The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-05-15
COn0acatiOn.

There ID nothing in the Federal Con.
s,i,ntion, :,s we read it, that forbids the
ooa.iscat,on of the property ofrebels TO
defray the heavy burdens they have
wantonIy thrown upon the country !;
ard we are amazed that loyal members
Of Congress should seem to admit that
there is no power in the Government. to
confisca,e absolutely and forever. A
bill Of 81. .ainder is an instrument where.
by one person is punished for the crime
Of another, as when the cnildten Of a
traitor are held answeraBae and made
to suffer for tLci' parents odvns.. This
is contrary to the genins Of Dur insti-
tutions, ard very properly forbidden
by The Constitution. II an estate is
held by a life tenure, with an indeiea-
sble entail to the holders posterity,
! Congress cannot break that entail be-
cause Of the present holders treason !;
bat property held in fee simple may be
corGsca,ed absolutely and forever
Such, at least is our understanding of
the Constitution.
! We who stand for the Union believe
it has a rignt to exist--that the con
(; spiracy and efforts to overthrow il by
! force and violence are wrong. If we
,re beaten, We understand thai the
Rebels triumph. supplies the needed
1 justii, alton OF their revolt, and excmpts
them from penalties. But suppose they
ara beaten and forced to submit rncon-
! Gi,ionaliy to the Union; What then :?
/ Are the expenses Of this costly. san
\ !. .,,rarr struggle to be born wholly iDy
/ HE 'loval Or shall the Rebels be re.
| qnired, so far as may he, To pay then, ::
What IS tie answer Of .jacticc and com
mon sense?
! It is suggested by some Members Of
/, Congress that we aust triumph before
We Can confisca,e That is true in 4
very narrow sense in larger sense i,
is false. The rebel ranks are filed b,
\ oat'+criptinn aud terrorism. They con-
'fiscaso r..thle>sly; they strip every
/ .nionist to the skim, and then they
shoot or hang him lfheIdoes not profess
4 - be converted TO treason. OF their
/ three or .u,.s hundred thousand men
4 new in their ranks 10 war against the
! Tnion, fullv half are there because they
4 have no alternative bnt death by vio-
'encc or starvation. TIER armies are
i'e,l ny systematic robbery their cur
rency moves oil by virtue OF the hayo-
nets behind It: il short they compel a
unity otexptession ii slot Of sentiment
/ ,hrou ghout the region under their sway
ard then sc,z. whatevet they need to
sustain and advance their cause. Their
system has all the fearful energy Of the
worst days Of the French iieign Of Ter
ro,. Ilc must be hero who dare pro-
claim himself Unionist within their
boundaries whoever does SC in that
portion Of the Slave States n6W held by
our armies knows we'll that he will lose
everything if the Rebel cause shall
triumph Every coward, ,'esery trimmer
naturally says in effect: ''If compelled
10 declare for one side or the other, !
must tloaountc for JEFF Davis, for he
shows no mercy, While it I. otherwise
with-the defenders Of the Tnion.' Thus
there Arc to-day no: less than One hun
1red Thousand fighting FIR tee Rebel
lion whose Judgment and hearts incline
them to,hc side for the Union; but they
are still anxious to live, and'they shun
the most obvious and imminent peril.
We would have Congress do nothing
a,hat the Humanity Of the age will no,
fully approve; but we feel that extreme
tenderness toward willful, malignant
Rebels is treason to the Republic. If
the Government, shall much longer hesi-
tate to deal sternly viii fragrant Rebels,
they are VERY ,il;c,y to deal sternly with
the Government. Milk and honey are
excellent IL their place; but they will
not cure the cancer now gnawing at
the vitals Of the Republic. II our
rulers hesitate much lor ser to convince
the Southern people that they are de.
termined to crush out the rebellion, they
may awake to the magnitude Of the pei.
il too late.--N y Tribune.