Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1862-05-23
ConiscatIon Of Rebel Prop
erty.
erty.


We have wondered Why the inebr:a.e just
arising rom liz sQga.!il e5aeh aad tie h5r-
r5rs u drunken c4r5us4l. should use tn
first returning strength q his weakened
limbs t. h5b5c after more liquor. knowing
b s44 expe.isnee, duplicated every weeS in
tie year, thai the cons qaenccs ase:-b4l
health, rliael parsa, and lgss O. al char
..c:sr and s.if respect; We have also w5n-
IsreI ~ the mariner alter mast dubious
s5yage, suffering sAipwreek AMI loss Of
everything but life itself, should. when once
again IN terra frma. rush u the first ship
ping o.hce and enlist again in tie same basi-
ness ; We have once and again been amazed
at the APPARENT Indifference Of seemingly
humane and ncrJus hearted persons, waIic
almost hourly witnessing the sudden death
Of these who We're their daily companions
bat of tie few, + Us. s;rlnge and unacc3gnt-
able sights witnessed, the ms; unseemly and
callJus hearted, We then thought, was to
witn-s., men On Sunday, SIT down bssia.
dead cotnrade, and play taei. accustomed
game Of eueAre but these are insi -niEcaut
aud isolated instances Of moral straJistuus
-episJacs in the great drama Of life, which
tel s;r5psly against human character ami
innate goodness yet We arc more than VII
ling l. believe that such as these arc not to
b. taken a. samples o. human character AMI
d mal ; prorsu-iti4s. Bat such delinquent
es, and moral tsrgieers4tiJns. sink INTO
utter in>i 5n.Eeance and are not u be men
toned, when We s.e, a We d. daily. the
unaccounta5lc str.nge sight, of men, ration
al men We believe on ali other sQbiscts, eager
and willing to yet hug the system Of slavery
10 the national heart, after what it las &C
complished during the last q h;cen months
r the past six months Congress has been
diyising a way to tax the industry Of tie
nation to an unheard-of extent, because ne
gro slavery has caused one half Of the peo-
PIE to rise up in arms against the other
half, and has emptiel the cof3rs Of the
Treasury in carrying on wicked and fra
tricidal war. This accursed system has LIB
bed the nation OF its peace, Of it's property,
Of Its young man, ana Of its business. l.
has sent desolation and sorrow INTO every
school district in the free States, roJbihg
the widowed mother Of the assistance and
sapport Of an idJlzed son, or the young
vie Of an idolizcl husband, or the large
: family Of its only support, for men in all
ranks and every social position, have gal
lantly enrolled themselves under the Has Of
their country, 1t has not only done this,
but il has entered the halls of Congress and
taken therefrom some of its brightest intel
lects and modest men. And strange to tell,
while there have been tears enough shed on
account Of this war wAgei by slavery and
for its own beneit, if gathered up, to float
the irou-ciad Monitor, our members Of Con-
gress with strange weakness, or infatua-
ton, have thus far failed 10 pass even a con-
hscation act. With the tmil members Of
that august body, slavery is slcred. 1t must
not be disturbed. even if by 60 doing the
war should be ended and peace return to our
3 OJLHSte' -'Otulue ie ~ sdcItu Is slavery ana
the property OF slayeholding rebels The
lives of northern men may be sacrificed with
IMMUNITY, and their property destroyed
without never a sigh or a word Of caution
and sorrow but when it is proposed to con-
tiscate rebel property and free their slaves,
these men rise up and denounee all such
legislation as unconstitutional, subyersiye ot
law and order, and all wrong. Such men
are doing more 20 continue this war ndef-
nitely than all the JEFF. Dayises and Beaure-
CARDS in rebeldom.
We are pleased to see that the Maine DEL
e5ation have no such squeamishness. They
all value too highly, and estimate too justly,
the worth of democratic institutions and the
lives Of Northern soltiers, to aid in any way
10 lengthen this aceursed war, by dealing
tenderly with leading rebels in arms, and
by holding as above all martial or civil Law
human slavery.