The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1862-07-26
Ihe #|eekly
PRESIDENTS MExSAGE on CONFIsgA-
TION.
Washington, July II.

1
iectjoas to the bill becoming Law, copy
IF rhich is herewith transmitted.
(S,gued) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
July l7.h, 1869.
Fellou Citizens Of the House Of Repre-
sentai,ves: herewith return to your homo.
rable BODY, 10 which it.originated, the bill
| Tor an act entitled ssAn Act to suppress
| Treason and Rebellion, to seize and coniis-
eate the property of Rebels, and for other
purposes'' together with my objections to
its bec. ming law. There Is much in the
Bill to which perceive no objections. IL
's wholly prospective. and it touches neither
| the psrsop or property Of any loyal citl-
zen, in WHICH particular II is Just and
proper,
The drst and second sections provide for
the conviction and punishment Of persons
who shall be guilty Of treason, and the
persons who shall incitc, set on foot, assist
or engage in any rebellion or insurreation
against the United States, or the laws
thereof, or shalt give aid or comfort to any
such existing rebellion or insurrect,on. BY
fair construction the persons within these
sactions are not to be punished without reg
ular trial, 10 daily eoDstitatsd Courts, under
the forms Of all the substantial provisions
Of the law, and of the Constitution sppli.
cable to their several cases.
To this lproclaim no objection, especial
" as such persons will be- within the gen.
eral pardoning power, and also within the
speaiui proyis'on for pardop and amnesty
contained in this Act. 1t also provides that
The slaves of persons conhscated nuder
these sections shall be free. think theis
il an unfortunate form Of expressing, rath.
er than substantial objectop TO TIPS.
1t IL startling to say that Congress can
free slaves within a State, and yet were it
said that the ownership Of the slave bad
first been transferred to the Nattop, and
that Congress had then liberated him, the
d.Ecnlty would vanish; and this is the real
carse Of treason against the General Gov
erpmenr, for be forfeits bis slave, ut least,
as Justly az he does any other property,
and he forfeits both to the q vernmcnt
against which he oHends. The Goyernn. ent
50 far a. there can be ownership, owns the
slave, aud the question for Gongres. IN re.
gard to them Is, snail they be &ads fSes or
sold to new masters2
] see 10 objection to Congress deciding
10 advance that they shall be- Tree. To the
high honor Of Kentucky, rs am informed,
she has been the owner OF some slaves by
escheat, and had sold none but liberated all.
hope she game Is true Of other States
Indeed | do not belieye it would be ply ST.
cally possible fer the General Cove, nment
to return pers0ns 80 clrcumstapced to ac-
tua! slavery.
| believe there would be physical resist
ance to it winch would never be moved aside
BY argument or driven away by force. In
TINS view of it have no objection to this
feature of the Bill. Another matter in
these two sections and running through
other parts Of the Act will be noticed here.
after.
perceive no objectiors to the third or
fourth sections. So far as wish to notice
the fifth and sixth sect,oos, they may be
considered together, That the enforcement
Of these sections woald do no injustice to
the persons embraced IN them is clear, that
thuse who made o causeIess war should be
compelled to pay the cost of is is too 0byi-
ously just to be called 10 question; to glye
government protection to the property Of
persons who have abandoned it and gone on
crusade to overthrow that same Govern
ment il absurd, if considered in the mere
light Of JUSTICE.
The severest JUSTICE may not always be
the best policy. The principle Of seizing
and approprlat,ng the property of persons
embraced within these sections, 10 certainly
not very Questionable, but a justly dis
eliminating application Of it would be very
difficult, aud tO great extent impossible.
Would 1t not be the place of power of re-
miss,Dp somewhere 50 that the persons may
knUW they have something to save by de
slsting. l am not sure whether such power
of remission il or il not within section IL,
without special act of Congress. think
our military Commanders, when 10 mill-
tary phrase, they aye within the enemy's
country. shopld, in an orderly manner,
eeise aud keep whatever of real and person
III property msy bc necessary Or convenient
for their command, ut the same time pre-.
serving in soms way the evidence Vt what
they do.
Wba; ] have said In regard to slaves,
While commenting on the first and second
8. ctions, ,s applicable to the ninth, with the
difference that no provision is made IN the
whole aot for desermiuiDg whether par
ticular indiyidual slave does or does not
fal, within the Glasses defined in that Sec
ton. lie is 60 be free upon certain con-
d,tions, but whether these conditions do Or
do not pertain to him no mode of ascer-
ta,n,og ls provided. Thus could be easily
appilsd.
10 the tenth section make no objection.
The oath therein required seems 10 be
proper, and the remainder Of the section is
substantially identical with law already
existing.
The eleventh section simply assumes 20
to confer discretionary powers upon the
executive with the law. hare no hesita-
tion to 20 as far in the direction INDICATED
Us may at any time deem expedient, and
| am ready to say now think it is proper
Tor our mi,tar3 command g to employ as
laborers as many persons Of African de-
scent a. can be used to advantage.
The twelfth and th,rteenih sec.ions are
something better; they are uuobjection-
able. And the fourteenth section 10 en-
tirely proper If all other parts of the act
sbali ata9a. That to which \ chiefly object
pervadss moss parts 81 the act, but more
Distinctly appesrs' 10 the first, second, sew
enth, and s'gnsh sections. Il is the sense
Of those provisions which result in sha d.
yestipE of titles for the eaose Of txeeson
and ,sb5 ingrediente q treason. bus amount
ing to the full crime.
Is declares forfeisipg and extending be-
1 - n kAun