Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-04

The President, last Tuesday. sent into the
Senate the expected veto to the Civil Rights
oil. Ii created no sensation. The Senate
At the time busy discussing the ease IF
SENATOR Stockton of New jersey, and suffered
The message 10 lie on the table. Ii was sub
s-quenty read, but action upon it was deferred
until this week.
There are two reasons why we do not give
this veto message 10 our columns. o ne Is
that 1T Is quite long, and would crowd out 4
great deal of more Interesting and valuable
liter and the other is that it is so entirely
Democratic-or rather undemocratic- in its
argument, that we should as soon think OF
ibflIcting one of ValIandigh ans speeches
upon our readers. The Presidents objections
are more 10 the principle than TO the details
of the measure. He says it Is u su beet which
Congress should not leg islate about while IN
rebel states are unrepresented, an objection
which the rebels will appreciate and applaud
IL says black men should not have the pro-
lection, privileges, and immunlties OF citiz-n-
ship. He objects to an equality OF civil
A4g,tNC "'iOh cbhiL dppiJ W OH spec
tive OF color. After these ohjecrions to the
objects which the bill was intended TO reach
ne stmewrat unnecessarily criticIses the
methods which the bill adopts; for the first
part OF his message it it has any force would
be equally an objection to any bill which
Congress could frame and pass
la order to show just what Mr.. johnson
objects to, we copy below the first section of
the bill
s. SECTION 1. That all persons born in the
United States, and not sutj-ct to any foreign
power, excluding Ind ANS Lot taxed are here
~ declared to be citizens of the United
Stats; and such citizens of every race and
'oior, Without regard 70 any previous con-
iiIon of slavery or Involuntary servitute
exec pit as a punishment for crime whereof The
party shall have been duiv CONVICTED shall
nave the same light III every state and terri
tory to make and enforce con RACES to sue
60 be sued, be parties and give evidence to in
merit, to purchase, lease, sell. hold and con-
Wy real and personal property, and to oe en-
lied TO full and equal oeD. fl of all laws and
proceedings tor the security of person and
Vrope. ty, as is enj 'yed BY white citizens, ano
hall be sui Ject to like punishment, pains and
penalties, aud 10 none other, any law statute
urdIr ance, regulation custom t. the CON
rary notwithstanding
This section contains all there is of rights
secured by the measure. the remaining sec
lions being wholly devoted to the mere ma
chinery for securing the object set forth in
section one. MIR. Johnson declares that he is
opposed to this object. He is opposed to
al rIuhfa
stripping off the disguise he has hi her,o
worn Is fortunate in one respect; no rerson
can hereafter safely represent him to be any,
thing but an opponent of equal rig hts and
having thus shown his true colors, he cannot
any longer obtain support under false preten-
GEE.
The logic OF this veto message is the logic
Of Prejudice, caste and oppression. Slavery
used to be defended by just such reasoning
Ii declares that citizenship is the private right
OF a fraction of the native born people of the
country. Ii denies that the Federal govern
mens Is under any obligation to a portion of
the people of the nation. 1t assumes that
because a man is white be- is therefore better
and more worthy than ne would be if he were
black ; and i. says that the blacks are not
only more helpless to-day but they shall
always remain so. This is the essence of op-
preston and despotism. It is the exclusive |
ness which shuts man out from opportuni-
ties to improve his condition, and at the same |
time saunts him with his poverty and ignor-
ance and helpleesness. The old and rotten |
of England, who are desperately
every reform bill which is brought |
into parliament, have for centuries fought [