The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-10-04

the Convention, and when the traitors
threatened the capture of the national CAPT.
to-. can only interpret these "other mea-
ures" TO mean compromise and cowardly
peace with the rebels. I have time and
again demanded ofmy competitor what these
"other measures" proposed were to be. l
have asked him to define and explain them.
He has never yet done it. I am in the stu.
alton Of the boy at school who was told by
his teacher to parse the word Egg. "What
part of speech is it ?" "a noun, SIR
VERY well, now tell me what gender is it ?"
"GenderW said the boy. Eyes, what gen.
der is 1t, masculine, feminine, or neuter ?"
"Ah." said the boy, II can't tell you that
till it's hatched ~ Laughter Neither can
!, nor any mortal man outside the Mahony
organization, tell you of what gender this
political egg is, till it is Matched. I have
begged my worthy friend and competitor to
hatch it, ever since our canvass commenced.
But he does not ineubate WELL [Continued
laughter.] have implored him, as the old
woman did the hen when she put four dog
en- eggs under her, to spread herself! [Rcars
of laughter. But he won't sit on it long
enough to answer the purpose; and the
doubt will remain until the people cast it out
and spurn it from them.
Well, take the next resolution, which de-
cares that mo more war, or acts of war,
should be prosecuted or done than are nee.
essary and proper for the prompt and com.
plete suppression Of the rebellion B They
still use the negative style of speech. Ii
there was any sincerity and earnestness in
them, they would have spoken affirmativery.
They would say, ''this war should be effec-
lively prosecuted by all the means known 10
the usages Of civilized warfare, until the re.
bellion is suppressed" But they did not
| intend to speak thus Their policy ia TO
hold back, to discourage, and to check the
ardor and extinguish the patriotic fire that
animates our troops, ard which sent them.
like tempest, VIGOROUSLY over the enemy's
ramparts at Fort Donelson.
But in the 4th and 9th Resolutions of this
organization, falsely called democratic. thew
are explicit. They dcnounce the schemes of
confiscation and emancipation adopted by
the last congress, and approved by the
| President, and the suspension Of the writ of
hobeos corpus in States where the civil au-
thorities are unimpeded, and call this IN
constitutional. He repudiates the confisca.
ton law. | endorse it. Here is direct is.
sue between US.
THE coNrrscArloN LAW.
What is this confiscation law? The sec.
ond and third sections punish the crime of
melting rebellion by fine, by imprisonment,
and by liberation Of slaves, ifthe guilty par.
ty has any; and by disqualification to hold
Office under the United States. The fifth
section directs the seizure of goods, proper
ty, and estates of all persons thereafter act.
ing as officers of the army or navy of the
so. called Confederate States; or being off,
GERS of either branch of that so-called Gov.
eminent, or representing it in any official
capacity and of all persons in any loyal
State or Territory who shall; give aid and
comfort to the rebellion. By the sixth Sec
ton all other persons bearing arms, common
soldiers and others aiding the rebellion. who
shall not, Within sixty days after the Proc
lalnation, lay down their arms aid cease
their hostility, are liable to the seizure Of
their goods and property The courts are
directed to adjudicate the question of labili-
ty, and the proceeds of all such confiscated
property are to be paid into the United States
Treasury toward defraying the expenses OF
the war. Such is the law, except that an
explanatory act limits the forfeiture of real
estate to the life time of the offender.
Now, no person denies that Congress has
the power to define and punish crimes com.
mitted against the United States. 1t can
not be denied that melting rebellion, bear.
ing arms in support of the rebellion, and Civ
ing aid to the rebellion are gross crimes. In
fact, armed treason is the sum of all crimes.
Every loyal soldier killed constitutes a muir
der. Every loyal house plundered is rob.
berry. Every loyal farm devastated is ra-
pine. Yet my competitor tells you that
Congress cannot punish this crime by levy
ing fine on the property of the murderer
and the robber. You cannot in moment
of passion, knock down a man on the street,
without having your property confscated to
the amount of the fine imposed on you by
the Justice of the Peace. You cannot ma
liciously destroy your neighbours trees with
out suffering confiscation of property to the
amount imposed by the District Court, and
he contends the rebels in arms NAV slaugh-
ter your sons and brothers, invade and de.
stroy your farms, burn your houses, and
steal your stock, and yet Congress cannot
impose the penalty of confiscation of their
goods as the punishment of their crimes. -
From the time of the Hebrews to the pres.
ent, confiscation has been made the penalty
of crime. In the 7th Chapter of the book OF
Ezra, (part of venerable volume which
commend to the perusal of my friend and
competitor,) he will find it declared that he
who shall refuse to obey the laws shall suf.
fer ''the confiscation of his goods" Every
civilized nation makes it the penalty for
crimes. Can he, can you, tell me why these
enemies of our Government, these killers of
honest and loyal men, should not suffer the
penalty? | have asked him for an areu-
ment to show it during the whole of the
eleven appointments we have thus far filled.
and have received no reply. I demand it
again, and ask you to watch and wait, and
see if you get reply when he follows me.
| ask in all earnestness why these men who
have brought upon us this civil and unholy
war should not be made to pay part Of its
expenses. Our army in nearly every sece-
ded state is now surrounded by. such prop
eity. am in favor of making the traitors
pay portion of the burdens of the..war, and
by confiscation of their property for that
purpose; and If l enter Congress and find
this law defective, and can make it stronger,
please God will make it stronger if know
how! Loud cheers.
LIBERATION OF SLAVES AS A WAR MEASURES,
Now desire to talk to'you as practical
| sensible men, about this subject of slave lib
Grafton as war measure. 1t is condemn