Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-28
Largest CirdaIatlea in CIV I'D SAC.
FnE LAST yEFo.
The Presidents objections to the sup

! House Of Representatives. / have considered
hhe bill entitled "an act supplementary Il
an act TO provide for the more efficient gov
eminent Of the Rebel States, passed Marcel
2, 1867, and 10 facilitate restoration" and
now return il 70 the House Of Representa-
tiyes with my objections.
This bill provides for elections in the ter
States brought under the operation of the
original act 10 which it is supplementary
Its details are principally directed q the
elections for the formation Of the State
constitutions but by the sixth section o.
the bili at all elections in the States occur
ring while the original act remains in force
are brought within its provisions.
Referring 10 the details il will be found
that, first Of oil, there is to be a registra-
ton Of thevoters. No one whose name has
not been admitted on the list is to be al
lowed to vote at these elections. To ascer-
tain who is entitled to registration reference
is made. necessary, by the express language
Of the supplement, to the original act and
to the pending bbl. = - "a ,ssa -
The fifth seetioBaof the original act pro-
vides, as to voters, that they shall be male
citizens Of the State, twenty-one years Old
or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. EEoegcoloF, or pre-
vious condition., who have bPert resideptin
said State for one year. This Il The pen
eral qualification, followed, however, by
many exceptions. No one can be regis
tered, according to the original act, who
may be disfranchised for participation in
the rebellion--a provision which left un-
determined the question as to what amount
ed to disffanEhisement, aud whether,
without judicial sentence, the act itself
provided that effect. This supplemental
bill superadds an cath, to be taken by
every person before his name can be ad-
mitted upon the registration, that he has
not been disiTanchised 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 a military commission, if
he makes a mistake, what makes disfran-
chisement by participation in rebellion,
and what amounts to such participation.
Almdstevery nfan--ate negro Is Gel AZ
the ,wlIite @abOte twenty -oIe years Of ape,
who was resident in the ten States during
the rebellion, voluntarily or involun;arily,
at some time and in some way, did partici-
EAAt III LGhlHLduCb W lllE law lul dullOTlLY Oh
J the general government. The question
with the citizen when this oath is proposed
must be a fearful one for while the bill
does not declare that perjury may be as
signed for FALSE swearing, nor fix any pen-
atty for the Ofierse, we must not forget that
martial law prevails; that every person is
answerable to a military commission, with
out previous presentmentby sagrand jury,
for any charge thai may be Dh5s against
him, and that The supreme atthorhy of the
military commailipr dalcrmlnes tie ques-
ton as to what IS % be the measure of pun
ishment. -
The fourth secllon. Of the bill provides
that the commanding General of each dis
trict shall appoint,as many boards of regis
batiOn as may be necessary, consisting of
hree loyal officers or persons. The only
qualification stated fer these officers is that
they must be loyaig they may be persons
in the military service, or civilian resi-
dents Of that State, or strangers; yet these
persons areto exercise most important du-,
ties, and are vested with unlimited dis
cretion. They are TO decide what names
shall be placed upon the register, and from
their decision there is TO be no no appeal;
they are tesupTintepd the elections and 20
decide.Rlll qheslions wtichIhayaris they.
are to have the custody of the ballots and
to make return. of the per4ons. elected /;
whatever frauds or errors they. may COM
nit must pass without redress. All that is
left for the commanding General is,to re-
ceive the RETURNS, open the same and ascer-
tain who are chosen, according 10 the re-
turns of the officers who conducted such
elections.
BY such means and with this sort Of
agency are the conventions Of delegates Ia
be constituted. As the delegates are 10
speak for the. people, common ,instice would
seem to reqaire that they should fave
authority frohIiIke people thelhs6lseS No
convention so constituted viii, in anysense,
represent the wishes Of the Inhabitants Of
the States; for amder the allyenlbracingl
sections Of these laws, by consFuetioni
which he uncertainty Of The clause As 10
Acknowledgement leaves open 10 the bOard
Of officers, the great body of the people
may be excluded from the polls, and from
al opportunity Of expressing their own
wishes, or voting for delegates who will
faithfully reflect their sentimental sf1 s-.a
Do not, deem il. necessary, further to
investigate the details ofthis bill.sr No con-
sideration could induce me TO give my
approval TO such an election Law, for any
purpose land especially for the great IIur-l
pose Of fofniing the constitution Of State.
II ever the american citizen. should be
leit to. the free exercise Of his own iudg4
ment, il is when he is engaged In the work
Of forming the fundamental Law under
which heis TO live. That work is hiswork,
and it cannot properly be taken out Of his
hands. All thfs legislation proceeds upon
the contrary assumption that the people of
each Of these States shall have no constiIu-
lon except. such as may be arbitrarily
dictated by Congrsssi and fortret Under the
restraint Of military 'role. Al plain state-
ment of facts makes this evident
In all these States there are existing
constitutions formed in the accustomed way
BY the pRopie.f Congress- however, dedages
that these constitutions are hot 16vaf and
republican, aud requires the people to form
them anew. Whist tlIeh. In theopinion of
Congress is necessary to make the consiitu-
don Of a State loyal and republican, The
original act answers the question. 1t is
universal negro sutlrage--a question which
the Federal constitutions leaves tet the
States themselves. An this legislation MAJ
ohinery-maTtia! lawv military coercion
and political disfranchisement-is avowedly
Cor that purpose and none other. The ex-
letting constitutions % the ten Estates 1eon-
form 10 the acknowledged standards of
loyalty and republication Indeed, il
there are degrees in republican forms Of
government their constitutions are inore
republican now than when these States,
four Of which we're Of the original thirteen,
first BECAME members of the Dnion. sOuii-
gress does pct DOW demand thai "a single
provision Of their constitutions be changed
except such as conhne suffrage to the white
.populaDoi8 Buis apparent tbereiore5 that
these provisions DO not conform 70 the
standard OF .Iepublicahisrn which Congress
seeks 10 establish. That ihere may he no
mistake. IL il only Necessary thatreferenoe
should be made 10 the original act which
deClmes such constitutions should provide
that the elective franchise shall be enjoyed
by all such persons as have the qualinca-
tons herein stated for electors Of delegates.
" hich class u persons ishere meant clearly
appears in die same secton that IS 10 say,
the male citizens OF said State, tSenty-one
years old and upwards Of whatever race,
color or previous condition. who have been
resident IN sad State for ono wear previous
: 70 TIE day Of suchelection. Without these
prousiops 40 Constitution Which can he
fnruasf IA 4Btr on n -. - 4