Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1867-03-09
THE VETO MESSAGE.

With intelligent and unprejudced men
who believe the constitution OF the United
States to be the supreme law Of the land,
there e,n be but ore opinion concerning the
reasons given by President Johnson Er his
veto of the reconstruction bill. Whatever
criticism nay be made on the political
speeches delivered by Mr.. hnssn since his
accession TO The presidency, bis messages
have lorna marks Of careful Pre- paration and
are commendable Tor their cles rness Of ex-
preston and vigor Of thought, as we'll as the
sincere respect they man'fss, for the consti
totion, of which the president is made the
especial guardian. His veto messages will
prove valuable historical records, 40 they
clearly point cut the different and antsgonis.
tic positions Of the two great political parties
Of tho country upon the important questi 'ns
affecting the restoration Of the union afer
the close Of our late civil war. The freed.
mems bureau bill, the civil rights bill, and
tbs military reconstruction bill, are al Of
them in plain violation Of the cen sti,u,ion
and of preceden,s established BY the con-
slant policy Of the government from the
time it was formed until j, came under the
contro! Of the party now 10 power. For
these reasons, and because also that they
were despo,ic il their provisions and calcu
lated to heget habi.s of though. in the minds
Of the people that their Legislators were s"-
preme. and to accus.om our citizens to forms
Of tyranny and thus crush the spirit Of free
dom, the presden. '. toed them, and was sus.
tanned in the action by that public sentiment
Of the country which believes that the au.
thori.y Of the national legislature is limited
by the federal constitution.
It 10 unnecessary here to reproduce the
principal reasons given BY Sir, johnson for
his veto of the reconstruction bill. or to offer
an argument in their support. They need
10 defence. The clearness oil his statements
and the compsctness Of his logic have, so
far - reasoning can demolish absurd, illogi
cal and mischevious assumptions, left moth.
ing Of the bill but thing Of shreds and
patches. He has riddIed every provision Of
it He has shown it to be Is unjust and i'm
polite as it is conteup,uous aud defiant Of
the constitution.
There will csme day when his arg ument
will be appreciated by those who now affscs
to consider it merely a. . foslsh exhibition
Of pride and temper. as . fearless and able
defence Of principles 10 Just and essentia! to
tho preservation OF . free government tina,
onsy msduess Or the extreme Of folly or
wickedness in = legislative body would a..
tempt an assault upon th,m. The sectional
and partisan hatred, the fanaticism and con-
tempt for law row controlling the republi-
can party, cannot b much longer kept sliye.
however ingenously and indus,rionzly the
bigo's and demagogues now shaping the pol.
icy Of that party Inay strive to inyigorate
aud perpeiuate them. They must die, or the
government cannot i've They must die, or
the principles Of liberty and justice for the
protection Of which the government was
founded must be buried until the tyranny
resting OIL their grave becomes 20 revolving
aud ibtolsrable tina. Thy will be resurrected
BY revolution and bs ptism Of blood When
the people realize that those principles are
in danger. they will come to their defence,
and he seso naexsags on ss:e rscoassr acti0a
bill can hardly fail to attract general stten-
ton and, when cahdidly read, produce the
conviction that the government Is in very
truth ,nt deed in process Of subvcrsion and
in the hands Of bad and reckless men. i
While the bill is broadly open " every oh
lection urged against il BY the president, ard
hs was bound By bis oath Of office to refuse
biz assent 10 il, We hope tbs aon,h viii con-
sent 70 ~ acceptance. There j. every rea
aon 10 believe that tho capacity Of the forsi.
eth congress for mischief will exceed that 81
any ever assembled in this country. There
i not much hope Of restoring the reign 81
| common sense in the north while Tho legro
and reconstruction questions shall be kept
open. The sooncr these are settled, the
sooner can the people DO brought 10 con
sideration Of interests affecting their bust.
ness s9d Of the necsssity Vt maintaining III.
authority Of the constitution. The soulh bal
no protection or defence against ths ssdica
majority 10 congress, and il will psss mucl
worse bill il she shall rejset this one. i i
idle 70 talk Of restnints Of Law Or constitu
tional guarantee ~ those Who hold law i
coniempt and have ths power and disr osi.ioI
70 'rampls ppoa IT, Ckios9s T;ss@s. s.