The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-02-28
The Presidents Veto Message.

To the Senate Of the United States:
have examined with care the bill
which originated in the Senate, and has
been passed by the two Houses of Con-
gress, to amend an act entitled can act
to establish a bureau for the relief of
freedmen and refugees" and for other
purposes. Having, with much regret,
come to the conclusion that it would
not be consistent with the public well
fareto give my approval to the meas
.ure, return the bill to the Senate with
my objections, to its becoming a law
l might call to mind, in advance of
these objections, that there is no imme
diate necessity for the proposed meas
ure The act to establish bureau for
the relief of freedmen and refugees,
which was approved in the month of
March last, has not yet expired. 1t was
thought stringent and extensive enough
for the purpose in view, in time of war.
Before it ceases to have effect, further
experience may assist to guide US to
wise conclusion as to the policy to be
adopted in time of peace.
share with Congress the strongest
desire to secure to the freedmen the full
enjoyment of their freedom and their
property, and their entire independence
and equality in making contracts for
their labor but the bill before me con-
tains provisions which, in my opinion,
are not warranted 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 .jurisdic-
tion over all parts of the United States
containing refugees and freedmen. It
would, by its very nature, apply with
most force to those parts of the United
States in. which the freedmen most
abound; and it expressly extends the
existing temporary jurisdiction of the
Freedmen's Bureau, with greatly en-
larged powers, over those States {" in
which the ordinary course Of judicial
proceedings 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 Freedmen's Bureau. The agents to
carry out this military Jurisdiction are
to be selected either from the army or
from civil life; the country is to be di-
yided into districts and sub-districts.
and the number OF salaried agents to be
employed may be equal to the number
of counties or parishes in all the United
States where freedmen and refugees are
to be found.
The subjects over which this military
jurisdiction is to extend, in every part
of the United States, include protection
to "all employees, agents, and officers
OF the Bureau in the'exercise of the du-
ties imposed upon them by the bill.
In eleven States it Is further to extend
over all cases affecting freedmen and
refugees Disseminated against sby To-
cal law, custom, or prejudice In those
eleven States the bill subjects any white
person who may be charged with de-
priving freedman of "any civil rights
or immunities belonging to white per-
sons" to imprisonment or fine, or both.
without, however, defining the ss civil
rights and immunities" which are thus
to be secured to the freedman by mill
tary law. This military jurisdiction
also extends to all questions that may
arise respecting contracts. The agent,
who is thus to exercise the Office of a
military judge, may be a stranger en-
tlrely Ignorant ofthe laws of the place,
and exposed to the errors of Judgment
to which all men are liable. The ex-
ercise Of power, over which there is no
legal supervision, by SO vast q number
ofagents as is contemplated by the bill
must, by the very nature Of man, be at,