North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-03-13
VETOES BY THE PRESIDENT
VETO OF THE MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION
BILL.
To the House of RepresentatiUes

To the House OF Representatives.
/ have examined the bill "to provide for
the more fficient government Of the rebel
States" with care and anxiety, which its
tran<cedent importance is calculated to
awaken. am unable to give it my as
sent for reasons so grave that / hope a
statement of them may have some influence
on the minds of the patriotic and enlightrn-
ed men with whom the decision must ulti-
matelv rest.
The bill places all the people of the ten
States therein named under the absolute
domination of military rulers aud the pre-
amble undertakes to give the reason upon
which it is justified.
1t declares that there exists in those
States no gal governments, and no ade-
uua,e protection TOR life and property, and
asserts the necessity Of enforcing peace and
good order Within their limits. Is this
true as a matter Of fact ? 1t is not denied
that the States in question have each Of
them an actual government, with all the
powers, executive, judicial and legislative,
which properly belong to free State. They
are organized like the other States of the
Union and like them they make admins
tor, and execute the laws which concern
their domestic affairs. An existing de fac
10 government exercising such functions
as these is itself the law of the State upon
all matters within its jurisdiction. To pro-
nounce the supreme law, making the power
of an established State illegal, is to say that
law itself is unlawful. The provisions which
these governments have made for the pres.
ervatlon of order, the suppression Of crime,
and the redress of private injuries, are in
substance and principle the same as those
which prevail in the Northern States. and
in other civilized countries. They certain
" have not succeeded in preventing the
commission of all crime, nor has this been
accomplished anywhere in the world. There
as well as elsewhere, offenders sometimes
escape for want of vigorous prosecution,
and occasionally, perhaps, by the inefficien-
cy of courts or the prejudice of jurors. 1t
is undoubtedly true that these evils have
been much increased and aggravated North
and South by the demoralzing influences
of civil war, aud by the rancorous passions
which the contest has engendered bnt
tba; these people are maintaining local gov
ernments for themselves which habltua'ly
defeat the object of all governments, and
render their own lives and property insecure
j. in itself utteri, improbable, ard the aver
uient of the bi.l IL that effect is not suppor.
TED bv any evidence which has come to INV
knowledge. All the information have on
the subject c0nvinces me that the masse:
of the Southern people and those who con
troll their public acts, while they entertain
diverse opinions on questions of federal pol
icy, are completely united in the effort tc
reorpanize their society on the basis OF peace
and to restore their mutual prosperity a:
rapidly and as completely as their crcum-
stances will permit. The bill, however
would seem to show upon its face that The
establishment of peace and good order i:
not its real object
The fifth section declares that the pre-
cecding sections shall cease to operate ir
any State where certain events shall have
happened. These events are First, The
election Of delegates to a State Convention
bv an election at which negroes shall bt
allowed to vote. Second, The formation o
a State constitution, by thu convention SC
chosen. Third. The insertion into the State
constitution of provision which will secur,
the right of voting at all elections to negroes
and to such white mn as may not he dis
franchIsed or rebellion or felony. Fourth
The submission of the constitution for rati
firation to negroes and white men not dis
franchised. and its actual ratification BY
their vote. Fifth, The Submission of the
State constitution to Congress for examina
ton, and the actual approval of it BY thai
body. Sixth, The adoption of a certain
amendment TO the federal Constitution by
vote of the Legislature elected under the
new constitution. Seventh, The adoption
of said amendment by a sufficient number
Of other States to make it part of the Con
s,itution of the United States. All these
conditions must be fulfilled before the peo-
ple of anv of these States can be relieved
from the bondage of military domination
but when they are fulfilled, then immedi-
ately the pains and penalties Of the bill arr
to cease, no matter whether there is peace
or not, and without any reference to tn,
security of life and property. The excuse
given for the bill in the preamble is admit
ted bv the bill itself not to be real. The mil
itary rule which it establishes is plainly tt
be used, not for any purpose of order or fol
the prevention of crime, but solely as I
means of coercing the people into the adop
ton of principles and measures to which j
is known that they are opposed, and upor
which they have an undeniable right to ex
ercise their own judgment.
submit to Congress whether this meas
ure is not in its whole character, scope, ant
object, without precedent and without au-
thority, in paIpahle conflict with the plain
est provisions of the Constitution,and utter
! " destructive of those great principles o
liberty and humanity for which our ances-
tors of both aides of the Atlantic shed u