The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-20
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EEHuRsp 3 MoaNINe. NOV. 20 J. 1852
CONFEDERATE CONGRESS-.
The Sequestration Law-state
.-q ala Rights. tV

The Sequestration Law-State
ENG BOO Rights. lg+ t.
In the Senate Of the Confederate States,
on the 7th instant, the bill to extend the
operation Of the sequestration act to all
persons, natives OF or residents within
any State of the Confederate States, who
have refused to submit themselves to the
conslitutioniand laws Of the Confederate
States, &C., was considered.
A substitute proposed by the Commit
tee on the Judiciary was adopted. This
substitute provides that the President OF
the Seeded States shall issue his procla-
nation ordering all persons within the
limits of those States who adhere to the
United States Government to leave the
Southern Confederacy within forty days
on pain of forfeiture of property An
other Of its provisions is the granting Of
immunity TO all persons adherihg to the
United States Government, who within
forty DAYS, should take the oath Of ale.
glance to the Southern Confederacy.
We copy from the Richmond papers
the annexed sketch of the debate on this
bill, which, we believe, failed to become a
law at the late session: t....,-..
Mr.. Clark, of Missouri, opposed the bill,
because it would work hardship upon
good citizens of the South, who had ac-
quiesced in the Yankee rule under duress,
and were still within the Yankee lines.
IT citizens of the South could be given
a fair chance to join our cause and still
adhere to she enemy, he would be in favor
Of mailing them to the cross. r
Mr.. Haynes, of Tennessee, took this same
views.
Mr.. Wiglall, of Texas, thought the bill
entitled to serious consideration. 1t was
not clear to him that it was entirely con-
titutional. Citizens and residents of the
States Of the ConlederacY who had af-
fOrded aid and comfort to the enemy had
been guilty Of ireasOn--a crime defined
| by the Constitution, and for which said
citizens were responsible to their States
and to the Confederate States.
| Mr.. Hill, of Georgia, held that every
citizen had the wight TO elect with which
Government, that Of the North or the
South, he would side. The Southern
Government had the right to say whether
residents or citizens who did not take
sides with US but with the enemy, should
leave its limits and go over to the terri
tory OF the enemy. II citizen has once
elected TO be q citizen OF one of the Con-
federate States, that act makes him a
citizen Of the Confederaey, and he can
not throw off his allegiance. 1t belongs
| TO the Confederate Government TO define
who are alien enemies. These rules had
prevailed in all reyolutions-in England
and in the Netherlands. ....,
| Mr.. Wigfall said the gentleman was as
much mistaken as Abraham Lincoln or
/ William II, Seward if he thought this
was = revolution--that we were subjects
fighting against an established Govern
ment. II we were we would be entitled
TO the term "rebels." This is, no civil
war. II is war of some sovereign
States against other States. There
was q civil war in Kentucky, where
citizens of the same State were al
war against one another There was NO
such thing as citizen of the Confede-
rate States No citizen owed allegiance
to the Confederate States r aFt ....
/ Mr.. Hill held that the citizen did owe
allegiance 10 the Confederate States
Gentlemen might call il obedience" but
this was a sublimated theory, The
States have formed a Confederate Gov
ernment to which is delegated the soye-
reign power to declar war, &c. The cit
zen's first allegiance is due TO his State,
but through the State he owes allegiance
to the Confederate Government,
lie held, however, that the people had
a right TO choose their own Government.
If this were not 30, thea the United States
had the right TO hang Gen.. BucEner for
proving false TO the allegiance he once
owed TO them This conclusion was in
evitable. And the Confederate States
would have right TO hang Andrew John
son for violating an allegiance TO the
Government TO which he never admitted
he owed allegiance. Within.
Gentlemen, he said, may shake their
heads at the proposition as much as they
please, but when they deny it, they deny
fundamental principle of the Govern
ment, and the people who accept the con-
trary rule Of action are drifting on ra-
pid current into monarchy. You come
to the old exploded doctrine that a man
who once owes allegiance always owes
allegiance; you deny the principle OF
expatriAtion in toto; you say man shall
render allegiance TO Government even
before he has promised it that no man
has a right to choose his Government
and, finally, that Government does not
rest upon the consent Of the governed
This Is monarchy. | deny that you car