Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-03-02

OF Illinois, IN the u. :. Senate, Feb
ruary 2Ofh-His Review aud Demoii-
1 Con on the Veto Message.
4 Nm PREs1DENT :--It is with deep and pro-
4 found regret that / rise for the purpose Of re-
/ viewing somewhat the extraordinary message
I af the President. returning, with his obiec-
tons, the bill to amend an act entitled an act
| 10 establish bureaa for the relief of freed
men and refugees, and for other purposes
1t has been my desire that the various Depart
ments of the Government should harmonic
in the restoration Of the States to their full
constitutional relations to the Union. | have
sought, and had no other purpose Ia the part
which have taken in reference 10 this bill,
than 10 carry out such measures as would
protect the loyal refugees and freedmen in
i the rebeIlious States, and would as | stipi
Fpose, harmonic with the views Of the Exec
lutive.
/ He had declared to us, in his message, de-
| liyered to us at the commencement Of the
session, that we shall but fulfill our duties as
legislators by according exact and equal justice
to all men. special privileges to none. The only
object or design Of the bill was to secure these
right to all men, and | am greatly surprised
thet a bill designed for such purpose should
hare been returned by the Executive, with
statement that it is unconstitutional, inconsisA
tent with the actual condition Of the ctun-
trs and al variance with the Constitution of
the nited States.
I,aying taken somewhat Of an active part
in tie passage of this bill through the SEN
ate, feel called upon tovindicate myselffrom
having urged upon the consideration Of the
Senate bill so unconstitutional, and so at
variance with the actual condition Of the
county as this is now declared to be- What
IL L a.
Bureau Bill. It is not an original measure.
1t is not a measure establishing bureau, but
is merely amendatery Of an act already in ex-
istence. Nor is it, as it seems to be suppos-
ed by some, materially to enlarge the powers
Of th9 Ereedmen's Bureau, as it already ex-
lists. 1t is an entire misapprehension to sup
pose hat such is the object Of the bill, or that
such would be its effects. 1t does little more
than kive the sanction Of law to what is al
ready being done without any statute or pro-
vision
The Freedmen's Bureau, as / have said,
alreaty exists. Courts are held by the Freed
men'S Bureau throughout the entire region
Of colnuy where that Bureau has any opera
ton, Under the military authority of the
United States, laws inconsistent, as is believ-
cd wifi the safety of the Government, or in
compstible with military operations, are set
J
objectof the bill was to continue in existence
the EfeedmeH' S Bureau bill, not permanent
II, no as permanent institution. All such
intentwas disayowed during the discussion
of thebill It is true no time is specified in
the bill as to when it shall cease to operate;
nor isit customary to insert such clause in
any Law; but it was declared that the law
should operate until otherwise provided by
law.
It is known that the Congress of the Uni
ted States assemblies every year, and no one
supposes this bill proposed to establish bl-
reau to be engrafted as a permanent institu-
ton OF the country. Far from it. No, sir.
Is it intended that the bill shall go into the
States and control the domestic affairs of
these States Far from it. 1t is bill de-
signed simply to provide not for four millions
of emancipated slaves, or of refugees, but
only for the INDECENT, for those who are una
Bile to take care of themselves, so that they
could become self supporting. In eonse-
qaence Of the war, thousands Of Union men
were driven from their homes all over the
South. Particularly was this the case in Ten
nessee, where they had been stripped of their
property, and women and children had fed
destitute from their homes.
They had neither food to eat nor clothing
during the whole progress of the war, and
were fed by our supplies. Sc also with the
freedmen. Congress at an early day passed
a law declaring free all slaves who should
come within the lines Of our armies. They
came flying within our lines, without clothing
without hats wounded, footsore and distress
ed Many Of them entered our ranks to fight
for the cause Of the country and others we
had clothed and fed. While this war was in
progress while these people we're Aocking
around our armies, on the Sd March, 1865,
not one year ago the Congress of the United
States passed law to systematic the cloth
ing and feeding of these destitute negroes and
place them under the charge of special de-
partment of the military establishment whose
duty it should be to look after them. That
was called the Freedmen Bureau and officers
were assigned TO the charge of it chiefly from
the army
Since that time the conflict of war has
ceased, and there are still upon our hands
some Of these destitute people who must be
provided for: q far less number than woul Id
have been upon our hands if no system had
been devised for taking care of them for I'm
ding them employment and settling them
upon tracts of land wherever it may be OBJ
tanned; and | undertake to say that there has
been saved to the Government millions Of
money by the establishment of the system
through which employment has been found
for these people and they have been made
self supporting who otherwise would have
benn entirely dependent upon the bounty of
the Government for support.
Since the Freedmeus Bureau was organi
zed an amendment has been adopted to the
Constitution of the United States declaring
that slavery shall not exist anywhere within
It's jurisdiction BY virtue of that enactment
hundreds OF thousands of slaves have become
free in the midst of hostile population.
They have become free without any of this
world goods not owning even the hat upon
their heads or the coat upon their backs with
out any supplies Of any kind, or anywhere to
obtain the next meal to save them from star
yation. Something must be done to take care
of these people, and the kreedmens Bureau
has been endeavoring to do that something.
Now, Sir, the Freedmen's Bureau has not
had jurisdiction over these four millions of
people. Its work has been confined to a
very small compass, as / shall presently show
by the official record And this measure,
which comes to US denounced as unconstitu
honal, as great public charity, as an institu
ton designed to feed, clothe, take care of
and furnish homes for four millions of peo-
pie, is designed only to find, employment for
these destitute, these ignorant, these unpro-
vided for people. who are few compared
with the great number of blacks in the whole
country, and not simply for the freedmen
and for the refugees and before sit down
viii show that more white refugees, in many
instances, have received support and sup
port and supplies from the Government
through this Freedmen's Bureau thnn blacks
have.
The President, in his veto message-and he