The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-04-06
The Presidents Veto.

approve the only two bills d'Ssheo 10 III
sur, the security and protection OF the
freedmen. may be regarded as somewhat
.ic,;con1 of his views with reference to
,heii. present condition and their claim
upon the government.
We find in the last Veto Message small
promise Of reconciliation. Something OF
prid, of opinion something of stubborn
ue,, crop, out. There Is something OF the
papi,an IN it something too OF that spirit
which leads him to translate so often tor
Us the old Latin motto, "retlga nulIa
retro sum-
Tie tenor Of the Message Is that OF dis
cll->ion rather than that OF argument. 1t
shows more OF parli>;,n,hip than states
man~hip With reference to the conStltu-
tionulitv OF the bill, we do not presume to
iuIor till we have heard what its author
has TO say in it, defense. Those portions
OF il to which the President oh ects upon
the Ground of incxpcdiency, he by tacit
admission comedies to be constitutional.
Some of Iii, objections to the details can
only he characterized as petty.
\ow if President johnson was really
friendly to the purpose, OF this bill, he
could. by failing to have returned it till
the required ten days had elapsed, have
allowed it TO become law. and the proper
tribunal would have decided rs to It's con-
stiultMpIitv. He rcteratcS his proteS-
sions Of willingness to cooperate with Con-
grc,, in scrurln4 and protecting the freed
men in all their cNH rights, but thinks the
provisions of the bill TO this end are UNI
necessary. In other words that the blacks.
without the protection of the Federal arm,
are a. -ccura ;S with it, This paradox
j. Suggestive OF one Of Hoods best Be
inc urr,rtrrrl once in 4 very moist climate
he describe, it as being dryer when it
rains than whcn il DON'T"
II we had no positive evidence to sub
stanlatr the tal>ity of this position, the
very nature ot the circumstances, the pres
cnt and former relations of the master and
slaves, render it Impossible to establish
such a conclusion without extreme conccs-
sion to an improbability. But the evil
lcnr, c,lIced by the reconstruction COM
mittcc settles this question beyond cavil.
Even If in u ma iority OF instances, the
freedmen DID not need the protection of a
special law, every candid man will admit
tina: exceptional eases would arise when
such protection would be needed In such
cases only would there be necessity for the
enforcement of tEe law We are sorry to
see III the presidents message what seems
to IL special pleading. lis treatment OF
the subject i that OF one vino has a posi-
ton to maintain. rather than of one seek
ing to lind the true position apparently
adapting circumstances to his argument
rather than his argument to circumstances
Congress believes in the supremacy Oh
the central government. But the old demo
cratic doctrine OF state supremacy is still
dear to Mr.. Johnson We had hoped thi.
hydra headed mon>tro>ity was struck
dumb by cannon shot but il finds voice
again in the Presidents message 1t ha:
Vet to be- met and overcome in torcnsi,
strife The President denies the right o
CONGRESS, to declare all native born per
sons. citizens. and to secure to them til,
RIGHT TO hold property, to sue and to test
iy in court Congress finds in the Con>li
tuition authority for such course.
If the doctrine he sound that the state
alone can constitute citizens, then are TIN
several state, not only independent of tn,
fedora! government, but superior to it. \
government without the power to contt
citizenship would he Il very mockcry.