Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-03-07
5 90 NO SETTLEMENT WITHOUT EXTEN-
90 SIVE CONFISCATION.

The question Of coniscation has been con-
fined altogether too much to It's bearings up
on slave property. On the one side a radical
class has advocated general oonfscation be-
cause it would practically amount to general
abolition. On the other side, conservative
class, greatly concerned that slavery should
be damaged, has set itself against all conhsca-
ton whatever. Thus, between the two. the
confscation question has been fast becoming
but another form Of the negro question
We epprehend that il involves other con-
siderations of great moment-consderation
with which the disposition made Of the slaves,
one way or the other, has nothing whatever
tn do. Wide confscaiion is necessary IN order
10 meet the tremendous crpepses of his wor.
Slave property is unavailable for this purpose.
The vast ma orty OF the North would never
consent that slaves should he confscated
merely to be sold again, or even to be hired
out for federal profit They will not tolerate
that their government shall for day engage
in either the slave-selling or the slave-driving
business. The most that they will permit is
that the government shall act as the guardian
Of whatever slaves are confscated, and appro-
pirate only so much Of the proceeds Of their
labor as may be required to prepare them for
self-support. They must be no burden upon
the treasury, but on the other hand can do
nothing towards its relief.
But the treasury will require relief It is
fast acoumulating an indebtedness which ii
will be almost impossible to meet. IL has
been officially announced that the public debt
Of the United States will be seUen hundred
and my millions on the 30th Of June next,
little over four months hence The interest
on this will. at the lowest figure, be $780,
100000. The ordinary expenses Of the gov
eminent, even with the closest enonomy
must continue to be at least 65, 900 900 The
extraordinary expenses incident upon main
tanning a largely increased army and navy for
many years following the rebellon-an army
at least four times and a navy at least twice
as large as our former peace establishment
must amount to at least 10000, 900. Here
is an annual charge Of not less than one hun
bred and FRY millions to be raised, even on
the most favorable supposition that the rebel
lion is completely crushed before July, and
our volunteer force die banded. 1t is far more
likely that the entire debt bequeathed us by
this rebellion will be over a thousand millions
But taking the lowest figures, and assuming
an early and favorable closing up of the war,
we shall yet have--considering the relative
population and wealth Of New ork-some
twenty-five or thirty millions to be annually
raised from the people of this state by direct
and indirect taxation, simply to meet the cur
rent liabilities OF the federal government,
without the appropriation of one dollar to-
ward sinking fund. A burden like this
upon the Empire State would be terrible, but
having the developed strength with which to
multiply our wealth we might endure it, But
how can the new states OF the West, with
undeveloped resources and feeble capital, bear
their proportions 1t would keep them fat to
their mother earth forever
Necessity then requires a plan of confsca-
ton that shall in some material measure re-
duce the liabilities devolyed upon the Union
by this war. The northern people never
should, and never will submit to be ground
down to the dust by taxation, that traitors
may escape the just penalties of their crimes.
Toward the masses who were beguiled by mis-
representation or inundated by violence into
a submission to the usurped rule of the rebel
leaders, they may well exercise generous for
bearance but to the leaders themselves,
whether directing legislation or leading ar
mics, they owe no such charity. Natural JUS
tice and the universal usage of civilized ma
tons alike authorize the confscation of all
the property of these men and it will not
lie in them to complain OF it, for no govern
ment, either real or pretended, ever under
took such wholesale confiscatiun as is embrace
ed in the ccnfscaiion bill passed by the Con-
federate States. 1t was thar matured plan to
defray the confederate expense Of the war
largely from the appropriated property Of 10y
al men without distinction and it should be
our settled plan to defray the federal expenses
of the war to some material extent from the
appropriated property of at least the direct
promoters of the confederate movement. Ac-
cordng to the census of 1850, the taxable
property of the eleven Confederate States a.
mounted to about twenty-five hundred mil
lions, Of which about one half was real estate
This taxable property OF course is much less
than the whole. The poor whites who form
the rank and file of the confederate army own
but little of this vast amount. A large pro-
portion belongs to those who sustain some
official relation either military OF civil, to the
rebellion. Were the property of every officer
civil and military, under the rebel government
cou6scated, it would probably amount, slave
property excluded, nearly if not quite to tn,
seven hundred and fifty millions which tn,
federal government will owe at the end of tn,
current fiscal year.
= Whether confscation plan of that exten
4 would be expedient may well admit of ques
= ton. But at the very least it should be broa,
enough to reach part if not the whole of tn
4 property Of every influential promoter of tn
p rebellion, and to remove half of the grievou
: burden which their atrocious wickedness mus
otherwise entail upon loyal men. As an &C
of justice, it will command the approval q
all just men as a matter of state policy,
will ever stand as an efIectual warning agains
new treason and as financial measure, it i
an absolute necessty.-N y. World
TIE HIsToRY or FLoYn.-Ihe Spring