Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-18
yrom the Mobile Register and Advert ser.


viii you allow me the use Of your columns for a
word the sixth section Of the act For the con
scation of the estates. property and effects Of alien
enemies, and for the indemnify Of c.i-sns Of he Con
fedsra.s States and persons a.dny The il the east
I ING l7l.r Nth he UHi,ed Stdtss'
an Induced to write this, becsuse from the ccm-
mentG see upon tie lag III the city papers, it ap-
pears TO be uisunderssOOa aud the Ob5scg aimed at
| BY it jmperfectly cOmprehended SEca is perhaps,
to be expected from unprCessiOnal persons, in re-
gard to legislation of novel character, which RS
lates to the collection of money in tInes of war and
hone to render some service to the public if shall
succeed in relieving their minds Of Unnecessary ap
prchenSions, and in convincing them thst tie Con
gresS of the Confederate States have not legSated
carelessly nor gnor8ntly in a matter of great in
pOFtance. The act received long and careful con-
siderstion, was passed By large ms rity, and was
thought by the members lenIent to De ktOEs = con
sIdsratiOn of it will it ia supposed show that it is
ndulgent at least so far as is consistent with the
attainment Of the high objects sought to be reached
by it.
| PoStponug :ust here an inquiry into the political
! purposes aimed at by the Law, let Us proceed at
once to an examination of the siSth section, it
containing so far as l have heard, the features
criticized.
The apprsb ension expressed is, that it will RUS
our merchaqts ~ forcing them TO pay their debts,
and that they should be aloNed, n I'll Cases to
tain what they We 10 alien enemies unsil the war
shall be over. both of principal and interest with
to pay.
The Act requires the Receiyers 10 recovering the
oPeiits ito allow such delays as may t5Ya Fsen,
or may BE- prescribed in any State rs to the cJlec
ton of debts thereia during the war. First then,
find that the Act suppOses that each State will
know the wants of its people and will feel die
posed regard them sAd gives to every debtor not
oGiv the delays which his State allows at the time
of tbs SssGge of the Act, but all which ii may
Thereafter prescribe And 1t will be observed that
ohs al .ctsfr .-.s,-
any security. Sc, at least tbs debtor in Atdbama
is free from ruin by the seqGestretGon Act for
good long time ahead, should the State not see
fit to give him any further indulgence; before the
expiration Of which time it is but reasonable to eX-
pect that Our porte will be opened and people,
by sale of staple Elzca- in the possession Of
herr accu STONED meaaS.
But when the time runs out WHICH TIE debtor
ought in the OpnioR Of his State, TO have, the Con
iederate Judge sha.l when he deems it consistent
with the gafe keeping Of the debt order it to remain
indefinitely 10 the baEds Gf the debtor, By paying
the interest which has accrued SINCE tee tgenty-
first of Nay laSt, and giving such security IS ting
Judge may dean sufficient and BY paying interest
annually. There Ia not in the requirement itself
any Othsr da-igEstQn Of the kind OF security to be
executed than tlat it he eucA ss he 1.-THE judge
deeEs sufficient for the safekeeping Of The dsbt,-
Il is only by subsequent provision Of the aeeL.CE,
requiring the Judge to render judgment on The bond
in of default that we infeFentialy obtain the
ld4a that the security u TO Dc personal Inc ODJec
ton Eade TO the law then is that the Confederate
States after giving the debtor all the time which his
State thinks he ought 10 have will not give hin,
however able he may be TO pay, credit without sny
security until the end of the war.
But what in the meantime is TO become Of those
of our citizens and fTiends who have been beggard
by the confscsson Act of the enemy This brings
US to consider the political purposes sought to be
effected by the Sequestrston law, view which
seems to have bsen entirely overlooked by those
yIo; Il. faiI tho
to remsnber that we have greater cause at stake
snd that it is to be Lsaintered at the coat of any
sacrifice, and that war will at lest tread With
iron heel.
The enemy passed bills pretending in effect 80
cOnfscate all our property, except slaves, and
to iberate them and the object to be attained by cur
law was to force Pim, by severe retaliation, to
abandon such an unusual and upjastifable mode of
warfare an object which has already been in part
as may be seen by any one who will