Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-03-12

returned with the Executives reason for
Withholding his signatare Il ought to be
Immediately certified 70 the Supreme Court
Of toe United States for its decision.
II its constituiionality shall be declared
by that tribunal it should then become a
law, but If the decision is otherwise, II
should fail, without power in Congress to
re enact il. In cases in which the veto
rests upon the hasty and ineonsiderate leg
islation, and in which no constitutional
question is involved, I would not change the
fundamental law, for in such cases no per-
mabent evil can be incorporated in the fed
eral system. IL is obvious that, without
such an amendment. the Government as it
existed under the Constitution prior to the
rebellion may be wholly subverted aud over
thrown by two.thirds majority in Con-
gress.
1t 10 not, therefore, difficult to see how
easily and rapidly the people may lose, shall
| not say have lost, their liberties by I'M
checked and uncomfortable authority in
their w-making power, and whenever de-
prived of their rights how powerless they
are to regain them. Let us turn for a
moment to the history Of the majority In
Congress which has acted in such utter
disregard Of the Constitution. While public
attention has been carefully and constantly
turned TO the past aud exposed sins of the
South, the servants of the people in their
high place have boldly outraged their trust,
broken their oatbs of obedience and under
mined the very foundation of liberty.
justice and good government.
When the rebellion was being suppressed
by the volunteered services of patriotic
soldiers amid the daugars of the battle
field, these men crept without question into
place and power in the national councils.
After all danger bad passed, when no armed
foe remained, when penitent people bowed
their heads 10 tie flag and renewed their
allegiance to the Government Of the United
States, then It was that the pretended pa
triot appeared before the nation and began
to pirate about the thousands of lives and
millions Of treasure sacrificed in suppros
sion of the rebellion.
They have since persistently sought to
intiame the prejudice engAndered between
the sections to retard the restoration of
peace and harmony, and by every means to
keep open and exposed to to the poisonous
breath Of party passion the terrible wounds
Of -four years war. They have prevented
the return of peace and the restoration. Of
Union i'm every way rendered delnsiTe the
purposes, promises and pledges by which
u.
and rebellion crushed and made the lber
ties of the people and the rights and powers
of the President objects of constant attack.
They have wrested from the President
bis constitutional power of the supreme
command of the army and navy they have
destroyed the strength of the Executive
Department by making subordinate officers
independent of and able to defy their Chief
Magistrate they have attempted to place
the President under the power Of a bold.
defint,q and treacherous Cabinet officer
they have robbed the Executive of the pre.
rogativs Of pardon; rendered null and void
the acts of clemency granted to thousands
of persons under the provisions of the Con-
sttutiOn, and committed gross usurpations
by legislative attempts to exercise this
power in favor of party adberents; they
have conspired to change the system. Of our
government by preferrng charges against
the President in the e)rm of articles OF i'm
parchment, and contemplating, before hear
ing or trial, that he should be placed under
arrest, held IN duranee, and when il became
their pleasure, to pronounce his sentence,
driven from place and power in disgrace
they have in time of peace increased tho
national debt by a reckless expen, l.
ture Of public moneys and thus added 10
the burdens which alre ,dy weigh upon the
people ; they have permitted the nation to
suffer the evils of deranged currency to
the enhancement in price of all the neces-
saries of life; they have maintained a large
standing army for the enforcement Of their
their measures Of oppression; they have
engaged 10 class legislation, built and en-
couraced mOnopelies, that the few might he
enriched az tho expense of the many; they
have failed to act upon important treaties,
endangering our peaceful relations with
foreign powers.
Their course Of usurpation has not been
limited to inroads upon the Executive De
plrimeDt by unconstitutional and oppressive
enactmeuts. The people of ten States of
the Union have been reduced To condition
more intolerable than that from which the
patriots of the Revolution rebelled.
Millions Of American citizens can now
say Of their oppressofs with more truth than
their fathers did Of British tyrants, that
they have forbidden the State governments
to pass laws Of immediate and pressing i'm.
portance unless suspended until their assent
sholld be obtained. That they have refused
10 pass other laws for the accommodation
Of large districts Of people unless these
people would relinquish their right of rep
reseniatiOn in the Legislature. a right ines
timable to them and formidable to tyrants
only. That they have made judges depend
ent on their will alone for the tenure Of
otlice and the amount aud payment Of
claims.
That they have erected multitude of
new Offices and sent thither swarms of
officers 10 harrass our people and take out
their substance. That they have tO.render
the military independent of and superior 10
l . .f.rfl t.rs ~ 4 -
subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our
Constitution and unacknowledged by our
laws. CHARTERED large bodies Of armed
troops among rs and protected them by
mock trial from the punishment of any
murders which they should commit on the
inhabitants. Imposed taxes on us without
onr consent. Deprived us in many cases of
trial by inry taken away our charters;
excited domestic insurrecti0n among us
abolished our most valuable laws; altered
| fundamentally the form Of our government /;
suspended our own legislatures, ami de-
clared themselves invested with poger To
| legisate for us in all cases whatever. This
catalogue Of crimes, long as ii Is, Is not
complete. The Constitution vests judicial
power in one Supreme Court, whose blris.
diotion shall extend to all cases arising
under the Constitution and laws OF the
/ Uuited States. Encouraged by this promise
/ a refugee from tyranny, a citizen of the
Z United States also, by order of military
commander, given under sanction OF cruel
and deliberate edict Of Congress, had been
! drnied the constitutional rights OF liberty
| OF conscience and freedom OF the pPess and
| of speech, personal freedom from military
arrest, of being held to answer for crime
only npon pressntment Of an indictment, 0f
tnal by Jury, Of tho writ Of habeas corpus
and the protection of civil AID constilu
tional government. A citizen thus deeply
wrngsd appeals b the Supreme Court for
the protection guaranteed him by the or
gaulc law Of ,he land. AT once a fierce and
excited mai ,rity, by the ruthless hand Of
legislative over, stripped the ermine from