North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-02-28
lHE VETO MESSAGE,
To the Senate of the United States:

grrsS. to amer Il dn act entitled IAN act t(
establish bureau for III. relief of S:ved
men aud = fugees. aud for other purposes.
Having, with much regret, come L. tit
Co clrsi,,n that il wouI,! not be consistent
with The pub ic welfare 10 CIV my approx
al TO the m"a>u.e. return the bill 70 the
Senate, with my objections to il beco,piug
a law.
| might call to mind, III a9va qce of tlles,
objections, that there is no immediate ne
ee>sity for the proposed measure The
act 10 establish bu can for the relief o
freedmen and refugees. which was approx
ed in the mnrth of March last, has not vet
expired Ii was thought stringent aud ex-
! ten>ire enough Tor the purpose in view. -
Before it ceass to have effect, further ex-
pe'icuc- may assist to guide us to wise
conclusion to TIE policy to be adopted
IN Tim" of p ace,
Rave with congress the strorge d sire
J 10 :. cure. to the freedmen the full enjoy
men Of their freedom and their property,
and in ir entire indie. endence and equality
| IT. making contracts for their labnr But
! the bill before me contains pro visions
| which, IN nv opinion, are not warranted
hv The Con t'tuion. are not suited to ac-
complisl the end in view.
! The b.ll proposes to establish, by au-
thorlty of Congress, military jurisdiction
/ "srr al pats of The United States contain
! ing r, fugres aid firrdnea. 1t would bv
lis very nature apply with mos force to
tnose parts Of tire United States in which
! the freedmen most abound; and it express,
l., extends the existing temporary jurIsdic-
! I on OF the Freedmen Bureau with great
/ ~ enlarged power over those States in
witch The Ordinary cou $ ofJudlcial pro-
ceedngs has been Interrupted l., the rebel
| lion The source from which this mil tarv
| jurisdiction is to eInanale is none other
/ than the President of the United States,
;cling through the War Department and
! the, tourais>i n"r Of the Frre,mrns Eu
r'an. The agents To carry out this militia
r Ju.id'ction are to be selected either
! from the army or from civil lIt''. The
courtry is TO be divided into districts and
sub districts, and the number OF Salarled
agents Ia be, employed may be equal To- tile
ulGb r of couith's or parishes in all 2Ihc
/ Unil q States where. freedmen and refugees
are % be found The subj cts over wilch
tfls military jurisdiction Is 10 extend III ev.
cry part II the Unitel States, il ciuGe pro
trcrlOu t" al mp owes agents and ,'fiicrrS
OF THIS Bnrral i the tx rc;s- of the duties
impo>et upo, them bvtIe inll.l In el-srn
states il is f riher to extend over all cases
affi., ting freedmen and r, fugets discrimin.
/ ate ava n by :ocai / .w, custom or preju
/ dee In III eleven States lhr b,li sub
! l-cts any white . r<. n VITO may ic charg-
e.i with dtpriI ing Il freedman of any civil
! RIG: Is ur irmunIir< belonging to whit. per
! sons 10 imprisonment or fine, or both, with
out. how. Yer, d fling the evil rights and
! ilnmnnities wlFici, are TINS IN be secured
! to the freedmen by m liiary law. This
mihfar, j ;r',hlc ION al,o extrl.ls - all
questions that NAV arise respecting cor
/ tracts. Tie sgent, ho IL thus 10 exerci-e
the fl" of a military juige. may oc 4
stranger, ntirely igu"rant If The laws of
| the place. and expos q to the hrro~s Of iu ig-
m"ht. to VIII IN a mn ala liable. T. c
exerris.. tf ip'sS'r. over wErich tiferc ia no
! legal supcrvs on, hy s. vast numb r OF
| agents a. Is contaminated b, ri e hill. must
+ bv the very azure of mau. he tended b
acts of capric-, iuju.itr ;n as ion. Th
! trials, having rh..ir oil nnd. this hril,
are To TAX, pa - without the int efvrn;iOn
Of .jusv, and without any fixed re- e of
! law or evidence.
The Tnlt< IN wFirh offrnses are 10 b.
/ heard and determine d hy the rumeious
agents ar. such rules aud regul4ti III. aS the
| President, through the War Drpar' m nt.
,hal presciibr. No previous prtsrntnIent
Is required. .o' any Indictment charging
the commission of 4 crime against the laws.
! but tn" trial must plocerd ON charges aud
| specifications The punishment viii be,
not what the law declares, but sEch as a
court m ,rtual may think pr"p"r. And
i from llsse arbitrary tribunals rh re- lies NJ
! appeal-n" writ If error to anv of the
! courts in which the Cons tuition OF the Uni-
ted States vests exclusively The Ju l,cial
power of the country; while tn. trrrtocy
and the class "f .ctious and offenses thai
are made subj ct to this measure are =" ex-
J tensivr, the bill itself. should il become q
l.w, will have no limitation in po mt of
times but will form part Of the p rlna-
nent legislation Of the country. ! canno,
reconcile ii system OF military Jurisdiction of
this kind with the words OF the Con> ttution
which d clare that mo person shall be held
, to answer for "a,ital or other Infamous
! crime, nnl.ss on pr. sentiment or Indictment
! IF 81 land jury, except in cases arising in
the !; n "r naval forces, or in the MALTA
when in actual service in lin. Of war or
public danger" and that ''in all Grim nal
prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the
right to speedy and public trial BY -~'
mn ar,ial jury ofthe State oi district where
in the crime shall have been committed
i The safeguards which the wisdom and
experience of ages taught our fathers 10 es'
tab!isi As securities for the pro- ectIon OF
the innocent, the punishm mt OF the guilty
and the equal administration OF ju'tice,