The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-05-18
THE PRESIDENTS VETO NESS.
AGE.

construction bill, at full length, and hope
that it viii DO carefully read aud consid-
cred BY every intelligent and thinking
man and woman in the whole country
Il is comprehensive aud full of patriotism,
logic and craftsmanship. For surprising
ability, as a State paper, it is such an one
as is seldom put before the country
Whatever the faults and blunders of the
President may have been in the past (and
they were many, his late course, in Op-
posing the radical and wrongful measures
of Congress-whieh are calculated to
subvert and overthrow the Constitution
and paralyze the whole machinery OF the
Government-has done much to retrieve
him. Ne hope he may continue to do
right
The message meets every proposition
In the bill with that candor, fairness, bold
state smansh Ii 6rmness Ofpur-
pOse that the grave Importance of its con-
sideration requires, and as becomes the
Chief Magistrate of the Nation. The
President must evidently have felt the
force Of the fact that the Radicals in
Congress, By the passage of this bill. were
fatally bent on mischief; that, under the
plea of Reconstruction" they were de-
dermined not to reconstruct, but destroy
the Federal Constitution and prevent a
maintainance of the Union. To prepare
and present such a law to the President
for his signature, was to make an open
demand upon him to forget his oath or
obligation to support the Constitution and
laws, aud to array himself in -Open eumity
to his country and his country's veal; to
thus make himself like those who made
and supported the bill-as vile a criminal
as E covered at the feet of offended
justice.
Notwithstanding the veto BY the Presi-
dent. the bill was passed Oger the veto
and became what Is called a law, though
in clear and unmistakable violation of the
constitution of the United States. 1t isde-
nominated bin "toprovide for the more eff
feient government of the rebel States"
The States and the people to which this Law
isintended to apply, BY the provisions Ofthe
Law arc declared and made subject only to
military rule and government, and are di.
vided into military districts-fve in mum
ber-With district officers who are to gov
ern the country by military rule and pow
er- The State laws are made powerless
and held for nought-for it is declared in
the bill that when even the civil and mill
tary laws shall come in conflict the civil
law must give way. These military Off
GERS sit as judges supreme Of all questions
that may arise under the provisions Of
the sO-eaIlsd iaE. The right of universal
suffrage is extended to all within the
States lately in revolt, regardless of race,
coIar or condition.
This is the work of Radical Congress,
supported and backed up By the corrupt
and fanatical party that holds, for the
time being. political ascendency, and i,
the browning crime of their unmeasured
infamy. They have left no stone I'm
turned, no step untaken, in their deeper
ate and persistent efforts to coDsumnatt
their original design to overthrow the ole
Constitution and subvert the liberties O
the people. What more could be done Il
make the work completed The Bill o
Rights, which declares that the militar,
shall be subordinate to civil power, ha
been repudiatcd, and the great principi
which it enuueiated isFexersedb by unwar
raDted Congressional enactment. Tn,
Constitution of the United States-th,
Great Charter Of Liberty-and therefor
hated and denounced by the radical part,
in power as. a polluted thing-has beel
radically changed, in violation of its on
.proyisionsj thereby s~upplanting the oil
republican system, and establishing aael
and strange form of government, wit
power consolidated and centralized i
Congress, with nothing to restrain unlin
tied usur patton. Sovereign States in tn
Union are denied representation in Cor
igress; ard sovereign and i~ndepepdeu
State governments In the Union are br'
ken down, declared void, 2sa absolutel
crushed by Congressional enactment, Ell
forced By the military power of the Fec
eral GoYernment,-in violation Of tn
Constitution and the laws of the land
violation Of justice, common sense an
national honor, Not only have thes
Southern States been robbed Of the
rights and powers under the Constitution
and to which they are as justly and lega
~ entitled as are any of the other Stat
in the Union, and which all alike, as Sc
arate, sovereign States are entitled to u
der the Constitution but, by usurped al
wrongful poverty a premeditated an
malicious design, with power to execute, {
the part Of the Abolition party in Il
EI II.