The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-03-06
Washington News.

WASHINGTON, March 2.-SENATE-The
Bankrupt bill has passed and goes to the
President.
The tenure Of Office veto was read and
the bill passed, Notwithstanding, 35 to II.
The Executive session House proceedings
were not generally interesting until the
meeting of the session at 2 o'clock. Inc
galleries we're jammed.
/, The President says that he has examine q
the bill to provide for the more efficient
government Of the rebel States with that
care which its transcendent Importance
awakens, and is unable to assent thereto.
His reasons are so grave that he hopes a
statement thereof will influence all pa'rloUc
and enlightened men. The bill places ten
States under military rulers. He combatS
the preamble. His informatSon shows that
the people Of the South are united in reor..
ganizing their governments on basis OF
peac>. The face of the bill shows that its
object is not peace.
The bill itself admits that there is to be
false military rule established not for the
prevention of crime, but for the enforce
ncnt of the adoption of odious laws which
are probably in conflict with the ConStitu-
ton and destructive Of the blood bought
liberty
The power given to Brigadicr Generals is
that of absolute monarchs His will deter
mines The rights Of persons and property,
and di>poSos Of lands and goods within ms
district. He makes his own criminal code
and everything is criminal which he denom-
mates as crime. Every person is guilty
whom he condemns. He keeps 10 record
and need make no report. He can break
up courts, make judges and jurors crmi-
mails. Military courts Of his own making,
instead Of mitigating the harshncss of
single rule would divide the responsibility
of making the bill more cruel and unjust.
Several provisions dictated by humanity
should be introduced to restrain officers from
the practice of cruelty according TO his own
temper. The gag, lash, ball. and chain are
within the choice of the military comman>
der, and he may condemn to death without
trial. The authority thus given to officers
amounts 10 absolute deSpotiSm. The power
was denied to English kings for FIVE hundred
years. In all that time the people speaking
the English language have borne no such
seryitude. 1t reduces the Population of ten
States, regardless Of Gu:or, Sex, or condition,
ana tue Stranger WlCnln tnelC IllHitS, 10 a4I
abject and degrading slavery.
It may be asserted that the officers will be
just and humane, but the history of the
world shows that unreStrained authorttJ is
almost invariably tyrannical when the ruler
is a stranger appointed by an unfriendly
power. In Hungary and Poland it has
aroused the sympathy Of the world. In Ire
land it has been indignantly denounced;
while under French rule, in times past, mass
sacrcs, murders and atrocities have foilow>
ed; and we have certainly no authority un-
der the Constitution while we acknowledge
its limitations, although we may possess the
power to carry this measure into execution.
The balance of the measure consists of an
elaborate Constitutional argument, embra>
cling copious extracts. Af;er the reading the
Speaker of the House ruled that two>thirdS
could suspend the rules thus rendering fills
clustering out OF The question. The bill was
then passed over tie veto BY a vote Of 1876
to A.