The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-05-15

COlla,ner and COnliScatiOn.

/ COllamer and COnfiSc;ltitDn.
The conisca,ior Is sill asi'a.iug Con
grsss. 1t seems that gentlemen cannot
abandon the idea OF making this war q
crusade against the ,nsti.uti of slavery.
They take counsel Of their Prejudices. we
may cay Of their vinL,clive feelings. and
obey them. TIE anti slavery Society of
London visits our Minister, and lays an
address before him. expressing the hope
that this war will only end with the des-
truclion Of it's cause. They take fire and
kindle their ardor anew from this sugges-
tipn. and prosecute their purpose with un-
woated zeal.
The better men in Congress oppose this
confiscat,on enterprise Harris. of Albany.
one Of the first men in taler I and cEarac
ter in the Republican ranks. opposes 1t.
with Colwin Of Pa. Doolttle Of Wis,
q ID others. Collamer. Of Vermont. ano
ther Standing among the best men Of that
par y. opposes it. or would SO modify it as
10 lake from its tooth of venom His late
SPEECH upon the subject WAS sound con
situtional argument. and Eoble vindica
sion of the policy of granting political
amnesty to this people. and irtiicling
punishment upon the leaders. We give
his leading ideas.
In his opinion. all nations were looking
upon US. and asking themselves this ques
tion--"can they sustain the integrity Of
rhe government" They see that the
principles of self government is on trial.
tat constitutional liberty is on trial, ard
y believe We may fail. Ii is for US TO
saow them that We shall not fail. that we
have the steadiness Of an absolutism
within these well ordered elements of n
democracy. We are III duty bound TO oh
serve the Constitution. and that closely:
and in times like these. we should bind
ourselves with great stricln-ss 10 ils pro-
visions These schemes are unconslitu-
tiona, as they propose the contisca'iOn Of
all the property. real ard personal. Of all
the people Of the South. or Of Glasses of
them. This can not te defended. because
a minority. ole third. has kept two thirds
under suhjec ion. after prrcipitatug them
into this war. Here Mr.. Coilamer drew s
zoo { hint from English history. In the
inie Of Henry VII. law WAS made in
England that no man should be punished
for treason who was obedient to rriyning
Aeovereign. and that law is now on the
statute books of the empire. This minor
ity in the Sputh has been the reisniny
sovereign. aud we should sink below he
level of English political morality if we
should punish the people for obey ing them
lusiead Of punishment, In his opinion. it
should be legi,laIion > relieve the people
rom their oppressors. and estore them as
nearly as possible to their normal condi
ion in the republic. He and Harris. Of
n. York. agree on this. with many other
Republicans. namely; put down the
bel.ion first. then legsa,e for The relief Of
he people, 80 legislate as to attach them
to, not alieniste them from the Onion.
He placed the legal bubbles aud suhter
fuses OF those members Of his party who
are in favor Of these annihiaing schemes
in their naked deformny. They had made
new discovery; proceeding i'll rem; a
proceeding or taking and confscaling the
property. before taking and auaning the
rebel. This is worse than any aspect of
English law 1t is just the thing tha, the
ConsiituI ion guards against. Afer pro
reeding in rem, and the enfranchisement
Of the slave. then. if the robel could be
secured. they would proceed in personam.
and hang the rebel. This is the beauty Of
radical law. radical philosophy. radical
consistency. Charles Sumner came in for
his full share Of condemn alton. and it was
pronounced poor business for gentlemen
To advocate the idea tha, accession had any
legal effect whatever; that il WAS anything
more than the idle whistle Of the wind, in
= constitutional point Of view. He pro
nounced !, utterly idle tor Congress 10 Az
sumo the authority of directing the Ex
e.utive. or the Gen. in the field. I, take
The right Of coniscaiinn into their own
|, hands. and carly il at the head Of the
army. Ii would be an assumption OF
. power on the part of Congress; is would
ne the most imp1li'ic OF Courses TO pursue
Once in English history JrfTries travelled
IN his Northern campaign" to punish
reb.ls Ell masse. IL was TOO much for
, English justice: in six months the Judge
was in The tower, and the Sovereign was
skulking out of London to seek protection
; in Paris. Our road to peace does not lie
in this direction.
Such are tie sentiments Of Republi
> can. |, is grief that the mass Of The