Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-08-03
p O T. T IT I O a IL .
VETO MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT,

1nc t"liOWlnS IL the veto OF the Second
Supplementary Military bill, which has since
been pissed by Congress, the Presidents OBJ
Scctons to the contrary Notwithstanding:
TO tho House Of Representatives of United Sta
return herewith the bill entitled "An
net supplementary to an act entitled An act to
provide for tho more efficient government of
the rebel States passcl on the 2nd day of
March, 1867 and tleuct supplementary there.
to passed on the 23d day Of March. 1867, and
will state as briefly as possible some Of The
rcasous which prevent me from giving it MY
approval
This is one of series Of measures I,sssra
by Congress during tho last fur nu,,tI,s on
the subject of reconstruction The message
returning the act of the 2nd Of Marcl, last
statcsat length my objections to the passage
OF that measure. TEey apply.tIunlly well
TO the bill now before me, and [ am content
merely to refer to them and to rcitcrate my
conviction that they are sound ana unanSwcr.
able.
PECULIAR FONTS or TIE E!I.t.
The first section proposes to declare g the
true intcnt and meaning" in some p,rti,u
lars, of the two prior acts upon this subject
1t is declared tn $s'f',e .i:.tcnt OF those ;cts
was First. that tie existing governments l.,
the ten rebel States w,,l,.not LEGAL State
governments, aud Sntur,l "that thereafter
said governments, it nntinnn,, wrrr to tc
continued subject in IN respects Ia ,hc Mill
tary Commanders OF tie respective dist ycts
and to the paramount authority OF Con. r,ss."
Congress may, by drclnr;,orv act fix ur-
on prlor set 4 construction Hl,O"ct hrr'at va,
rance with us apparent moaning; and f,u,,
the time at least when such construction il
f>.pf iI,fl, Il
exactly whist it is stated ~ NOM hy Il q do,
clartory statue. There Will b,. thrn. s,n>i the
time this bill M: h"rn;':c lw. m d,n't-
no qncsiionas as to the rotation in which the
"eXisting governments in th,Cc S!n'os. called
III the original act Z" thr provisional govern.
mc"ts, h:r'd t"Nar's thn military anth,ri-
]aratory act, ti,aso gpS9rnc's, IS rrue, rus
were made suij to absolute military nu,
thority in many importrnt RESI- Gets, but not
in al the iansunge ,I tie ct 'c.nr " sub
jcct to 'hc mi't4ry "n!!",,ity Of re I"tcl
Stoss, as h'rc;n"t',r prorHH" By tho
nncnts were made ". +" in nl.reSp cts, sui.
jicct to the rast,n ru; authority nt the nj.
ted States"
Now, by this dcc|aratory act itappcars that
Congress did not, By the original act. intend
to limit tho military authority to any pnrticu-
lars or subjects therrin prcscribrd,'. but
meant to make il universal Thus over all
these ton States this military government is
now declared to have unlimitrd authority l.
II is 10 lnngcr cnnGncd to the preservation Of
the public peace, the administration Of crini-
nal law the registration Of voters. and the
anperintcndant of elections, hut. it is asSrr.
tHd tn be paramount to the existing civil gov.
crnnicnts.
ITS. EFFECTS.
It is impossible tn conceive any state OF 90.
ciety more intolerable than this. and yet it i,
to this condition that twelve millions Of A"cr.
lean citizens are reduced hy the Congress Of
the United States. Over every foot of ihc
immense territory occupied by these Amr,i.
lean citizens the Constitution Of tic United
States is Theoretically in u!l operation. 1t
binds all the people there, and shohld protect
Them. yet they are denied every one o, its sa-
sacred cnnrantccs.
Of what avail WI it be to my one Of t!,csc
Sou hrrn p""pie, wh.u. seized ny iiic cf sol.
dicrs tn ask 10 the cansc OF ulrrst M. for the
production the warrant? O.. what avail
to asIi for tn" priyilrg" of bail wncn in militia
~ custody. wl,ic,, kupws IN .,,cl thin. as
bn!! or wins, avni' to demand II trial by inry.
l,ruc"SS for witnesses. copy o! the i,lIrt
mcht, the privilege, the VII. ot habGds c0I-
Tns s..
The veto Of iho original act of the I'd OF
March was based on two distinct grounds
the interference Of Congress in matters strict.
y. anncrt,inina, to tho reserved powers of the
States, and the establishment of military tri-
buDnls for tho trial Of citizens il, times of
pence. The impartial reader of that message
will understand TINT all it contains with re.
spcot to military dcspotism aud martial law
hus reference especially to tho fearful power
conferred on the District Commanders to dis.
place the criminal courts aud assume iuris.
dction t,, try and to punish by military
boards that potentially, the suspension Of
Anbrns corpus was martial law and military
dcspptism. The act now before me not only
declares that the intent was to confer such nil
itnry authority, but also. to confer unlimited
military authority over all the other courts Of
the States and over all the Offices Of the State
Legislative, executive and judicial.
Not content with the general grant of pow.
er, Congress, in tho second section Of this bill,
specially gives to each Military Commander
the power mto suspend or remove from, office,
or from,thc performance Of official duties and
the exercise Of official powers, any officer or
person holding OF exercising, or protesting to
hold and exercise, any civil or military. Office
~ Iufy III ts,ch distriot ,i,,1er 'nny mower