The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-07
THE RECONSTRUCTION BILL AND VETO.

We yesterday published in full the very mas
Serly argument Of President JOHNSON, in which ho
stated his objections to the Military Reconstruc-
tion Bill, AMI houo all our readers have read it
carefully, as it certainly refers to question most
vital to all of them.
As the history Of it's final passage over tho
Presidents veto may not prove uninteresting, we
copy it from the official report Of the debates of
Congress-:
At half.past eight, on Saturday evening, March
2, the veto of the President the Reconstruction
Bill was taken up and read. The reading having
been concluded @
ing, us he most sincerely did, full justice to the
conscientious purpose Of the President he could
not but regret that he [the Presidenl) had felt
send this message to Congress-. There were many
propositions ID law contained in that message
which could not be maintained. There were many
errors OF judgment in it which, upon examination,
which he lthe President) had been ' COZ compelled to
come come IN tho exercise OF bis own judgment which
He CMr. Johnson) saw nothing but continued
turmoil, danger and error to the South and to the
pose Of stating very briefly in addition to What be
had already said when the measure was before the
Senate On o former occasion, why it was that ho
and why it was that he should give the same vote
now: Applause ~ in the galleries, which Was re-
pressed" by the Chair 1t viii not be fOr. q mo-
ment supposed, said Mr.. johnson, by those
to whom I am addressing myself, that I
then, by any hope Of popular applause. My
motives, If know myself, were perfectly pure and
patriotic. saw before me distracted and almost
bleeding country. T thought saw, and think
see now, the means by which it might be restored
to . healthful condition, and the constitution Of
the country IN the end preserved: Ihaye arrived,
ever any other ambition animated me, can have
no other ambition now than that Of serving my
country. Having referred to the views he had
previously expressed on the question of recon
strucion, concluding that when the war ceased
the States restored to their former relations
we're requisite constitutional, Mr., johnson said
that the present and the late Executive thought
differently. It was unnecessary for him to say what
were the conditions exacted by the present Exccu-
tive They were in his (Mr. Johnson's) judgment
as unconstitutional as any that could be found in
this bill. The Congress of the United States was
Of opinion that, Notwithstanding the people Of
exacted BY the present Chief Magistrate, they
could not be. restored without the sanction
of Congressional legislation; and this was the
judgment of the country. Then how we're they to
come back Only by complying with the condi-
tions which Congress may impose; whether Con-
gress had the authority to impose them or not;
OF, falling to comply, to remain in the sad condi-
tion in which they are now; He (Mr. Johnson)
imputed bad motives neither to Congress nor to
the Executive. he thonght he knew his duty to
the institutions OF the country too well to call In
question the motives Of either. He accorded puri:
ty purpose and patriotic principles to both. He
differed from both, but he sought the restoration
ing It now but by the adoption Of the measure
now before the SenatA We are now. in m Onn.