The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-04-09

ed, and believing that the passage OF a Jaw ny
CONGRESS, securing equality IN cNn iisns,
when denied by State authorltiesto ileeunien
and all other inhabitants OF the Unlteo SIateS,
would do much to relieve anxiety III the NorIh,
to indnce fine Southern States to secure these
r;oi,ts hv their own action, and thereby remove
MANY Of the obstacles to an early reconstruc-
ton T prepared the bill substantially as it
now returns with the Presidents objections
After the bill was introduced and printed,
COPY was furnished him, and at a subsequent
period, when it was reported that he was hesi-
Eating about signing the Freedmen's Bureau
Bill, he was informed of the condition of the
Civil Rights Bill then pending in the House,
and hope expressed that If he had any OBJ
jections to any of its provisions, he would
make them known to its friends that they
might be remedied if not destructive OF the
measure; that there was believed to be no
disposition on the part of Congress, and GER
talnly none on my part to have bills presented
to him which he would not approve. He new
er indicated to me, nor, so far as l know, TO
any of its friends. the least objection to any OF
the provisions of the bill till after its passage.
How could he consistently with himselIT Inc
bill was framed, as was supposed, in entire
harmony with his views, and, certainly, III
harmony with what he was then, ana mas
since been, doing in protecting freedmen III
their civil rights all through the reDeillous
States. 1t was strictly limited to the protec-
ton of the civil rights belonging to every free
man, the birthright of every American citizen,
and carefully avoided defining or interfering
with political rights or privileges of any kind.
The bill neither confers nor abridges the rights
of any one, but simply declares that in civil
right there shall be an equality among all
classes of citizens, and that allalike, shall be
subject to the same punishments in each State.
So it does not abridge the great fundamental
rights belonging under the Constitution to all
citizens, a State may grant or withhold such CIV
ilrights as it pleases. All that is required is,
that in this respect its law shall be impartial.
And, yet, this bill is now returned with the
Presidents objections-and such objectionsl
What are they? That in all our history-all
our experience as people being under FEEDER
al and State laws-no such system as that
contemplated by the details of this bill, has
ever before been proposed or adopted. Have
not already shown in the action of the Pres
ident himself through Gen. Sickles, declaring
that all laws shall be applicable alike to all
inhabitants, and in various acts of Congress,
precedent for every provision Of this BILL
"The details of the bill" says the President,
Establish for the security of the colored race
safeguards which go infinitely berond any that
the General Government has ever provided
for the white race"
With what truth this can be said of bill,
punishment of all races, including, of course,
the colored, shall be the same as those of the
white, let an intelligent public judged ''They,
1.-THE details)" says the President, "interfere
with the municipal legislation of the States,
with the relations existing exclusively be-
tween a State and its citizens, or between the
inhabitants of the same State-an absorp-
ton and assumption of power by the General
Government which, If acquiesced in, must
sap and destroy our Federal system of limited
powers, and break down the barriers which
preserve the rights of the States. 1t is an
other step, or rather stride, toward centraliza-
ton and the concentration of all legislative
powers in the National Government"
All this is said by President, who, by his
own fiat issued through Gen. Howard, set aside
an act Of the Legislature Of Mississippi, and
by another order through Gen. Terry, an act
of the Virginia Legislature, and forbade any
magistrate or civil officers from attempting to
execute it; who, through Gen. Candy, ordered
the State Courts in his Department to sus-
pend all suits against persons charged with Of
fences for which white persons were not punish
ed; and we all know the penalty which would
have been visited upon State judges or officials
for violations OF any of these orders. A Pres
ident who, after yetoing provision of the
Freedmen's Bureau bill because it secured pos
session to the occupants of land under Major
Gen. Sherman's order for the limited period of
three years, himself issued an order within less
than thirty days afterwards, through H. w.
Smith, Assistant Adjutant General, declaring
that grants of land to the freed people in COM
pliance with Gen. Sherman.s special Field Or
w. - -, uSou 1siuniy ~, ioVo, WIN po re-
si stuSu a. Soou anu na saIu. wen may we eA-
; ai,, - Wv VI VIC acss =. lne Iresiuent "a
Pros;dast az To,ass4.,. xe.o vi Inc
t.ou arI JeWel!
inc strides toward CONTEMPLATION Ts r. Cor
eress hv the nsss;no of this hin or tba p,os;-
5ant who xy;tbo,,t Low ;s arorst;,' 70 I,i,Soit
ta. ator ,,,ors tIa, a,,,- farsod III ~.
h;i,S Tat + ~ he sa;d tot a. pucyy;a .ni.
osrc;ses ttese yast ,'or,,o,.a ~, ,;,,,a os ~,
war mower He told MS in bis Annn.l Mac
sago tbat tba war wac oyar. ,ubathar IL l. ova,
ar not no ;nc;deotaI mowers are vasteJ bv tba
Const;rnt;o,, l., tba pros;do,,t o;.l,or ~ D.;
Sent or aiommande,-;n eChief o T tha ,o0
The Instrument gives Congrass ,oxyer 70 ,,;.lo
ali laws NECESSARY and nro1ar for carry-;ra, In
toevecution ali nou,ers yastod hv az Go,,,st;
tution in tho Envernr,a,,. 80 ~ ~ Ty,;,os
STATES or in anv denartment or ofs;cor tbaraoS
The President e rean;red =, ca,-,,l;,,o on, hi.
mowers tosact in ehedence 10 law tha ~. va m,S
fb;no which he refuses to do he COWS tbs
tendency of this hin must be 70 rasusc;tsse tbe
shirt of the rebellion. what assnmnt;on in
one who denies the authorize To nnnish those
VINO violate limited States law. nndar color Of
State authority. a doctrine from which the
Rebellion sprung, and in entire harmony with
the declaration Of Mr.. buchanan. that there
was no power to coerce a State. - =
But, Sir, from out the mouth of Senator
Andrew johnson will prove that President
Andrew johnson has violated the spirit of the
Constitution, if not the letter, in vetoing this
hin IL will he remembered that the .biI7 nass.
ed both Houses OF Congress by more than
two-thirds majority, the vote OF the Senate
being, Yeas 50 70 Nays IL IN the House, Yeas
III, Nays 80: L VIII read from the remarks
OF Senator Andrew johnson on the veto Of
President OF the United States presumes-
Yes, sir, L say, presumes--to dictate to the
American people and to the two Houses of
Congress, in violation of the spirit, if not the
letter of the Constitution, that this measure
shall not become law. Why do 1 say this?
oclr IL thQro aTy diffaranoa in, "a e