Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-10-26
Nequeafrnfian.

p que ot Tue most open and wholesale acts OF
robbery and fraud ever committed by any set Of
men, &C any rate since the Norman conquest, Is
the so-oalled sequestration act, passed last Sep.
tember by tho rebel Congress at Richmond. -.
As II to make the crime more fagrant, the At
torney TO whom its execution ls confided, 10 the
too well known Senator Judah P. Benjamin,
whose college antecedents would seem 10 make
him DC instrument for the work Of spoliatlon
confded 10 him. As IL 10 mcckery of all es-
teemed most sacred, his Instructions are dated
1861" s dbl il tr' = eF'I. 8
To sequester property means to seize aad
separate some property which belongs 10 anoth.
er, and hold 1t until the profits or income of il
have satisfied some claim 10 equity. Itisa last
resort to enforce the DEGREES OF chancery where
the owner ahsconds. The distinction between
sequestrstion and conscation Is, that in the for
msr case the property itself is not supposed 70
be forfeited, but only the proceeds and the In
come temporarily taken possession Of. 10 this
case, however, the properly thus seized is to be
held by the rebel States to indemnify fully ey.
cry rebel who may suffer loss or injury under
tue act OF the United States to which this 10 re-
taliatory, OF any other act Of the United States
or any State confscating property of Southern
citizens. Ofcourse, all the property seized and
disposed OF by this act will never be recovered
60 far as IL 10 In the power Of the rebels to keep
It, -sCSsE .1'riA a5l 10 .g7lsT -7'
Nor will II do for the United States to retail.
iato again BY seiEing all the property of South.
ern men In the North, whether rebels or not.
t would be as we'll to retaliate on the Indian
savages by scalpiDg and numbering their wo
men and children, because they m urder ours
when they can. Two wrongs do not make q
right. II would be easy for % TO forfeit the
character Of Government by such acts of 70,
taliation; but 1t would not be easy for us thus
70 maintain IL. But there is much that the
United States can do, By law, to mitigate the
evils OF Southern attempts thus to legislats
away Northern property. II can declare all
suoh acts unconstitutional and void, although
PASSED BY the State Legislatures, as being In
contravention OF that Fundamental clause Of the
Constitution, by which the citizens of each
State are to enjoy oil tho privileges with the
citizens OF the States. It Is especially neceasa-
~ that we should do all that legislation can 70
counteract the effects of this law, so far as Il
bears on the citizens and subjects Of other gov
ernments, who having had a domicil 10 the
South, are liable to forfeit IL. This Is eeized
on purpose to involve US Ia difficulties With olhe,
countries, and cause them 70 intetfere,
Az may w Weiil tnctthOIel W Fhba luW tn6I
so far as the property seized can be identified
IL shall be subject to instant reclamation, ant
hat the owners Of such property, knowing 4
to be such, shall be fully answerahle TO The en-
tire extent Of their property for al damage q
sustained under these acts BY the injured party
All judges or shefifs, auctioneers or constable
in any way assisting In such pretended ssques
trations or real seizures may be answerabIe I.
the iull extent Of their property, wherever !
can be found. Eventually, all the property O
rebels In arms may have to be made Liable To-
this sort Of spoliaton.
The immense amount Of property involves
IN all this sequestration business Is such thai
now II a!one would form sufficient reason foI
supplying the Government with funds 70 carry
the war 70 successful issue. The debts due
the North have been estimated az many mill
| lions. But the entire value Of al thus liable
to sequestrauon would be more than double the
amount, There are, too, men under bonds a
l.executofs and administsatofs and officers oi
trust; they live 10 the North, or have fed, and
will be fined and injured and subjected 70 losses
| by the acis OF thsss rsbela. The property o.
| men Who i'ied before this rebellion broke out
left 10 relatives In the North, but not paid oysf
has been selsed, and Northern executors a.,
likely to be subjected TO great dlficulties With
| out prompt legislative action. - Phila Ledgsr,