Weekly Trinity journal., 1862-08-02
The journal.
Of Rebel Property.

n. "A,
-. ro.entatves May 23d, 1862. Mr.. Sargent
g. oroyed himself to be man OF honesty
.-t..;sm and great ability. and is rapidly rising
F1so,o, renown. For his earnest devotion in
&. a the Pacific Railroad Bill, which has be-
go law. the people of California applaud
= ou and in the future will remember him.
Nr. argent said:
mink il will be found from the course this
..'-..sson has taken that those who doubt the
<~ ~ Congress to act in the premises are also
l<.<s Who have the greatest fear OF exasperating
s<< oonth II seems to me, sir, that such gen
S<~.np take counsel principally OF their tmdity.
sf.zr. what other principle do they continually
<!<S mat confiscation act directed against the
'.1< rho are now engaged in malignant warfare
r~Sfnst US will tend to foster rebellion We
<3-'-ose no confscation Of the property of loyal
ES4 We level not our thunders against the
-fS1iros of secession rage who now fill Southern
-~S@ons. or are hunted through the mountains like
111 beasts by their former ncighbors and friends.
= 11 apainst the authors OF these atrocities whose
k.sx<s are filed with bitter hate against all who
<1I1r TO the Union of the fathers, who have vio-
Se1S{ every law human and divine, and now
~S1Sl in a saturnalia of blood, that we aim our
ie~n of confscation and reprisal. Think you,
~ nat we can add to their flendish hate that
1h1Ir ingenuity can invent any new 0utrages
r~nInst law or life Think you, sir, that that
1nirlt of secession, which has been characterized
Is one of their victims, himself Southern man,
1rr Brownlow), as "the spirit of murder and
ss1nssination-the spirit of hell" can be rem
dsred more dabolical by any agency of ours?
,ro those gentlemen who fear that vote of
f,oncress may tend to exasperate the rebels, l
Commend the report recently made by the joint
<ouomittce upon the conduct of the war, in re-
card to the barbarities committed by those rebels
e tbe very commencement of the war. This
1ornmittcc, in obedience to q resolution OF the
aonate, have collected evidence concerning the
fraatment by the rebels at Manassas, OF the re-
mSIns of officers aud soldiers of the United States
h1led in battle there. aud in the progress of their
fnyestigations have developed facts showing
bafbarism and cruelty towards wounded and
other prisoners that eVince in the strongest light
fhe great necessity OF refrainng from any act
on our part that will tend to exasperate rebels?
How great misfortune it would be if by con
1scation or any other law we should diminish the
love these traitors have for ns!
Talk of exasperating men like these 4! AS well |
mfrht Michael have feared to exasperate the re-
nellious angels whom he hurled from the battle
rncnts of heaven at the fiat of the Almighty. 1t
~ only by sharp and sudden blows you can put
down this rebellion not by faint heartedness
not by calculations how your mortal enemies
al regard your measures. Why, sir, the same
o6vice that now seeks to induce us to do nothing |
766t will exasperate rebels would, If carried to
Ultimate conclusions, cause our armies to be
1lkbandpd, surrender this capital to the enemy,
ana give over the Union men of the South to
hopelcss ruin. In the same spirit the last Con
Nfess were advised not 10 pass the force bll-to
Ike no appropriations for the Navy aud Army
io do nothing to eXasperate the men who had
commenced to steal public property, organize re-
bellion, and trample upon the laws. 1t Will for
o9er remain blot upon the administration OF
5omes Buchanan that for months after the great
1onspracy bad developed itself by acts OF ruth
3ess violence, he wrung his hands in the halls of
tie White House, and lamented his hard fate,
lsaring to strike the blow that should save the |
fation lest he might exasperate the traitors who
Iearded him even in his privacy, and publicly |
announced him as n fasitler.
II am not deferred from an affirmative vote
mon the pending measures by any effect they
Law have in exasperating the rebels against the
Yuion On the contrary, firmly believe that if
6hese bills become laws, and are vigorously exc |
ented in their intention aud spirit, they will he
"a efficient auxiliary to mere military force in
crushing out the rebellion. Such laws will make
rabellion unsafe They hang penalty over the
tead of the traitor who, heretofore, has been free
rom fear of any consequences or contingencies
nsisng from ultimate defeat. They strike at the
c4use of the rebellion, and at its principal pro
Uoters.
II
0ote upon these bills by the fear that those who
~ now Union men in the South will become
G1Sessionists. These men have been dragooned,
81 Drisoned, prosecuted, and many murdered by
fh8 enemies of the Union. They have had meted
ct to them the bitterest cup of woe. Their
rI3hs have been trampled upon by the very men
f6F whom il is pretended they have now so much !
tenderness that they will join bands with their
0ppressors if Congress attempts to cOnfScae the |
ufoperty of the latter. Such a suppositlon Is in |
6onsistent with all we know 0f the qualities OF
hnman nature. Such men will rather rejoice at
my effective blow we can strike at the rebellion
Uhich has ruined them, has hunted aud bounded
(bem, has slain their relatives and friends, ana
desolated their hearth stones. Bitterly must they
resent the injuries and ndgnities they have re.
neived from their impacable foes; and they will
never object to the measures we take that they
bear too stringently upon The authors of their
noes.
Il We have not waged, and do not intend to wage
Mis- war in any spirit of oppression. nor for any
pnrpose of conquest or subJugatlon, nor purpose
81 overthrowing or interfering with any rights
or institutions of any States, but to maintain the
Aupremacy of the Constitution, and we still in
Tend that the war shall cease as soon as these
0bjects are accomplished. II, to accomplish these
ends it is necessary to take away the slaves OF
rebels, does the gentleman from Kentucky, (Mr.
Crttenden) or any one else, say we should rather
let the Union slide Ii To take the property 0i
rebels and transfer il TO Union men to make
good the losses of the latter, aud prevent its be-
ing used against us, is necessary to maintain the
enpremacy of the Constitution, will it be charged
That we violate the spirit of that resolution in so
doing, or any plighted faith whatever Such
Arguments seem to me to be the fruit of an in
Genuity seeking to evade the performance of
plain duty to the country-to be the lingering
POISON of party spirit inimical to the national
Rellare.
+ All along we have had men in our councils
who. while saying one word for us, would say,
nnintentionaly probably, two for the national
adversary. No measure we have thus far taken,
However necessary to the public safety. or rea.
eonable, or usual among civilized nations in time
.pf war, has escaped carping criticism. This may
&pring from a re serence for forms, or from sym
pathy with former political associates, or from
peter motives. But when it is announced in
Congress, and circulated by pamphlet among the
people as the utterance of friend of the ma
4lopal cause, that
The old landmarks of the Constitution fading fast