The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-03-02
THE VETO MESSAGE.
Demolition of the .sEreedmen-s Rureau
Bill"


Congress to amend an act, entitled "an
act to establish a bureau for the relief
of freedmen and refugees, and for 9TH
er purposes" Having with much re-
gret come to the conclusion that it
would not be consistent with the pub
lie welfare to give my approval to the
measure, Ireturn the bill to the Senate
with my objections to its becoming a
law. ! might call to mind, in advance
Of these objections, that there is no inn
mediate necessity for the proposed
measure.
The act to establi. h bureau for the
raliefof freedmen and refugees, which
was approved in the month of March
last, hasnot yet expired. Itwas thought
stringent and extreme enough for the
purpose in view in time of war. Before
it ceases to have effect further expert
ence may assist to guide us to a wise
conclusion as to the policy to be adopt
ed in time Of peace. share with Con-
gress the strongest desire to secure to
the freedmen the full enjoyment Of
their freedom and their prosperity, and
their entire independence and equality
in making contracts for their labor, but
the bill before me contains provisions
which, in my opinion, are not warran-
ted by the Constitution, and are not
well suited to accomplish the end in
view.
The bill proposes to establish, by au-
thOrity Of Congress, military iurisdic-
ton over all parts Of the United States
containing refugees and freedmen. 1t
would by its very nature apply with
the most force to those parts Of the l.
nited States in which the freedmen
most abound, and it expressly extends
the existing temporary jurisdiction of
the Freedmen's Bureau, with greatly
enlarged powers, over those States in
which the ordinary course Of judicial
proceeding has been interrupted by the
rebellion.
The source from which this military
jurisdiction is to emanate is none other
than the President of the United States,
acting through the War Department
and the Commissioner Of the Freed
mems Bureau. The agentstO carry out
this military jurisdiction are to be Sc
lected either from the army or from
civil life; the country is to be divided
into districts and sub-districts, and the
number of salaried agents to be en-
ployed may be equal to the number Of
counties or parishes in all the United
States where freedmen or refugees are
to be found.
The subjects over which this militia
ry jurisdiction is to extend in every
part of the United States includes pro-
lection to all employees, agents and Of
ficers of this Bureau in the exercise Of
the duties imposed upon them by the
bill in eleven States. 1t is further to
extend over all cases affecting freed
men and refugees Disseminated against
by local laws, custom or prejudice. In
these eleven States the bill subjects any
white person who may be charged with
depriving freedman of any yciVilrightS
or immunities belonging to white per-
sons, to imprisonment or fine, or rbOth,
without, however, defining the civil
rights and immunities which are thus
to be secured to the freedmen by militia
ry law.
This military jurisdiction also eX-
tends to all question that may arise re-
specting contracts. The agent who is
thus to exercise the Office of a judge
may be a stranger, entirely ignorant Of
the laws of the place, and exposed to
the errors of judgment to which all men
are liable. The exerciseOf power, over
which there is no legal supervision, by
so vast a number of agents as is con-
templated by this bill, must, by the
very nature of man, be attended byacts
of caprice, injustice and passion. The
trials having their origin under this
bill, are to take place without the inter
vention of aiury, and without any fix
ed rules Of law or evidence. The rules
on which Offenses are to be heard and
determined by the numerous agents,
are such rules and regulations as the
President, through the War Depart
ment, shall prescribe.
No previous presentment is required,
nor any indictment charging the COM
mission of a crime against the laws,
but the trial must proceed on charges
and specifications. The punishment
will be, not what the law declares, but
such as a court-martial may think prop
er, and from these arbitrary tribunals
there lies no appeal, no writ of error,
to any one of the courts in which the
Constitution of the United States puts
exclusively the judicial power of the
country. While the territory and the
classes of actions and offenses that are
made subject to these measures are so
extensive, the bill itself, should it be-
come law, will have no limitation in
point of time, but will form part of the
permanent legislation of the country.
cannot conceive a system of militia
ry jurisdiction of this kind, within the
words of the Constitution, which de-