Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-07-22
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT

FcliOU CH&enS u the Senate ana H0hSt ~ htp-
feseniGdueS
Considering he Dill for an act to suppress m
surrecllOn, to punish treason and rebellion, 70
seize and con6scatc the property OF rebels, ana Tor
other purposes, and the JOINT solution eXpIana-
tory OF SAID act, as beng substantially one have
approved and signed both Before was informed
Of toe passage oi the resolution, mad prepared
the draft OF q message onunS objections U the
bll becoming a law, COPY ot which draft is
herewith transmitted
(Signed) ABRAHAM LNVoLN.
July It'll, 1862
FtiIoU CITIZENS 81 the Houe Of Representatives.
herewith return to your honorable body IN
which it originated the bill for an act entitled,
" An act TO suppress treason and rebellion, ana
coniiscate the property Of rebels, and for other
PURPOSES together with my objections 10 it,
becoming law.
There is much the bill to which perceive
no objection It's wholly prospective, and II
touches neither the person or property Of any
loyal citizen, IN which particular It IS lnst and
proper.
The first and second sections provide for the
conviction and punishment Of persons who shall
be guilty Of treason and the person who shall
inclte, set ON loot, assist or engage IN any re-
bclion or nsurrectlOu against the authority Of
the United otales Or the laws thereof, or shall
give aid or comfort to any such existing REBEL
ION or lusurrccton BY fair construction the
persOns WITHIN these sections are not to be pun
ished without regular trials in duly constituted
courts under the forms aud al the subordinate
provisions OF the law and Of the Constitution
applicable to thtiI several cases To tn. per
celyo no objection, especially as such persons
would be within the general pardoning power
and also within the special provision tor pardon
and amnesty contained in this act,
1t also provides that slaves OF persons conis
Gated under these sections shall be tree. ! think
Til re IS ali unfortunate form Of expression rath.
than q substantial objection IN tins 1t is start
ling 70 say that Congress can free slave within
u STATE, and get, were II sand that the ownership
Of the slave mad just been transferred 10 the ma
ton and that Congress had then liberated him,
the difficulty would vanish and this i the real
case The traitor against the general govern
ment lurclts his slave, az least rs justly as be-
does any other property and he iorlel's both
~ nc government against which he od,nds The
government, 50 lal as there can be ownership,
owns the forfeited slaves, and the question tor
Congress III re,ard " them IS Shall they be
.aade Tree OF sold to new masters >. see no
objection to Congress ds,idlng IN advance that
thew shall be free To tho high honor Of Ken
tucky. as am informed she has been the owner
OF some slaves by cscheat and has sold none, hut
liberated all | hope the same Is true If some
other Suites. Indeed, do not believe II would
be physically possible Tor the general govern
mpnt to return persons 50 circum stancel - ur-
-r1N1 g1H7rTy- BgIIGyG I0cle would be physical
resistance 10 it, winch would never be turned
aside by argument nor driven away by force. In
this view OF it, nave no ohe ton to thus lea
ture of the bill. Another hatter contained IN
these t,,o sections and running through other
PARTS Of the bill Will DO noticed hereafter
| perceive no objection to the third and fourth
sections.
80 lar as wish to notice the fifth and sixth
sections, they may be considered together That
the enforcement OF these sections would do no
Injustice to the persons embraced within them Is
clear. That those who make causeless war
should be compelled 10 pay the cost OF II, Is too
obviously Just To be called IN question. Ioglye
government protection to the property OF persons
who have abandoned it and gone on crusade to
overthrow the same government, Is absurd II
considered in the mere light oi justice The Sc
verest Justice may not always be the best policy
The principle Of Selling and approprating thu
property OF the persons embraced within thes,
sections is certainly not very Objectionable, bu
Justly discriminating application Of 1t NoulC
be V ~ difficult and, TO great extent lmposS
Bile, and would it not be wise to place power o
remission somewhere 50 that these persons ma.
know that they have something to save by De
sistlng?
am not sure whether such power Of remis
sion is or is not within section thirteenth, o
would need special act Of Congress. thm
our military commanders, when, IN mlltar
phrase, they are within the enemy's country
should in an orderly manner seize and kec
whatever OF real or personal property may b
necessary or convenient for their commands, am
at the same time preserve in some way the e'
dence OF what they do,
What have said in regard TO slaves Will
commenting on the first and second sections,
applicable to The ninth, with the difference tn,
no provision is ma lc in the whole act for dete
mining whether a particular indE dual Sla'
does or does not fail within the classes define
in that section He is to be free upon certai
cOnultlOOS, nut NuttutI lHtnu 'bhuiVluh' Wv
do not pertain 10 hun no mode of ascertainr
is provided, This could be easily supplied.
10 the tenth section make no objection
The oath therein required seems to be prope
and the remainder of the section Is substantial
identical with law already existing,
The eleventh section simply assumes to co
fer discretionary powers upon the Executl
without the law. | have no hesitation to 90
tar in the direction Indicated as | may at al
time deem expedient, and | am ready to 81
now think it Is proper for our military col
manders to employ as aborers as many perso
of African descent as can be used to adyantag
The twelfth and thirteenth section are som
thing better. They are unobjectlonablc, al
the fourteenth Is entirely proper if all 9th
parts OF the act shall stand
That to which and chiefly object poryad
most parts OF the act M, more distinctly a
pear in the lat, 2nd, It'll, and Sth sections.
d. IL