Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-03-25

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT
OF the United States, Vetoing the Bill Supplement
tary to- the Military Bill.
T5he House of Representatives
have considered the bill entitled ''An act
supplementary to an act entitled An act to
proYide for the more efficient government OF
the rebel States. passed March 2, 1867, and to
facilitate restoration, and now return 1t to the
House OF Representatives, with my objections.
This bill provides for elections in the ten
States brought unaerthe operation of the orig
inal act to which it is supplementary. Its de-
tails are principally directed to the elections for
the formation of the State constitutions, but
by the sixth section Of the bill ''all elections
in these States, occurring while the original
act remains in force, are brought within its
purvieW.
Referring to the details it will be found that,
first of all there is to be a registration Of the
voters. No one whose name has not been ad-
mitted on the list is to be allowed to vote at
apy of these elections To ascertain who is en-,
titled to registration, reference is made necessa-
~. by the express language Of the supplement,
to the original act ana to the pending bill. The
fifth section of the original act provides, as to
voters, that they shall be male citizens of the
State, tWenty-oDe years old and upward, OF
whatever race, color, Or previous condition,
who have been resident Of said State for one
year. This is the general qualification, fol-
lowed, however, by many exceptions. No one
can be registered, according to the original act,
who may be disfranchsed for participation in
the rebellion provision which left undeter-
mined the question as to what amounted to
disfranchisement, and whether, without 4 ju-
Il oat 7tcoif ot
effect.
This supplemental bill superadds an oath, to
be taken by every person before his name can
be admitted upon the registration, that he has
mot been dsfranchised for participation in any
rebellion or civil war against the 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 mistake,
What works disfranchisement by participation
10 rebellion, and what amounts to such
participation. Almost every man--the negro
as we'll as the white-above twenty one years
of age, who was resident in these ten. States
during the rebellion, voluntary or invountarily,
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 proposed must be fearful one !;
for while the bill does not declare that perjury
may be assigned for such false swearing, nor
fix any penalty for the offence, we must not
forget that martial law prevails, that every
person is answerable to military commission,
without previous presentment by grand jury,
tor any charge that may be made against him );
and that the supreme authority Of the military
commander determines the question as to what
is an Ofense, aud what is to be the measure of
punishment.
The fourth section OF the bill provides THAT
the commanding general of each district shall
appoint as many boards Of registration as may
be necessary, consisting of three loyal officers or
persons The only qualification stated for
these officers is, that they must be loyal. !"
They may be persons in the military service or
civilians residents of the State or strangers
Yet these persons are to exercise most lmpor-
tant duties, 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 appeal. They are to
questions which may arise They are to have
the custody Of the ballots, and to make return
Of the persons elected Whatever frauds or
errors they may commit must pass without re-
dress All that is left for the commanding
general is to receive the returns of the cleo
lions, open the same, and ascertain who are
chosen according to the returns OF the officers
who conducted said elections" " By such means,
and with this sort Of agency, are the conven-
tlons of delegates to be constituted.
As the delegates are to speak for the people,
common justice would seem to require that
they should have authority from the people
themselves. No convention SO constituted will
10 any sense represent the wishes of the inhab-
itants of these States for, under the all en-
oracing exceptions of these laws, by a construc-
1on which the uncertainty of the clause as to
Acknowledgement leaves open to the board Of
oihcers, the great body of the people may be
excluded from the polls, and from all opportu-
alty OF expressing their own ishes, or voting
Tor delegates who will faithfully reflect their
sentiments
DO not deem it necessary further to lnvestl-
gate the details of this bill. No consideration
SOala induce me to give my approval to such
90 election law for any purpose, and especially
.of the great purpose cf framing the constltu-
non Of State IT ever the American citizen
;;u9ald be left to the free exercise OF his own
augment, it is when he is engaged 10 the work
u forming the fundamental law under which
heis to live That work is his work, and it
ssanot properly be taken out of his hands. -
sumption that the people of each Of these
v.ates shall have no constitution, except such
sssmay be arbitrarily dictated by Congress, and
Us'med under the restraint of military rule
+ plan statement of facts makes this evident.
fa ~ all these States there are existing constltu-
sss auas' formed in the accustomed way by the
ytSSope. tSslpe Congress, however, declares that
css assH constitutions arc not loyal and repubh-
anan @u and requires the people to form them
s,s'S sssw' What, then, in the opinion of Con-
Sss' SOss necessary to make the Constitution
answers the Question: QUESTION It is m universal % negro gro
4 st;t,eage-a question which the Federal Con
lbs lbsa1uon y leaves to the States themselves. All
ts,a sn legislative machinery Of martial law, mill
a,on y coercion and political disfranchisement is
lh"eoiy Tor that purpose, and none other
ens, EXISTING Constitutions Of the ten States
4 A'Usm to the acknowledged standards Of