Stevens plainly indicates a stand by the
ultras in opposition to the Presidents
plan. Now, can any a man adhere
to, or countenance, in the least a policy
which keeps the late rebel States taxed
without representation when they
''preseni themselves in an attitude Of
loyalty and harmony" with representa-
tives whose loyalty cannot be questioned?"
Will such a policy bring about harmony
Most assuredly not, and never will be
sustained by the people of the North. Il
must If continued precipilate the South
into a revolution upon the same principle
of the Revolution of the Colonies. The
President has the power to, and will
protect the feedma0, as is shown by his
acts in setting aside the acts of Southern
Legislature which impeFilled hat free
dom he has demanded of these States
reputation Of the rebel deb; and nullif-
cation Of the ordinance of secession, and
his demands have been complied with.
He does not object to the continuance of
the present Freedmen's Bureau. but OBJ
jects 10 its being increased because it
is unconstitutional because it demands
an enormous appropriation to carry out
its provisions because il is an exercise
OF power Tor n ruUv, which was never
contemplated by the Constitution. or ex.
ercised by Congress, in favor Of another;
because the Bureau was a war measure,
and as peace and harmony gradually ap.
preached, and the blacks became self.
sustaining, it should as gradually cease to
operate, whereas. this bill contemplates
its permanent establishment with great
ly increased powers; because it greatly
extends the executive patronage, of which
be says; "The power that would thus be
placed in the hands of the President is
such as in time Of peace the country ought
never 10 entrust to any one man"
Now, it remains for the masses to
judge in whose hands the country is the
safest, not with a view to the displace-
ment Of either the President or the ul-
tras but to stand firmly by the policy
which will bring to the country peace and
prosperity, and consistently elevated all
men TO political equality. We believe,
with President johnson, that in sustain
ing the Freedmen in their right to make