Year: 1866

premises. All these fees are to be pait
ont of the Treasury of the United
States, whether there is conviction Of
| net but in case of conviction they ar
to be recoverable from defendant. Ii
seems to me that under the influence o.
suuch temptations bad men might con
vert any law however benefcient, into
an instrument of persecution and fraud.
By the eighth section of the bill the
United States courts which sit only III
one place, for time must migrate with
the district attorney and necessarily
with the clerk, although be is not men
toned, to any point in the district at the
order of the President, and there hold a
court for the more speedy arrest and
trial of persons charged with violation
of this act, and there the Judge and off,
GERS OF the court must remain upon the
order of the President for a time therein
designated.


Section ninth authorizes the Presi.
dent to employ such part of the land or
naval forces of the United States or of
the militia as shall be necessary to pre-
vent violence and enforce the due execu-
tion of this act This Language seems to
imply a permanent military torce that
is to be always at hand, and whose only
business is TO be the enforcement of this
measure over the vast region where it
is intended to operate.


do not propose to consider the policy
Of this bill. To me the details of the bill
are fraught with evil. The white race
and black race of the South have hith-
erto lived together under the relation OF
master and slave, capital owing labor.
Now that relation is changed, and they
stand now each master of itself. In this
new relation, one being necessary to the
other, there will be new adjustment
which both are deeply interested in max
ing harmonious Each has equal power
in settling the terms, and if left TO the
laws that regulate capital and labor, it
is confidently believed that they will
satisfactorily work out the problem.
Capital, it is true, has more advantages,
but labor is never so ignorant as not to
understand its interests, not to know its
value, and not to see that capital must
pay that value.


In all our history, in all our expert
ence as a people living under Federal
and State law, no such system as that
contemplated by the details of this bill
has before been proposed or adopted.
They establish for the colored race a safe
guard which guarantees privileges be-
yOnd any that the general Government
has ever provided for the white race.
In fact. the distinction of race and color
is, by the bill, made to operate in favor
Of Of n WI fn
race. They interfere with the relations
existing exclusively between State and
its citizens.


My lamented predecessor, in his proc
lamation of the lst of January, 1869, or
dered and declared that all persons held
as slaves within certain States and parts
of States therin designated we're and
thenceferwari should be free; and fur.
ther, that the Executive Government of
the United States including the
military and naval authorities
thereof would recognize and main
tain the freedom of snch persons,
this guarantee has been rendered espe.
cially obligatory and sacred by the
amendment of the constitution abolish.
ing slavery throughout the United
States, | therefore fully recognize the
obligation to- protect and defend that
class of our people whenever and wher.
ever it shall become necessary, and to
the full extent compatible with the con-
stitution of the United States.


Entertaining these sentiments, it only
remains for me to say that | will cheer.
fully cooperate with Congress in any
measure that may be necessary for the
preservation Of the civil rights of the
freedmen, IA we'll as those of all other
classes OF persons throughout the United
States, by judicial process under equal
and impartial laws, or conformity with
the position Of the federal laws, in con-
fermity with the federal Constitution.


now return the bill to the Senate and
regret that i'll considering the bill and
iJint resolutions, fOrty-two in number,
which have thus for submitted for my
approval, / am compelled to withhold
NV assent from a second measure that
has received the sanction Of both Houses
of Congress.


Signed, ANpEEW JOHNSON.


WAsuIyGToE, ID. c., March 9Th, 1896.