The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-04-02
PREsIDeNr's MESSAGE.


The President returned to the House of Rep
resenta,iyes the Supplemental Reconstruction
Bill, accompanied by the following message,
giving his reasons fer not signing it.:
To the House of Representatives.:
have considered the bill entitled "An act
supplementary to an act entitled 'An act to pro-
vide for the more efficient government Of the
rebel States passed March I'd, 1867, aad to
facilitate restoration" and now return it to the
House Of Representatives, with my objections.
This bill provides for elections in the tee
States brought uuder the operation Of the orig
inal act to which it is supplementary. It's 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 10 force. are brought within its purvieW.
Referring to the details, it will be found that,
first Of all, there is to be registration Vt the
| voters. No one whose name has not been ad-
mitted the list is to be allowed to vote at any
| Of these elections. To ascertain who is entitled
to registration, reference is made necessary, by
the express language of the supplement, to the
original act and to the pending bill. The NTH
section of the original provides, as to voters,
that they shall be 'mae citizens OF the State,
twenty one years old and upward, of whatever
| race, color previous condition, who have been
| resident of said State for ono year.. This IS
the general qualification followed, however, by
many EXCEPTIONS No one can be registered,
according to the original act, "who may be dis
iranchised for participation 10 the rebellion
provision which left undetermined the question
as to what amounted to disfranehisement, and
whether, without a judicial sentence, the act
itself produced that 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 disfran-
chised tor participation in any rebellion or civil
war against the United States" 1t thus i'm
poses upon every person the necessity aud re.
| sponsibility of deciding for himself, under the
peril of punish nent by military commission,
if he makes mistake, what works distl anchise-
ment by participation in rebellion, and what
amounts to such participation. Almost every
man-the negro we'll as the white-above
twenty-oue years Of age, who was resident 10
these ten States during the rebellion, voluntarily
| or involuntarily, at some time and IN some way
did participate 10 resistance to the lawful au-
thority of the General Government The ques-
ton with the citizens to whom this oath is to be
proposed must be fearful Que, for while the bill
does not declare that perjury may be assigned
for such false swearing, nor fix any penalty for
the otfense, We must not forget that martial law
prevails, that every person is answerable to
military commission, without previous present
meDt by grand jury for any charge that may
be made against him; and that the supreme au
thority of the military commander determines
the question as to what is an offence, and 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 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 10 the military service or
civilians, residents of the State or strangers
Yet these persons are to exercise most important
duties, and are vested with unlimited discretion.
They to decide what names shall be placed
upon the register, aud from their decision there
is to be no appeal. They to superintend the
elections, and to decide all questions which may
arise. They are to have the custody of the
ballots, and to make return of the persons elect
ed. Whatever frauds or errors they may cou-
NIT must pass without redress. All that is left
for the commanding general is to receive the
returns OF the elections, open the same, and as
certain who are chosen according to the returns
OF the officers who conducted said elections"
BY such means, and with this sort Of agency,
the conventions 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 them
selves. No convention so constituted will in
any sense represent the wishes of the inhabitants
of these States; for, under the all embracing ex-
ceptions of these laws, by construction which
the uncertainty of the clause as to disfranchise-
ment leaves open to the board of officers, the
great body of the people may be excluded from
the Is, and from all opportunity of expressing
their own wishes, or voting for delegates who
will faithfully reflect their sentiments.
do not deem it necessary to further investi-
gate the details Of this bill No consideration
could induce me to give my approval to such an
election law tor any purpose, add especially for
the great purpose of framing the constitution of
State. If ever the American citizen should
be left to the free exercise of his own judgment,
1t Is when he Is engaged in the work Of forming
the fundamental law under which he is to live.
That work is his work, ard it cannot properly
be taken out OF his hands. All this legislation
proceeds upon the contrary assumption, that the
people Of each of these States shall have con-
stitution, except such as may be arbitrarily dc
tated by Congress, and formed under the re-
straint of military rule. A plain statement OF
facts makes this evident.
In all these States there are existing Consti-
tutlons, formed in the accustomed way BY the
people. Congress, however, declares that these
constitutions are not 'loyal and Republican"
and requires the people to form them anew
What then, In the opinion Of Cong ress is ueces-
sary to make the constitution loyal aud Repub.
llcsn = The original act answers the Question:
1t is universal negro suf1rage-a question which
the Federal Constitution leaves IN III. S.ot.s