Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-10-25
COEFlSCATION ON BOTH SIDES,

The present war is being fought with
statutes as well as troops, aim being
especially taken at the sinews Of war,
that is money, or property convertible
into money. On one side of the Gov
eminent, the position taken by the con-
! fscation act Of August 6, is this: that
any property used, or designed to be used,
for aiding the instruction, shall be con-
fiscated by due course of law and that
any slave who shall be employed against
the United States, shall be exempted
from his owners claim or service against
him. This extent and no more has the
legislation of Congress, being exercised
upon subjects clearly within its jurisdic-
ton, and for the high purpose of self
defense.
To this act a professedly retaliatory
measure was passed by the so-caled
Confederate Congress-, and approved
August 8. But it retaliates in about the
same way that jeff. Davis's privateering
proclamation invited the cut-throats of
the four corners of the world TO revenge
President Lincoln's legal calling out of
the forces deemed necessary for uphold
ing the laws against combinations too
strong for the usual processes. 1t con-
fsca'cs all the property of alien enemies
within the seeded States. But who are
alien enemies? Mr.. j. p. Benjamin,
the bogus attorney general of the rebel
gang, says that the term includes all per-
sons who have domicil within the loyal
States, no matter whether they are
citizens or not. Thus, the subjects of
Great Britain, of France, or of other
neutral nations, who are doing business
here, are declared alien enemies of the
SoutI ern Confederacy,' and their prop
erty which happens to be located there,
is to be seized and confscated. More
over, with the most audacious contempt
of the let alone policy about which the
rebels have whined so much, this act
reaches over into Maryland, the District
of Columbia, Kentucky, Missouri and
several of the Territories and discovers
alien enemies in all citizens who may
. aid or assist the United States in the
existing war What proof will be con-
sidered necessary as to the position of a
border State man, who owns property
liable thus to be taken, is not stated. A
Union man, certainly, would not be likely
to 90 in person TO contest the point
whether or not he came within the clause
of aiding and assisting the United States
in the war. He would rather let his
property continue at the mercy of citizens
whose individual duty it is, according to
the act, to give information in all such
matters, and at the mercy of his agent or
attorney who, if he does not divulge the
ownership Of the property, is made LA
bic TO a fine of five thousand dollars and
an imprisonment of six months.
1t is under color of this act that the
State of Virginia is reported to have re-
allied already 100000 from the seizure
of the property of the citizens of Mas
sachusetts and other States and national
tiles. What kind of property That
which is actually employed in this war
the only kind embraced in the Federal
act of confiscation ? That which mag be
turned to hostile uses? Not at all. The
tobacco of Mr.. Belmont and the pianos
of the Messrs ChickeTing, the lands in
herited through several generations and
the funds Of widows and orphans. are
alike seized by these tiendish devastators
and converted to the work of braking up
the government. That is the way the
rebellion goes on. No civilized nation
ever plundered private property to this
extent. The millions that were owed to
the hard working men of the North by
the sCcessionists were sponged out at a
stroke. And now every dollar of the
property in the eleven seeded States, is |
swept into the rebel treasury. There is
no respect of persons-no respect of
property. What they can lay their
hands upon that belongs to every man
willing to enjoy tho protection of that
hated government of the United States.
thdt they will take and use for the de-
struction of that government. Here is
a terrible esrnestness and consistency in
guilt. We can never afford TO be over
delicate in dealing with such men.-BoS
ton Journal
ca a mans character, it is said, may
be known by his treatment of umbrellas.
lie who always carries one will die rich.
lie is cautious man. He who leaves