The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-07-24
Y E E T. @!
Message of the President Veto
ing the Supplemental Military
Despotism Bill.


10 the House Of Representatives. Of the
United States:
return herewith the bill entitled an ac'
supplementary to an act entitled an act
to provide for the more efficient govern
ment of the Rebel States, passed on the ID
Of March, 1867, and the act supplementary
thereto passed on the 23d day of March,
1867 anA will state as briefly as possible
some OF the reasons which prevent me from
giving il my approval. This is one of a sc-
ries of measures passed by Congress during
tie last four months on the subject OF re.
construction:
The message returning the act Of the ID
of March last states at length my objections
tc the passage Of that bill They apply
equally we'll to the bill now before me, and
am content merely to refer to them and
to reiterate my conviction that they are
sound and transferable There are son e
points peculiar to this bill which | will pro-
ceed at once to consider. The first section
purpnrtS to declare the true intent and
meaning, in some particulars, ofthe two
prior acts upon this subject. 1t is declared
that the intent Of these acts was
First-That the existing governments in
the ten rebel States w"re not legal State
governments. and that thereafter said COY
ernmentS We're to he continued sutinct, in
all respects. to the military commanders of
the respective districts. and to the para
mount authority Of Congress
Congress may, BY dcclaratory act, Fix
upon prior act construction altogether
at variance with its apparent meaning, and
from the time, at least, when SAID construc-
tion is fixed the original acr will be constru-
ed, and mean exactly what it is stated to
mean by the decl.ratory statute There
will be, then. from the time this bill may
become law, no doubt. no question as to
the relation in which the existing govern
ments in those States. called in the original
act the provisional governments, stand to.
ward the United States, rs these relations
stood before the decIarato>y act. These
governments, it is true were made sub
ject to absolute military authority in many
important respects, bus not in all, the Ian
gnage OF the act being subject TO the mill
tary authority Of the United States, as here
inafter prescribed by the sixth section Of
the original act Tir,c governments were
made in all resp cts Sub!ect to the para.
mount authority of tha United States. --
Now, by this declaratory act il appears that
Congress did not b. the original act intend
to limit the militar" authority TO any par
ticular suhiectstherein prescribed, but meant
70 make it universal over all these ten
States.
This military government is now declared
to have unli authority; it is no long T
confined TO the preservation Of the public
peace; the administration Of criminal laws;
the registration Of voters and the superin
tendence of elections, but N all respects is
asserted to be paramnunt to the existing
civil governments II is impn sihle to con-
ceive any state of society more intolerable
than this and yet it is to this condition
that twelve millions of Americ citizens
are reduced by the Congress of the United
States Over every foot Of the immense
territory occupied by these American citi-
zens, the Constitution of the unitrd States,
Theoretically, is in full operation; it binds
all the people there, and should project
them, yet they are denied every one of its
sacred guarantees, and OF what avail will it
be to any one of these Southern people
when seized by file of soldiers, to ask for
the cause Of arrest, or the production Of the
warrant, or of the privilege Of bail when
in military custody, which knows no such
thing as bail; of what avail to demand
trial by jury, process for witness, a copy of
the indictment, the privilege of counsel,
and that great privilege, the writ of habeaS
corpus?
The veto Of the original bill of the 81 of
March, was based on two distinct grounds
the interference of Congress in duties strict
" pertaining to tie reserved powers of the
States, and the establishment of military
kr,h al ha t,-,o nj Rf ait q
peace. The impartial reader of that mes
spect to military despotism and martial law.
which has reference especially to fear that
the power conferred on the district comman-
ders to displace the criminal courts and s.
sumo jurisdiction, to try and punish, by
military boards, most potentially, the sus-
pension of hobeds corpus was martial law,
and military despotism. The act now be.
tore me, not only declares that the intent
was to confer such military authority, but
to confer unlimited authority over all the
other Cnults Of the State, and all officers of
the State, legislative, executive and judicial
Not content with the general grant 70 Con
gress, the second section Of this bill speci
fcally gives to each military commander
the power to suspend, or relieve from office.
or from the performance Of official duties
and exercise of official POWERS any officer or
person holding or protesting to hold or ex.
ercise any civil or military Office in such dis.
trict under any power, election or appoirt.
ment, derived from or granted by or claim
ed under any so-called State or the govern
ment thereof, or any municipal or other di.
vision thereof, o power that hitherto all the
departments of the Federal Governments,
acting in concert or separately, have not
dared to exercise, is here conferred on !