Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1866-03-07

bill In eleven States, ii is further toov-
tend over all cases affecting freedmen and
refugees Disseminated against bv local
law, custom or prejudice. In those eleven
States the bin subjects any white parson
who may be charged with denriyinr y
freedman Of any civil rights or immunities
belonging 10 white persons, to imprison-
ment or fine, or both, without h0woyery
defining the civil rights and immunitics
which arc thus to be secured to the freed
men by military law. This military iur-
lsdIction also extends TO all questions that
may arise respecting contracts. The aren't
who Is thus to exercise the Office Of n mil
ltary judge may be 4 stranger, entirely
ignorant of the laws Of the place and ex-
posed to the errors of judgment to which
all men are liable. The exercise of mower
over which there Is no legal supervision.
by so vast a number of agents as is con-
temp!ated by the bill, must, by the very
nature OF man, be attended by acts of ca
price, injustice, and passion The trials
having their origin under this bill are to
take p acc without the Intervention of q
jury, and without any fixed rules of law
on evidence. The rules on which offences
are to be heard and determined by tho
numerous agents, are such rules and rQr-
u!ati0ns as the President through the War
Department. shall! prescribe Noprevious
presentment is required, nor any indict~
ment charging the commission of crime
against the laws but the trial must pros
ceed on charges and specifications The
punishment viii be- not what the law de-
etares, but such as n court martial NAV
think proper; and from these arbitrary tri-
bunals there lies no appeal, n) writ Of err
ror, to any Of the courts in which the Con
stItutIon Of the United States vests exclus>
Iyeiy the judicial power Of the country
" hIle the territory, and the class Of ac-
TONS and offences, that are made subject
10 this measure, are so extensive the bill
itself, should it become n law, will have
20 limitation in point of time, but will
form part of the permanent legislation
Of the country.
| cannot reconcile a system Of military
jurisdiction Of this kind with the words Of
the Constitution, which declare that = No
person shall be held to answer for capi-
tai or otherwise Infamous crime unless on
a presentment or Indictment of a grand
jury except in cases arising in the land or
naval forces, or in the militia when in ac-
tual service in time Of war or public dan
ger; and that, g In all criminal proSecu-
tions, the accused shall enjoy tlle right to
a speedy and public trial by an impartial
jury Of the State or district wherein the
crime shall have been committed" The !
safeguards which the wisdom and expert
encc Of ares taught our fathers to estab-
Esh rs securities for the protection of the
the punishment of the guilty,
and the equal administration Of Justice,
are to be set aside and, for the sake Of
a more vigorous interposition in behalf OF
Justice, We are to take the risk ofthe many
acts Of injustice that would Of necessity
follow from an almost countless number |
Of agents. established in every parish or
county ia nearly a third Of the Statcs Of
the Union, over whose decision there Is to
be no supervision or control by the Fed !
oral Courts The power that would be
thus placed in the hands Of the President
is such as, in time Of peace, certainly
ought never to be intrusted to any one
man.