The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-04-03
THE LAST VETO.
The supplementary ReeOnstruc'
tiOn Bill vetoed.
WAsnrNoroN. March p, IsS7.


The President has sent the following
message to the House of Representatives,
vetoing the SUPP ementary Reconstruction
Bill:
l have considered the bill entitled IAN
act supplementary to sn act to provide for
the more efficient government ef the rebel
States, passed March 2, 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
original act to which 1t Is supplementary
Its details are principally directed to the
| elections Iur the formation OF the State
constitutions. Cut the sixth section Of the
| bill all elections in these States occurring
| while the original act remains in force are
| brought within its purview.' Referrirg to
| the detaik, it will be found that, first of all
there is to be registration of the voters
| No one whose name has not been admitted
| on the list is to be lowed to vote at any
| of these elections. To ascertain who is
enttled to registration, reference is made
necessary by the express language OF the
supplomant to the original act and to the
pcnding bill The fifth section of the origi
| n, act provides as to voters, that they shall
be male citizens of the, State, twenty one
years old and upward, of whatever race,
color, ur previous condition, Sho have been
resident of said State for one year; this, is
| the general qualification, followed however,
by many exceptions. No one can be regis
tered according to the original act who may
be disfianchised for participation in the
| rebellion, provision which left undermined
the question rs to what amounted to dis
| franchisemcnt, and whet her without judi
cial sentence the act itself produced that
effect. .n. .-e.-t.
This supplemental bill superadds an oath
to be taken by every person, before his
name can be admitted upon the registration
that he has not been disiranchised for par
ticipation in any rebellion or civil war
against the United States. 1t thus lmpc ses
upon every person the necessity aud respon.
sibiity of deciding Tor himself, under the
peril Of punishment by a military commits
sion, If he makes a mistake, what works
disfranchisement by participation IN rebell-
ion. and what amounts to such participation.
Almost every man, the negro as well as the
white, above twenty-one years OF age, who
was resident in these ten States during the
rebellion, voluntarily or invOluntarily, at
some time and in some way, did participate
in resistance to the lawful authority Of the
General Government. The question with
the citizen, to whom this oath is to be pro-
posol, must be fearful one, for while the
bill does not declare the pnilury may be as
signed for such false swearing, nor hx any
penalty for the offcnse, we must not forge:
that martial law prevails, that every person
is answerable 10 military commission, with.
out previous presentlnent by a grand jury,
for any charge made against him, and that
the supreme authority of the military com.
maadcr determines the question as to what
is an ofense, and what Is to be the measure
of punishment .;y
Tie fourth section Of the bill provides
that the commanding general of each dis
trict shall appoint as many boards OF regis
tration rs may be; necessary, consisting o.
three loyal officers or persons. The onl!
: qualification stated for these officers is tina
t they must be loyal. Ttey may be p.rson
$ in the military service Ul civilians, resident
1 Of the State or strangers, yet these person
n are to exercise most important duties, ant
e are vested with unlimited discretion The.
s are to decide what names shnll be places
I upon the registers, and from their decision
. there is to bo no appeal. They are to su
J perintend the elections, and to decide al
b questions which may arise. They are t
: have the custody ofthe ballots, and to max
g return Of the persons elected. Whateve
1t frauds or errors they may commit mus
n pass without redress. All this is left fc
l. The commanding general is to receive th
't returns Of the elections, open the same, an
r ascertain who are chosen according to tn
returns of the officers who conducted sue
1t elections. BY such means, and with tn
g sort Of agency, are the conventions OF del
ID gates to be constituted, As the delegat,
are to speak for the people, con mon justi,
" would seem to require that they sh9u
n have authority from the people themselve
as No convention so constituted will in al
1 sense represent the wishes of the inhat
OF tants of these States; for under the alien
ct bracing exceptions Of these laws, by a co
K struction which the uncertainty OF Il
clause as to disfranchisement leaves open
& the board Of officers, the great body of Il
people may be excluded from the polls, al
re from all opportunity of expressing heir ov
ct wishes, or voting for the delegates who W
he faithfully reflect their sentiments do q
he deem it necessary tuther to investigate I
I'd details of this bill. No consideration cou
IN induce me to give my approval to such
ed election law for any purpose, and especla
"a for the great purpose OF framing the c9r
:. titution of State. II ever the Americ
IT citizen should be left to the tree exercise
re his own judgment, it is when he is engag
in the work of forming the fundamental Il
as under which he is to live. That work
de his work, and it can properly be taken o
ge of his hands. All this legislation procee
Ills upon the contrary assumption that the pt
| pie of e1ch Of these States shall have
at, constitution except such as may be arbita
to rily dictated by Congress, and tormed und
is the restrain Of nlitaryrule. 4 plain sta
Is ment OF facts makes this evident. In
he these States arc existing constitute
ter formed in thu accustomed war by the peo
nd Congress, however, declares that these c,
ice stitutions are not loyal and republican
vas and requires the people to form them ans
lie What, then, in the opinion of Congress,
te- necessary to make the constitution q
am State loyal and republican,
lne The original act answers the preston
ian "a, is the universal negro suffrage; q quest
his which the Feicral Constitution leaves
ng, the States themselves. All this legisat
the machinery of martial law, military coerc
his and political disfranchisenent, is ayowe
to for that purpose, and none other. The
=" lstihR Constitutiois VI tHe ten OtateS
ent form to the acknowledged standards of
rein atty and republicanism. Indeed. if th
are degrees in republican forms Of COVE
ina ment, their constitutions are more repu
can now than when they were States, {
of which were members when, the orig
= thirteen fist became members of the Uni
the Cong ess does not demand that single
vision Of their constitutions be changed,
cept such as confinc suffrage to the VI
lere population. 1t is apparent that these
re Visions do not conform to the standard
cks' rcpublicanisn which Congress seeks to
ro 70 tablisf. That there may be no. mistake
ths Is only necessary that reference should
lhen !, made to the original act, which decl
! j. Such Constitution shall provide that