Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-06-05

patton bill, defeated III the llouse OF hcp-
rcscntativcs on Tuesday by majority OF
four, was fixed for Wednesday, and it
was expected that, with the aid of two
radicals, before absent, and one convert
gained over, there would be tie vote,
and that the Speaker would then give
his casting vote for the bill. Owing to
some disarrangement in the programme
the bill was postponed for week. We
wish it had been postponed til the Greek
kalends Such a bill is unworthy oil
any civilized nation, and is without
parallel in ancient or modern tines
Even q Congress of barbarians would |
enact something more in accordance with .
common sense, to say nothing OF human /
ity. 1t strikes at the property in slaves
Of the whole people of the South at one
fell swoop, making no distinction be-
tween leaders and followers, those taking
an active part in the rebellion, and those
giving aid in the most indirect manner
and, in fact, there is no real distinction
made even between rebels and loyal men.
for the latter, if claiming the service of a
slave, must first prove his loyalty, which
it would be impossible for him to do.
The first section provides that whoev-
er shall wilfully engage in armed rebel.
lion against the government Of the Uni ed
States, or shall wilfully aid or abet such
rebellion, or adhere to those engaged in
such rebellion, giving them aid or COM
fort, every such person shall thereby for
lett all claim to the service or labor of
any persons, commonly known as slaves"
In some of the Southern States this sec
ton would include ninety nine out Of ev-
cry hundred of the owners Of slaves, for
the troops in the field are aided by nearly
the whole Of the remaining population
But if there should be any Union man
who rendered no aid or comfort, ana did
not adhere to the rebels, he is caught by
the following section, inasmuch as he IS
compelled to prove a negative. ltruns:-
SEC. 2 And be it further enacted, That If
any person claiming to be called to the service or
labor of any other person shall seek to enforce
such claim he shall, in the first instance, and be-
fore any order shall be made for the surrender
OF the person whose service or labor is claimed,
establish not only his claim to such service or
labor, but also that such claimant has not in any
way aided assisted, or countcnanccd the existing
ItDtlOH USllllSL LllC SOhNlhihShb VI tiiS tilINNu
States.
A man might be as innocent as the
child unborn, and get he could not provo
that he "has not in any way aided, as
sisted or countenanccd the existing re-
belion." BY every principle Of Amican
law the citizen is to be regarded as innocent
till he is proved guilty; and the onus
lies upon his accusers to prove their case
and not upon him to first prove mega
tive. There is not man in the whole
of the Southern States who would be
able to establish his innocence by this
rule and if Justice is not to be crcum-
scribed by geographical boundaries,
would it not be incumbent on Congress
to pass an act permitting every man in
the Northern States to be robbed of his
, property with tmpunity if he cannot
prove that lac never gave aid or comfort
= to the Southern rebels Where is the
man who can prove this unless by his
s own testimony, which, of course, would
i not avail him ? BY side wind this
= bill aims at the overthrow Of the consti
! tuition and the destruction Of the entire
y slave property of the South. Why not
| do it openly and above board by bill
simply cmancipating all slaves, instead
Of thus whipping the devil around the
stump The title Of the bill ought to be
: "a bill to aid and extend the rebellion
t and to protract the war to an indefinite
PERIOD" If it should be adopted by tho
= House, and also by the Senate, and como
before the President for his approval, we
trust he will give it his veto, and that hC
IS will do the same in the case Of the absurd
t. ConfScation bill.
l. The whole course OF Congress since
the civil war begun. and indeed befor,
the commencement of our national troub'
les, has tended to widen the breach and
l. make it incparabc Before the break,
% ing out.ol hostiliticS everything was done
r, to cXasperatc and to ALLEVIATE the South
o All compromises calculated to reconcile
- existing differences and to carry out the
le spirit of the Constitution were treatet
with scomtul contempt. War was de
l. signed from the beginning by an unScru
, pulous faction, who saw i'll 1t boundIcs
, source Of public plunder, and the means
Il as carried on under their auspices, o! eX
y tinguishing the Union and securing for
h long series of years the rcins of power il
r the Northern section of the republic. -
- Their programmes was either to rcduc
II the rcbclliouS States of the South to Ter
II Titorities without representation in Con
grcss, in order that they might aboliS
negro slavery and retain possession OF tn
spoils, or to effect a complete and per
IS mancnt separation between the North anO
Il the South, Nothing they so much dread
ed as the simple-reStoraton of the revol
. ted States to the Union, under the au-
n thority Of the constitution, with the SAM
n relations to the federal government an,
the other States as existed before the rup
. turc.
= Upon no other theory can their con
Il duet be explained. If the war should b.
8 diverted from its origna. purpose-th
n purpose proclaimed in the proclamation
"a of the PreSident-then they wish it Coz
speed but if not, not.
Governor Andrew. in his recent lcttc
to the War Department, put the matte
in nutshell, He said that to fight fo
st the mere restoration of the Union the me
A.. of Massachusetts would feel to be g.
"a heavy blow draft upon their patriotism; :
but that to fight for the abolition of slo
. very WOull he ploriouS and call fort