Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-03-29
MESSAGE
or the President of the Tnited States, ye-
toing the Bill supplementary fo the Will
~.

MESSAGE
or the President of the Tnited states, We
toing che Bill supplementary fo thc r1il
itary Bill.
To The House Of Representatives
have considered the bill entitled Ar
act supplementary to az set entitled Nj
act to provide for the more efficient gov
eminent of the rebel States, passed MarcL
2, 1867, and to facilitate restoration" an6
now return it to the House Of Representa-
tlves, with my objections
This bill provides for elections in the ten
States brought nnder the operation Of the
original act to which it is supplementary
Its details are principally directed to the
elections for the formation Of the State
constitutions, Dut 10y the sixth section! y,
the bill ali elections Ill these States, o..
curing while the original act TuE4aiJis- ia
force, arc brought within ite puryicu
referring to the details. 1t vii! bu found
that, first OF all, there is to lie u Gcgistra-
ton Of the voters. No enc whose name
has not been admitted on the list IS 10 l;c
allowed to vote st any Of these elections.--
10 Qsc -rtaln who is entitled to registration,
reference y maic necessary. by the express
Language OF tho supplement, t. the oriGi-
nal act and 10 inc pending bill. Tho fifth
section Of tie original act provides, as Il
vOtars, that thcr shall be - male citizens
Of the Stale, twcnty-one years old and up,
ward: OF Whatever race, color, CT previous
condition, who have been resident oi said
State for one wear" This is the general
qualification. followed, however, by many
exceptions. 30 one can DO registered uc.
cordin8 to the original act, ''who may he
disfranchlsed for participation ii the re
beilOn, provision which Lett undater-
mined the question Is 10 what amounted
to dlsfranchIscnlent, and whether, without
a Judicial sontCnne, the act ;tetlf produced
that effect
Ihis suppIeIn, ntai hill s;lperadds an oath
to be taken By every person before his
name can he admitted upon the regi5tra
tlOE, that he has 9 not been disfranclliscJ
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 mill
tary commission, if lie mikes mistake
what works disfranchisement by participa
ton in-roheIlion, and what amounts to sllcl
participation. Almost every man--the ne
gro as we'll q, the whito.aboye twenty
yeats III age, who WIS resident in these ter
States duriuC the rebellion, voluntarily al
lnvolunt8rIiy, at some time and ia some
way did participate in resistance 10 the
lawfRi authority Of tna General Govern
ment
4Ae question with the citizen to whom
this oath il 20 be proposed must be a fear
Iut one; for, while the bill does not declare
that perjury may be assigned for such fals<
swearing, nor fix any penalty for the Of
Tense, we must not forget that martial law
prevails, that every person IS nn6Werablo tC
military commission, without previous
pre8entment by "a grand jury, for any charge
that may be nude against him and thai
the supreme authority of the military com
mander determines the question as to what
is ln o!tense, and what Is TO be the measure
OF punishment
The 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 OF
three loyal officers or persons" The only
qualification stated Cor these officers is, thai
they must be ''loyai.7 They may be per
sons in the military service or civilians, res
idents OF the State ar strangers Yet thest
persons arc to oXcrclae most mpCrtant du
ties. and ara vested with unlimited discre
ton. They are TO decide what names shal
be placed apon the register, and from theil
decision there is to be no appeal. They
are to superintend the elections, and to de
eide all questions which may arise. They
are TO have the custody OF the ballots, anC
to make return OF the persons elected. -
Whatever frauds OF errors they may com
init must pass without redress. All that i!
left for the commanding general IS to re
ceivo the returns Of the elections, open tht
same, and ascertain who are chosen = sc
cording to the returns of the officers who
conducted said elections" BY such means
and with this sort Of agency, are the con
ventions to be constituted.
As the delegates are To speak for the peo
pie, common Justice would seem to require
that they should have authority from the
people themselves. No convention so con
stituted viii il any sense represent tht
wishes Of the inhabitants Of these States
for. under The aIl-emb acing exceptions 0
these laws, by construction which the IN
certainty Of the clause as to disfrancisemen
leaves open TO the board OF officers, thu
great body If the people may be excluded
from the polls, and from all opportunity 0
expressing their own whistles, or voting TO
delegates who will faithfully reflect thei
sentiments.
do not deem it necessary further to III
vestigate the details Of this bill. No con
sideration could induce me to give my ap
prevail to such an election law for any pur
pose, anu eSpcC4aily 4ot INC great tu4E'oS'
of framing the constitution OF State. [
ever the American citizen should be left t
the nee exercise OF his own judgment, it i
when he IS engaged in the work OF forming
the Observation-Disclosures under which he is to live
That work is his work, and it cannot prop
erly be taken out OF his hands. All hi
legislation proceeds upon the contrary rs
sumption that the people Of each OF thes
States shall have no constitution, eNcep
such as may bo arbitrarily dictated by Con
gress, and formed under the restraint o
military rule. 4 plain statement Of fact
makes this evident.
In all these States there are existing con
situations, formed in the accustomed Wa.
by the people. Congress, however, de
clares that these constitutions are not ''loy
al and republican, % and requires the poopJ
to form them anew. What, then, i'll tn
opinion of Congress, is necessary to max
the Constitution loyal and republi
can % The original act answers the ques
ton: It is universal negro sufrage-a ques
ton which the Federal Constitution leave
to the States themselves. All this legisla
tive machinery Of martial law, military &C
ercion, and political Acknowledgement
s,vowedly for that purpose, and none other