The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-11-25

truclion Of the weaker power. The entire over
throw and disappearance Of slave labor Is one Of
the things that must shortly come to pass Bot
What il to be the future Of the rebel States
afterwardsl
I. Under the confscation law, the property,
real and personal, Of all persons holding ONCE
civil military or naval, under the rebel govern
ment. whether they be State or Confederate
o6cers; aud the property Of all other persons
IA the rebel Staiess who should aid in the rebel
hon, after sixty days notice from the President,
BY proclamation, was declared TO be conhseated
for the use Of the army, and the President was
required to have il seized and sold. II this were
strictly carried out, probably nine-tentbs OF all
the real and personal property in the planting
States and one half OF all the property in the bor-
der States, would change hands under an order
of Courts, thus reducing the original owners TO
absolute poverty, while the agents of eastern
milionAires could follow the officer around from
lions for mere fraction OF its value. We do
not believe that the confscation act will be en-
forced to this extent. 1t is never the policy OF
an enlightened government TO pursue political
offenses with extreme severity. While it is
often necessary and proper that an example
should be made Of prominent offenders, il is bet
ter that the great mass Of citizens who have been
led into resistance to their lawful governments,
on returning 10 their allegiance alter the difficult
ties have been overcome, and conducting them
selves ever after as peaceable citizens, should
remain unmolested and allowed to pursue their
usual occupations. 1t is said, indeed, that by
their crimes, the rebels have forfeited every
thing, and have no right even 10 life Suppose
We admit this to be true, would it therefore be
erpedient or advisable to hang every rebel
Would their execution contribute, in the small
est degree to repair the mischiefs of the rebel.
hons Would it replace the property destroyed :
Would it bring the fallen dead to life We
conclude, therefore, that il an enlightened policy
be pursued, the great mass Of property in the
rebel States will still remain in the families OF
she original owners.
q. As soon as the shall have oeasod, a
consequence of the great amount Of paper
money IN circulation, the comparatively low
prices Of land in the rebel States, and the high
prices Of Southern products, We may look for a
general rise in real estate in those States. Lands
10 the slave States have always been much
cheaper than in the free States As an example
Of this difference, We will state that the Rich
mond Examiner Of Oct. %, 1855, had an &C
count of the sale at auction, by Thomas l. Sons
Philadelphia, in one day, OF l49,s76 acres o
Virginia lands, lying in ten counties. There were
los tracts of land, varying from s25 to IL, 0oC
acres each. Eghty-one tracts, comprising 90 ,00C
acres, sold at cent an acre, and the ave.
rage price Of the whole was about IA cent;
per acre, the highest price being IL cents
The whole of Virginia, if sold at these figures,
would bring $500, SIG.
Boston paper has the following statistics to
show that the shareholders would never have
lost anything by emancipation:
1.-THE rise In the value of lands in the slave
States, would at any time have been sufficient
to compensate the Shareholders for the enamel
patton of their slaves. BY the U. S. census the
average value Of land in the slaveholding States
was, in 1850, s6.ls cents per acre. The average
value Of land in the non. slaveholding States,
be noticed, was the average value of the farm.
ing lands and the difference in the value OF these
lands in the slsveholdiDg and non. slaveholdng
States being $l4.43 cents on pa, l02,055 acres,
amounted to S., 1922, ;9l, SOS, or about $3.50 each
for the whole four million slaves, which was at
least fifty per cent more than their worth in the
years of their best crops and highest prices OF
cotton. A clearer exhibit than this, OF the ad-
vantages Of free labor in advancing State, as
compared with its opposite, could hardly be
given. And what is worth noting, too, the facts
thus shown have been facts for the ten years
preceding this war"
Ia the West Indies the results of emancipation
on prices Of land we're very remarkable. Many
planters thought their lands were worth as much
after emancipation, as the lands and slaves to-
gether were worth before. The impetus to en-
terprise was so great that, in some instances,
some land rented, after emancipation for as
much as they would have sold for before. The
planters received a compensation of twenty mill
lions sterling for their slaves, voted by the Brit
ish Parliament; and il was generally admitted
that, on account of the rise Of prices, this amount
was a clear gain to the planters.
8. The idea Of coloniring the negroes will be
regarded as not only entirely impracticable, but
a. undesirable in every point of view, and espe-
cially injurious to the owners ct land. Agricul-
taral lands are worth nothing only as they will
produce: how can there be any production with.
out lsborers: and il the black laborers be re-
moved, who viii supply their places Suppose,
BY miracle, the 4, 100000 Of negro laborers in
the South could be transported to Australia in
one day, would anybody in America be a gamer
by the change Would not great numbers Of
Southern farms and plantations grow up to brush
and woods before enough laborers from Ireland
and Germany would be irnrortsd. aeciimatsd.
and taught the kinds Of labor necessary in the
Southern States.
Let the copperhead, who says be hates the
sight Of niger, make the case his own. Sup.
pose he has been fortunate enough to bid OF
sugar plantation in Louisiana, with all the ma
chinery on it, for small sum- he goes to see
his new purchase, and finds living on it full
set Of . hundred hands, who have heretofore
worked the premises. He finds all these Just
ready to embark for Hayti: and over the South
the negroes are departing. On seeing them all
deserving his plantation, with no possibility of
supplying their places, would be be likely to tel
them, 81 hate to have . niger around me;
am glad you are going out of my sight, and
VIII give each Of you FIVE dollars if you viii