Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-04-30

tignal existence. In my humble judgment
the '.rcce,!ed States" so called, and the
people Of those States are today integral
parts Of the Union, over whom, when the {
conflict of arms ceases, tie Constitution Of .
the United States. ard the laws made under .
it. will resume their peaceful sway. Trail .
tors may perish. sCne institutions may per ,
ism. the nation will remain aud the States .
will remain essential parts Of the oody poll .
tic. The body IS orc. and hath many
members. aud all the members Of that body
being many, are enc body" With this
brief and imperfect development Of the priu-
ciples involved in this great controversy. l .
proceed to a more direct c3Isitlerlt!ol cf tie
subjects Of confscaticn and emancipation.
Nc purpose. however humane. Leutf ff.ient
or attractive, can divert ouT steps from the
plain: straight path of swoTn duty. What
IS writ is writ. In seeking to change it by
force Of arms. we become the rebels we are
striving to subdue. The people 90 not de
sire bitter ana .smorseless struggle over
tie dead body of the Constitution We
may raise armies and uayies and pour out As
water the treaSu.. and Iiieblood Of the Pso>
pie, hut we can neither think nor act wisely
live well OF die well for the republic. unless
We keep clearly and always III view tie end
IS all our Iabors and sacrifices. the Union If
car fathers AMI the Constitution, which Is
It's Only bond. No thoughtful man can be-
..eve there is possibility of reconStructinE
rhe Union On any other basis, or that it Is
within the province Of Congress IN any other
Lls the peaceful way Of amendment to make
the effort. The propositions fer Cculi>caIon
include the entire property If the rebels
real and personal, for life and in feA. The
mind iustiuctively sI.rinks fron a rr.r"Si
ton ike this. 1t TeiUcts q include in one
..icIl sweep" ? whole people. It asks aEx-
ioylsiy If no consideration IS 70 lie had for
different degrees Of guilt: if the same measure
Is TO Be ueted TO those who organized the
rebellion aud those who have been forced
iato il; # NJ consideration Is TO be given to
the fact that allegiance AMI protection are
reciprocal duties, an! chat for the past ten
issrlf incapable Of giviu- protection to it,
Iowa, subjects IN ;he .ssece.iiuE S'at.s.' - nai-
TIER defeudius them -gr giving them arms
t. ,.eisud themselves, and tlsat. deprived of
our protection and incapable of resistance.
they have yielded only 70 superior force; f a
wise government IS to forget the nature Of
Iuln aud the influences # birth. of soil. uf
home, Of society, and # State, b. which his
opinions are iuscnsiLly moulded. and tlsa:
tujs ge-tiieat berc,y OF the right II secession.
fatal as l. is now seen 70 be, not only to the
existence Il good government. Ju. Of social
order itself, has been cardinal art Gle in the
faith % large portion Of the people in the
Southern States, and that they have been in
duc.i 10y the arts, and sophizt.ics, and fake
hoods Of unPrinc; pied leaders u believe that
their fsture safety and we,I-befug required
the exercise cf the right! Those leaders
should atone Tor their crime by the just pen
airy Of the law. But yru cannot SAYS
Burke, indict a whole people: you cannot ap
ply to them the ordinary rules Of criminal
jurispru 7eace.' To state the proposition to
confscatc he property Of eleven States is to
coufute it; i to shock our common sense and
sense to Justice: Is 70 forget not only The tie,
of history and Of kindred, bu- those Of a com
mon humanity; It is to excite the ;r,igna-
ton Of the civilized world. and t. invoke tie
interp2sitioa OF all Christian governments.
The acts Of general c5ufscation proposed
would defeat the great end the government
has Ia view-the restoration Of order. union
and obe,iieuce to law. Apart from the in
justice aud iMpclicy Of these acts of sweep
ing confscation. l have not been able to find
IL the Constitution The requisite authority to
ms tLc-a