Show ROOSEVELT VETOES TWO PRIVATE BILLS president not in favor of reversing the acts of the civil war military courts washington march 18 president today gent the senate two veto message of private bills one is A bill granting an honorable discharge from the military service to charles 11 of this case the president bays this is a mandatory bill revoking the order of dismissal issued thirty nine years ago and directing the issuance 0 an honorable discharge from the army to this man whom his including the commander in chief abraham lincoln held to bo unworthy to borac in the army of the union thirty nine years ago I 1 do not at this time express an opinion of constitutional questions involved in the bill I 1 it in the highest degree inexpedient to reverse of dismissal nearly forty years after the event when it is out of alie question for any one to possess the knowledge and the means of arriving at alio judgment which was possessed by alie fellow officers of the man at alie time they dismissed him haw ley was a second lieutenant in the sixteenth connecticut volunteer infantry the other is a bill for the relief of james in returning this bill the president bays this ig not a bill which confora jurisdiction is it is mandatory in ita character directing the secretary of war to revoke and feet aside the proceedings findings and sentence of a court martial licett 37 years ago I 1 do not at this time cypress an opinion upon the constitutional question involved in the bill it ia enough to say that this roan was convicted of mutiny sentenced to be dishonorably discharged from the army and confined at hard labor for a term of years A portion of the confinement was remitted by executive clemency it ii to the last degree improbable that now 37 years after the event there is as good an opportunity to past judgment upon the facts as was the case when the fellow officers of the offender found him guilty of an offense BO serious as to call for the punishment they inflicted there is perhaps no oilier heritage a man would so like to leave to his children as an honorable discharge for services well and gallantly performed in alio civil war but the honorable discharge thus granted to those who with blood and toil have earned it is cheapened and rendered of little worth if also granted their unworthy brothers who leave forfeited tho right to receive it biowell was a member of company II 11 fourth illinois volunteer infantry |