The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-06-07

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igency of their condition required
that the international affairs and
the commercial intercourse of the
States should be placed under one
head. They were committed to
the Federal Government. All 9TH
er powers and subjects were re-
served to the States. The States
were to regulate the civil and po-
litical rights of their citizens, and
so guarded were those who made
the Constitution, that while in res
pect to foreign affairs, they gave to
the Federal Government absolute,
exclusive jurisdiction, in domestic
affairs, they so entirely excluded it
that it has no power to try or pun
ish an assault by one citizen of
Ohio upon another, or collect a
simple promisory note as between
the same parties. And this is the
system which Congress has deter
mined to subvert and destroy.
Let me illustrate more particu-
larly my meaning. Take the Freed
mems Bureau bill. A law intend
ed to answer the same purpose was
in full force; its provisions seemed
ample; there was no complaint on
that score from any quarter; it was
to expire within a year after the
close of the rebellion. If the OBJ
ject of this new bill were only to
extend the time, single section in
two lines would have been sufic-
lent. If in any one point enlarged
powers were needed, another sec
ton, equally brief, would have suf-
feed. But neither of these was
the true purpose of the bill. Its
main object is explained in the
eighth and ninth sections. The
eighth section provides that in all
States where the jurisdiction of
the civil courts has been suspend
ed, and where, by reason Of any
law, custom or prejudice, the same
civil rights which have been accor-
ded to the white man, have not
been accorded to the negro, the
President shall "extend to all cas-
es relating to persons so discrimi-
mated against, military jurisdiction
and protection" and the ninth Sec
. ton declares that the agents of the
Freedmen's Bureau shall under the
direction of the War Department
take cognizance Of all cases of this
nature, and shall try, and if guilty,
punish by fine and imprisonment,
all State officers who enforce any
such determinations created by
State laws-"All cases relating to
persons so Disseminated against"
What does that mean? Did you
ever consider it9 All cases, crimi-
nal and civil-whether to punish
crimes, or to enforce contracts, or
to compel fair dealings. "Relating
to such persons, Whether the suit
be between a white man and a ne
gro, or between two negroes
whether the indictments be against
white man for beating a negro,
or against negro for assaulting
white man, or even anegro. "Mil-
ity jurisdiction"-and what is that,
pray9 Why, the jurisdiction of
drum-head court-martial, or of a
military commission under the ar
ticles of war, which the Constitu-
ton forbids except in cases of per-
sons engaged in the land or naval
service, or in the militia, while in
active service. Now the Constitu-
ton provides that no person--ne-
gro or white man-shall be held to
, answer for an infamous crime ex-
cept upon an Indictment, and that
every person so held shall be tried
by a jury, openly and speedily, be
confronted with the witnesses
against him, have the benefit of
counsel, and have compulsory pro-
cess to bring his witnesses into
court. Yet this bill, avowedly for
the benefit of freedmen, proposes
to deprive them of these benifcent
provisions, which they now enjoy,
and to make it the duty of the
President in every case TO substi-
tute the short, sharp process of a
court-martial where there is no in
dictment, no jury, and where coun-
sci and witnesses for the defense
are tolerated only by the grace and
E favor of the court.
Can any man believe this law
was intended to be ofservice to the
negro, or to ameliorate his condi-
ton, or to protect him from injuri-
Gus discrimination, or to accustom
him to the equal rights of citizens.
, No, sir. 1t was intended to invade