Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-04-09


be psnished, bat II be acted lnnoeently
the Judge would not be punished. What
sir, is a crimef Why, it is violation
Of some public law, to constitute which
there mast.be an-act, and vicious win
in doing the act, or according to the
definition in some of the. law books, to
constitute a crime there mast be q vio-
lation of public Law, coupled With an
intent or with g criminal neglect
There must be a union and just opera
ton of the act and intent, in order to
commit crimes, and the Judge who, Tor
the purpose Of having question deci-
ded in the Federal Courts, should give
decision that could allow the case to be
brought up, who acted innocently, and
not viciously or oppressively, would
never be convicted before any Court IN
Christendom. But, sir, If he acted vi
ciously and oppressively, repeat ne
ought to be punished.
ATTACHMENT OF THE PRESIDENT.
Mr. Trumbull then proceeded to take
up the Presidents objections to the other
sections of the bill, each of which he
commented upon with force and elo-
quence, after which he closed as follows:
Mr.. President, have now gone
through this veto message, replying with
what patience / could command
to its various objections to the, bill.
Would that could stop here--that there
was no occasion to go further; but JUS
tice to myself, justice to the people of
the whole country, in legislating for
whose behalf am called to participate;
Justice to the Constitution am sworn to
support; justice to the rights of Amer
lean citizenship and to human liberty
now imperiIed, requires me to 60 fur
Their. Gladly would ! refrain from
speaking Of the spirit OF this message,
Of the dangerous doctrines it promnl~
gates; of the Inconsistencies and the
contradictions of its author; of his en-
croachment upon the Constitutional
rights of Congress; of his assumption of
unwarranted power which, il not check
ed By the people, must inevitably lead
to a subversion of the Government and
the destruction of liberty. Congress in
the passage Of the bill under considera-
ton sought no controversy with the
President.
THE PRESIDENTS INCONSISTENCY.
The bill was prepared with view to
carry out what were supposed to be the
views of the President, and was submits
ted to him before lis introduction into
the Senate. Lam not about to relate
the private declarations of the Presi-
dent, but it is right the American Peo-
pie should know that the controversy
which exists between him and Congress
in reference to this measure is of his
ewn seeking. Soon after Congress met,
it became apparent that there was q
difference Of opinion between the Presi-
dent and some members of Congress in
regard to the condition of the rebeilious
States and the rights to be secured to
the freedmen.
The President in his annual message
had denied the constitutional power Of
the General Government to extend the
elective franchise to negroes, but be was
equally decided in the assertion of the
right of every man to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. This was his
language, but while have no doubt that
now, after the close of the war, it is not
competent for the General Government
to extend the franchise in the several
States, il is equally clear that good faith
requires the security Of the freedmen in
their liberty and their property. There
were some members OF Congress who ex-
pressed the opinion that in the re-
organization Of the rebellious States,
the right of suffrage should be extended
to the colored man. Though this was
not the prevailing sentiment of Congress,
all were anxious for a reorganization of
the rebellions States and their admis-
sion to full participation in the Federal
Government as soon as the relations
could be restored with safety TO all
concerned Feeling the import
ance of harmonious action be-
tween the different departments Of the
Government, and an anxious desire to
sustain the President, for whom | had
always entertained the highest respect,
had frequent interviews with him
during the early part of the session.
Without mentioning anything said By
him, may, with perfect safety, state
that, acting from the considerations
u0yG 6t6trAt 0A0 ACACNA1E A10A kuC pas
sage Of law by Congress securing
equality in civil rights when denied BY
the State authorities TO the freedmen
and all other inhabitants of the United
States, would do much to relieve anxiety
in the North, and induce the Southern
States to secure these rights by their
own action, and thereby remove many
of the obstacles TO an early reconstruc-
ton. I prepared the bill substantially
as it is now returned with the Presi-
dents objections. After the bill was in
troduced and printed, copy was fur
nished to him, and at a subsequent
period, when it was reported that he
was hesitating about signing the Freed
mems Bureau Bill, he was informed of
the condition of the Civil Rights Bill,
expressed that if be had any obiec-
ton to any of its provisions, be
would make them known to its
friends, that they might be remedied,
if not destructive of the measure. There
was no disposition on the part of Gen.
gress, and certainly none on my part,
to have a bill presented to him which be-
could not approve. He never intimated
to me nor any of it's friends, the least
objections to any of the provisions Of
the bill till after its passage, and how
could he, consistently with himself2 The
bill was framed, as was supposed, in en-
tire harmony with his views, and GERS
tainly in harmony with what he was
then and has since been doing in pro-
tecting the freedmen in their civil rights
all through the rebeIlious States. 1t was
strictly limited to the protection Of the
civil rights belonging to every free man,
the birthright of American citizens, and
carefully avoided comforting or interfer
ing with political rights or privileges of
any kind.
OBJECTS OF THE BILL.
The bill neither confers nor sbridges
the rights of any one, but simply de-
clares that in civil rights there shall be
an equality among all classes of citizens,
and that all alike shall be subject to the
same punishment.
Each State, so that it does not abridge
the great fundamental rights belonging
under the Constitution to- all citizens,
may grant or withhold such civil rights
as it pleases. All that is required is
that, 10 this respect, its laws shall be inn
partial. And, yet, this is the bill now