Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-06

we're vuAtaNeI ana deprived % tneE properly DY
your Why, sir i would require tao regiment.
% take care of every plantation Laughter.
No man would give dollar Tor such title
The idea OF realizing money in that way is to me
as idle as the idea of realizing peace in that way
NO INTERFERENCE WITH SLAVERY
Judge CoLLANER referred at some length. in
considering the provisions Of the confscation
bills freeing slaves. to the plighted faith of the
Republican party not TO interfere with slavery in
the States he said:
II We make law. intending IL to be operative
by which We declare that the slaves Of all engaged
in thissrebelon Of all the officers and classes
mentioned in the amendment of the Senator from
Ohio, are free, and all right over them abolished.
do you believe, does any man of common sense
believe, that YOU can make the world understand
that We have not interfered with slavery in the
States, and not to very limited extent either
but to about the whole extent to which it exists?
All remarks. however ingenious. and all sophis-
Try, however remarkable which can make this
look any otherwise, is but delusiOn. Ii can
not be seen / n any other light. This is not put
on the ground that il is military operation. not
on the ground Of proceedings in rem, not that it
deprives man of his property and vet leaves him
TO be hung, not upon any conviction, not upon
any process Of law whatever. except this law
which we now make
IL seems TO me, Obtuse as am, perhaps. in nv
perceptions that that is directly interfering with
this phghted faith; and it seems 10 me, further,
that II Is in direct violation of the provisions.
prohibitions and securities which the Constitution
enacts. /, for one, will not do il. | do not re-
gard myself as needing any apology for>not do
Ing IT, | do not think my people wish me to
contribute to breaking any provision of the Con
stltutiOn, aud they know | would not do if they
did wish -. DO 81 E
me for regarding the oath have taken
But, sir, if we had this power allow me to
make single remark as TO the policy of il in
aiding TO put down the rebellion You propose
to say to the officers, our property is confsca-
ted, and to the soldiers, Z" Y GU nav proceed with
IMMUNITY; if YOU do not succeed YOU shall not be
punished. Is it not saying, "Now you officers.
fight on 20 save yourselves; and soldiers, you NAV
follow you. officers as far YOU can, for, after
all. If YOU do not succeed, you are not going to
lose anything" Really that does not seem to be
very good policy. The same treatment is pro-
posed in regard 10 slaves. The slaves are now i'm
the possession and control of their masters, ex
cept so Tar as our army goes. If they try TO get
away. especial it they are at any con siderable
distance from our armies, their masters will not
allow them 10 do t. OF course the masters are not
going to let them get away to join Us to shoot
them; they will stop them, perhaps kill them in
us to join the enemy and fight US we should not
let them 60. Neither do they. Now, bv this
bull We say 10 these slaves, if they are ever TO
learn what We do at all-and if they do not it
can have no effect-'You need not run any risk
about offending your master; perhaps your mas
tea will succeed IN the rebellion, and you will
suffer pretty hard if you undertake to run away
and he catches you; you NAV remain quietly with
your master, and not incur the hazard of his dis
pleasure or punishment; but if. after all, your
master does not succeed, you shall be free wheth-
er you help not" Is that good policy? That
Is the bill. Ii does not seem to me to be Il very
wise means to the end. if such end is had in
view, as suppose.
JUDGE coLLAMER's EXPLANATION OF THE BILL HE
SUBMITS
will now call the attention of the Senate to
the dill which / have submitted as an amend
ment. 1t Is printed, but | have made some little
alterations in the copy left on the table In the
first place, in order To enable the President To
have in his hands an opportunity to offer some
objects and advantages and purposes 60 that peo-
pie, have taken this course In the first section
OF my bill | provide that the punishment Tor
treason upon conviction NAV be death or in the
discretion OF the court, it may be fine and imprs
onment. That fine is limited to be not less than
10000, and the imprisonment to be not less
than five years. The maximum | have left 70
The discretion ct the court. | intended that the
fine in the power of the court To lay should be
such as was adapted to the mans means, and /
would put the fine large enough to strip any man
who incorrigible.
further provide that the effect of the convic.
ton shall be that he shall be incapable of hold
ing any office under the Government. and that
his slaves shall be free, and that this fine shall
be LEVIED and collected out of any property he
possessed at the time the was committed. l
am free TO acknowledge one purpose that had
in this provision. Much has been said about the
subject OF the forfeiture of mans estate be
yond his life. do not choose to discuss that
do not desire that should be involved in it.
W hat Is fOrfeltureI 1t is the taking OF some
specific thing, as all the visible property man
now possesses-his farm, his horse. his ship.
That Is visible, material identity that is for
ielted. n fine has no such quality. A fine is
but mulcting of the respondent in a sum of
money. If he pay it, well; il he does not pay
1t, you may levy and collect it out of his prop
erty. | have created no forfeiture by nv bill
The act creates none but il enables the courts to
levy and collect the fine out of the convicted
traitors property. | involve question to
whether you can create a.forteiture of anything
beyond his life or during his life. 1t is no for
ieiture whatever | avoid that question alto
gether.
It's next provided in my bill that, in order to
meet this, the President shall have power to take
possession of the property Of a person thus en-
gagged. wherever situated in the United States,
real and personal, to sequester it 70 meet this
tne to be holden until the man is tried, sooner
or later.
Having done this. propose, in the next sec
ton, that the President shall be authorized to
issue his proclamation Offering indemnity and
pardon TO the people, with such exceptions and
upon such conditions and at such times as he
shall point out Suppose we take possession CT
State, and the people remain the President Is
sues proclamation tn the people, saving TO them,
81 have appointed officers; AMI now II YOU will
within sixty DAYS, all of YOU. except Jefferson
Davis. Robert Toombs, or their Generals-Nhat
exceptions he thinks the public safety requires
should be condignly punshed-"with these ex
ceptiOns if YOU will come in 20 the officers |
have appointed, AMI take your oath OF allegiance,
! will give you amnesty and pardon" He has
something To offer then
Pass such BILL and they see bv il that they
are subject to be fined and stripped as well as
imprisoned, and. 10 save themselves and families
from that, they would do what they would not do
to escape hanging. which they know will never
be administered You can hold out to them some
purpose, some object, some advantage. and in my
opinion the great body OF the people not excepted
would at once avail themselves OF the offer Ii
You take of the pressure OF their armies from
them. II YOU relieve them of those armies that
are riding over them OF the incubus that * rest
IN down on them and give them the opportuni-
" of loyalty and allegiance. YOU viii have il. |