The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-09-18
FOR MEMBER OF BOARD or rpucA rroH.
HENRY X. EDISON,
or LEE.
Confiscntion and cipatio ON.

Continuation and Imam ipatien.
Eighteen months ago, after havin,
robbed our Government of all the public
arms and ammunition and seized our un
protected minis. arsenals and forts, the
confederated traitors of one third of the
States of the Union battered the walls Of
fort Sumpter, captured the garrison and
trampled the Flag of our country in the
dust. They had repudiated the Constitu-
ton of the United States and framed a
Constitution and established Govern
mentor them selves. Thus was war com
menced against our Government by a
confederacy of revolted states, who ask
ed not for the redress Of grievances but
proclaimed their Independence and deter
mination to maintain that independence
by arms.
War was then begun against our Gov.
eminent by combination of revolted
confederate States who boldly avowed
that they struck for Independence. That
Confederaev exercised all the functions
OF government and compelled our Gov
eminent to treat them as a belligerent
power, entitled to the rights and privile.
ges OF nation at war. Their privateers
were treated as the mariners of other ma.
tons, and not as pirates, and their cap
tured soldiers have been treated as pris-
oners of war and not as robbers. murder
ers and traitors. In the meantime the
proportions of the contest have swollen
most enormously, and to day We have an
army In the field outnumbering any army
OF any single nation in modern times. We
are as nation at war. Our Government
has been forced into war for the preserva-
ton OF its authority and is still compell-
ed to continue the war to maintain its ex
lstence as Government. The peril is
great, the chances almost doubtful. An
immense expenditure of treasure has been
made, hundreds of thousands of lives
have already been sacrificed. and still
greater treasure and greater numbers Of
lives of loyal men would seem to be de-
manded.
Under such circumstances. can any
honest and sane man doubt fora moment
that this government is entitled to exer.
else all the powers appertaining to i. in /.
state Of war? Can any but miserable
'ympathisers, unworthy to enjoy the bless
cd rights and privileges Of this Govern
ment deny it the right to assert defend
and vindicate its own existence vban
thus assailed by conquering hos,s Of arm
edfoes. Can any but misguided end celu-
ded sympathisers deny the rights and
powers OF war to government thus en-
veloped in wars
What are those Rights. Look to the
Constitution of cur country, look to the
laws and practice Of nations in war. Look
10 the practice of our own government
IN the war OF invasion against Mexico.
The war power is conferred on con-
gress by the Contribution of the United
states and that has been declared bv the
Supreme Court Of the United States -
include all the powersincident 10 war and
necessary to carry it into effect And
among these rights, as expressly held bv
all writer's on the Laws of Nations. by the
Supreme Count of the United States, and
by the practice Of our Government in the
Mexican war is the right of cop6scstior
OF property. Our Supreme Court has er-
pressiy declared that "the existence Of var
gives right to con6scats enemy's nron.
erty, and enables the power to whom the
execution Of the laws and the prosecution
OF war is confded. to enforce that right
IL, indeed, there be a limit imposed as to
the extent to which hostilities NAV he
carried BY the Executive, / admit tia,