The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-21
The Veto Of the Electoral College
Bill.

WASHINGTON, July 2O.-Presldent John
son sent in to Congress- to-day his message
yetoine the electoral college bill. The
message sent on Saturday was one contain
inr suggestions of amendments to the Con-
stiution.
In vetoing this bill the President men
tons that the southern States were never
out of the Union, and asserts that they
were practically and constitutionally re-
stored previous to March, 1867. In mar
rating the provisions of the Constitution
the President says: "The joint resolution,
by implication at least, comedies that these
States were States by virtue of their or
ganization prior to the 18th Of March, 1867,
but denies to them the right to vote in the
election of President and NiccPresident OF
the United States. 1t follows either that
this assumption of power is wholly unau-
thorized by the Constitution; or that the
States so excluded from voting were
out of the Union by reason of the rebellion,
and have never been legitimately restored.
Being fully satisfied that they were never
out of the Union, and that their relations
thereto have been legally and constitution
ally restored, | am forced to the conclusion
that the joint resolution which depriyes
them of the right to nave their vote for
President received and counted Is IN con-
hict with the Constitution, and that Con-
gress has no more power to reject their
votes than those of the States which have
been uniformly loyal to the Federal Govern
ment.
d" 1t is worthy of remark, that ifthe States
whose inhabitants were recently in rebel
lion were legally and constitutionally or
ganizcd and restored to their rights prior
to the 4th of March, 1867, as am satisfied
they were, the only legitimate authority
under which the election for President and
Vice president can be held therein must be
derived from the governments instituted
before that period. 1t clearly follows that
all the State governments organized in
those States under the acts Of Congress for
that purpose, and under military control,
are illegitimate and of no validity what
ever; and in that view, the votes cast III
those States for President and FicePresi-
dent of the United States, in pursuance OF
acts passed since the 4th Of March, 1867 ,
and in obedience to the so-called re-
construction acts of Congress, cannot be
legally received and counted, while the
only votes in those States that can be legal
" cast and counted will be those cast in
pursuance of the laws in force in the gevc-
raj States prior to the legislation by Con-
gress upon the subject OF reconstruction. "
The President proceeds to argne that
while the people Of the southern States
were not in rebellion some of the people OF
the northern States were in rebellion, and
that the pretext for exclusion applies logl-
cally and equally TO New York and Fr-
ginia. The message concludes thus:
of Congress were to provide by law thai
the votes Of none of the States should he
received and counted If cast for candidate
who differed in political sentiment with
majority of the two Houses, such legl6la-
| ton would at once he condemned by the
| country as an unconstitutional and reyoll-
tionary usurpation of power. 1t would
however, be exceedingly difficult to lind II
the Constitution any more authority
for the passage of the joint resolution
under consideration than for an enact
ment looking directly to the reJec
| ton Of all votes not cast III accordance
with the political preferences Of majority
Of Congress. No power exists in the Con
stitution authorizing the joint resolution o.
! the supposed law, the only difference being
| that one would be more palpably unconatl
tutional and revolutionary than the other
! Both would rest upon the Radical error tina
Congress has the power to prescribe term
and conditions to the right of the people
the States to cast their votes for Presiden
and Vice-President Of the United States"