Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-04-02

Cleans the faint ray of Hopes pale star,
Cheering the soul in its grief profound
1t heralds a bright and glorious day
It bids the restless heart be still
The sombre clouds will pass away,
- And leave bright sunshine on the hill
The Presidents Message.
On Saturday, the 23rd ult., the President re-
turned to the House of Representatives the sup
lementary reconstruction bil accompanied by
the following message, giving his reasons for
not signing it
10 the House Of Representatives.:
I have considered the bill entitled IAN act
supplementary to an act entitled AN act to pro-
vide for the more efficient government of the
rebel States, passed March I'd, 1867, and to
facilitate restoration, and now return it to the
House of Representatives with my objections.
This bill provides for elections in the ten
States brought under the operation Of the orig
inal act to which it is supplementary. Its de-
tails are principally directed to the elections for
the formation Of the State constitutions but
by the sixth section of the bill 'a elections in
these States occurring while the original act re-
mains in force are brought within its purview.
Referring to the details, it will be found that,
first Of ALL there is to be registration of the vo-
ters. No one whose name has not been admit
these elections 70 ascertain who is entitled to
registration, reference is made necessary, by the
express language Of the supplement, to the orig
inal act and to the pending bill. The fifth Sec
ton of the original act provides, as to voters,
that they shall be 'male citizens of the State,
twenty-one years old and upward, of whatever
race, color, Or previous condition, who have
been resident Of said State for one year" This
is the general qualification, followed, however,
by many exceptions. No one can be registered,
according to the original actf who may be dis
franchlsed for partci patton IN the rebellion, a
provision which left undetermined the question
as to what amounted to disfranchisement, and
whether, without judicial sentence, the act it.
self produced that effect. This supplemental
bill superadds an oath to be taken by every
person before his name can be admitted upon
| the registration, that he has mot been dis
franchsed for participation in any rebellion or
civil war against the United States" 1t thus
| imposes upon every person the necessity and
responsibility Of deciding for himself. under the
peril of punishment by military commission
| If he makes mistake, what works disfranchise-
ment by participation in rebellion, and what
| amounts to such participation. Almost every
mantle negro as well as the white-above
twenty-one years Of age who was resident in
these ten States during the rebellion voluntarily
did participate in resistance to the lawful au-
thority of the General Government. The ques-
| ton with the citizen to whom this cath is to be
proposed must be fearful one; for while the
bill does not declare that perjury may be as
signed for such false swearing, nor fix any pen
atty for the offence, we must not forget that
martial law prevails, that every person is an
swerable to a military commission, without pre-
| vlous presentment by a grand jury for any
charge that may be made against him; that the
supreme authority Of the military commander
determines the question as to what is an offence,
and what is to be the measure of punishment.
The fourth section Of the bill provides that
| the commanding general of each district shall
appoint as many boards of registration as may
be necessary, consisting Of three loyal officers or
persons The only qualification stated for
| these officers Is that they must be loyal. =
They may be persons in the military service, or
civilians residents Of the State or strangers
Yet these persons are to exercise most impor-
tant duties, and are vested with unlimited dis
cretion. They are to decide what names shall
be placed upon the register, and from their de-
clsion there Is to be no appeal. They are to
| superlntend the elections, and to decide all
questions which may arise. They are to have
| the custody Of the ballots, and to make return
Of the persons elected. Whatever frauds or er-
rors they may commit must pass without re-
DRESS All that is left for the commanding gen
eral is to receive the returns of the elections,
open the same, and ascertain who are chosen
according to the returns of the officers who
conducted said elections Bysuch means and
with this sort of agency are the conventions OF
delegates to be constituted.
| AS the delegates are to speak for the people,
common justice would seem to require that they
should have authority from the people them
selves. No convention so constituted will in
any sense represent the wishes OF the lnhabl-
tants Of these States for, under the all-embra-
cling exceptions of these laws, by a construction
which the uncertainty Of the clause as to dis
franchisement leaves open to the board of off
GERS, the great body of the people may be ex-
cluded from the polls, and from all opportunity
of expressing their own wishes, or voting for
delegates who will faithfully reflect their senti-
ments.
I do not deem it necessary further to investi-
gate the details of this bill. No consideration
could induce me to give my approval to such an
election law for any purpose, and especially for
the great purpose Of framing the constitution OF
a State. If ever the American citizen should
be left to the free exercise OF his own judgment,
it is when he is engaged in the work of forming
the fundamental law under which he is to live.
That work is his work, and it cannot properly
be taken out of his hands. All this legislation
proceeds upon the contrary assumption that the
people of each of these States shall have no
constitution except such as may be arbitrarily
dictated by Congress and formed under the res
traint of military rule. A plain statement OF
facts makes this evident.
In all these States there are existing constitu-
tions, formed in the accustomed way by the
people. Congress, however, declares that these
constitutions are not loyal and republican, y
and requires the people to iorm n = them anew
essary to make the Constitution of State 10y
al and republican ?" The original act answers
the question: It is universal negro suffrage
question which the Federal constitutions leaves
to the States themselves All this Legislative
machinery of martial law, military coercion, and
political disfianchisement is avowedly for that
purpose, and none other. The existing Consti-
tutions Of the States conform to the acknowl-
edged standards of loyalty and republicanism.
Indeed, if there are degrees in republican forms