Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-07-24

s,med of the passage OF the resolution. 7
Id rr,rared the draft of message Stain,
Us" oh;ections to the bill becoming law. :,
m uony Of which draft is herewith TRANSMITTED
ISigned) ABRAHAM LINCOLN
July IL, 1890
Fellow Citizens of the House Of Rep .oso,n
taiveS - heTew'.n return 10 your houora.
bic body IN "n'cn II oi'sii'a'e"' Tue hill for
an act entitled an act to suppress treas ~ al
aebellion, to seize and confscate the nron co.
20 of rebels and for other purposes, touo,hau
Nth nv objections to its becoming -
There is much in the bill to which -.
ceye no objection. It's wholly prosnoct,vs
and il touches neither the person or rronertv
or any loyal citizen, in which particrIar !, e
lust and proper. The first ana seoaa, 49,
lions provide for the CONVICTION and nrn;sh
mert of persons who shall he guilty Of tre.
.op, and the person who shall ;nc;,e no, -.
foot. assist, or engage in any rebellion -
urrection against the authority If a. IT,; y"
States or the laws thereof or sl,au a;uo ~. "a ~
comfort 10 any such existing rebe,,;or ~ -
,urrection. BY fair ccns,rnc,;on .ho y. ~
M'ui" 'n' ere not 10 be furnished
with regular ,rialS in dulv constitutional courts
under tb;, forms and all the substantial mo-
visiCls of law and of the constitution apnli.
liable TO their several cases.
To this section there is M ohiect;on as,a-
cialy as such persons would be within the
general protecting power, and also within
the special provisions for pardon and am.
nesty contained IN this act,
1t also provides that the slaves IF ner.ons
confscated underthese sections shall he FREQ
think there is an objection in the form of
expression, rather than substantial obiec-
ton in th'.
It's startling to say that Congress. can free
slave within State, and vet were il said
that the ownership of the slave had inst been
transferred TO the nation, and that Congress
had then liberated them the difficulties would
vanish, and this is the real case.
The traitor against the General Govern
ment torieits his slaves Just as Justly as he
does any property, and he forfeits both to the
Government against which he offends. The
Government, so far as there can be owner.
ship owns the forfeited slaves, and the aues-
ton for Congress in regard to them is, " shall
they be made free or sold to new owners ?"
see no objection TO Corgress deciding in
this case that they shall he free.
lot high honor of Kentucky, as am
informed, she has been the owner of some
saves hy escheat, and has sold none, but lib
Grated all.
| hol the same is true of some other
States. IRdeed | do not believe il would be
pbysl'ally possible for the General Govern
ment TO return persons so circumst aneed to
actual slavery. / believe there would be
physical resistance to it, which would never
be turned aside by argument, nor driven
away by force.
In this view of it | have no objection to
this feature of the bill.
Another matter in these sections, and run
nng through other parts of the act, will be
noticed hereafter. Iperceive no objection
to the Sd and 4th sections, so far as | wish TO
notice them. The 5th and 9th sections may
be considered togeth er. That the enforce
ment of these sections would do no injustice
That those who make a causeless war should
be compelled to pay the cost of it is too OBJ
Viously just to be called in question. TIC
give Government protection 10 the property
OF persons who have abandoned it and gone
on crusade to overthrow that same Gov
eminent is absurd, If considered in the mere
light OF Justice. r severest Justice may
! not always be the hes policy a @ +,
The principle of Selling and appropriat
ing the property of the persons embraced
WITHIN these sections, is certainly not very
Objectionable; but Justly discrimination
application of il would be very difficult, am
to great extent impossibe-and would i
not be wise to place a power of remission
somewhere, that these persons may know
y mat they have something to save by desist
4 ing l am not sure whether such power o
remission is or is not within section thirteen
without special act of Congress. 1 thinl
our military commanders when, in militar,
phrase, they are within the enemy's couptry
should, IN an orderly manner, seize and keel
Whatever OF real or personal property ma,
De necessary or convenient for their com
mands, and at the same time preserve il
some way the evidence of what they do.
What | have SAID in regard to slaves Will
commenting on the first and second sections
Is applicable to the ninth-with the differ
10y '""' nv ploNlStob 10 VIC WuOH
ACT Tor determining whether particular in
dlvdual slave does or does not fall within TIL
clauses defined in that section. He is to b.
lree upon certain conditions, but whethe
theSe conditions do or do not pertain to bin,
no mode of ascertaimng is provided. Thi
could he easily supplied. To the 10Th sec
uon makeno objection. The oath therein
required seems to be proper, and the remain
DER OF the section is substantially. identica
with law already existing. The ltd
section simply assumes to confer discretonar
powers upon the Elective without the Law
have no power TO 90 as far in the direction
Indicated as | may at any time deem expe
dent. and | am ready to say now, thin
1t is proper for our military commanders {
employ as laborers as many perrons of Afr
can descent as can be used to advautag
HE 18th and 18th. sections are som ,wha
better. They arc unobjectionable, and tn
i4th is entirely proper, if all other parts {
me act shall stand. That to which, an
chiefly | object, pervades most part of TIL
act, but more distinctly appears in the Is
"a, 9Th and 9Th sections. Il is the sum
Il II L