The independent. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Kan.) 1860-1874, 1863-06-27
Saturday, June u, 1869.
Fights in Property.


question of the right of property in
reference to those who sympathize with
the rebellion. Some men appear TO
have desire to handle other people S
property without returning any equisa-
lent for it, and yet they do nol wish to
be called thieves and robbers; and so
they get up sabterfuges and false issues,
by which they endeavor to deceive
themselves and others, ,and form cloak
under which to take property which
does no, belong 10 them, and upon
which they have no CAIN whatever.
We have endeavored to speak of this
subject before; but some men shut their
eyes 10 the light tha, they may not see.
1t is an old and truthful adsge, that
"none are so blind as those who viii
not see"
No man has right to any property
until he has earned ii AMI i. passes into
his possession or he holds ii by q legal
claim. Ii he obtains it in any other
manner be gets it wrongfully. and COM
mits crime against both law and hon.
esty. There are but two ways in which
an individual can get possession OF pro-
perty of any sort,one by honest and the
other by dishonest means. Ii aperson
gets property honestly, it is his; if he
gets it disbones,ly.it is rot his OF right.
and he is guilty before God. ard il
known, before men, of dishonesty. He
at once ceases TO be man of honor or
integrity. God knows this. and be
knows it; and men, too, will generally
know it. When man lakes property
from another without making any return
whatever, he knoscs he is acting dis
honestly; he knors he is robbing or
stealing; and all the sophistry which he
can heap up will no: cover his sin. God
and man and his own conscience con-
denim him; and though he may wrap
himself up in thousand folds Of the
cloak of subterfuges: the sill small
voice still reaches his ear and rings in
his sou! The eternal yerdic. of truth and
right as he shall answer to God, "THou
ART THE MAN "
Its claimed by certain class of men
tha. one who is disloyal is ct subject
10 be dispoilsd. So We believe. ANY
man who has enjoyed the benign bless
ing Of our benefcien. government and
then turns round to destroy il with
traitorous hands and heart, ought te
have every doihr of his possessions
which be had obtained by the protec
ton Of the government he seeks to de
siroy, taken from him. He deserves
no protection from The laws and autho
rity he seeks to overthrow.
Blu, who shall take his property
Shall another set of outlsws-rebels o
another stripe-seize il? God foJbid
II should be taken by the government
it is the governments by right; and he
who takes it, steals not from the rebel
but from the government. And VIVA
is the government I? Il is the loya
people of the nation. Then the lhieve:
steal from loyal men whenever they
take from a rebel. And the loyal meu
laye to suffer from their infamous
deeds.
Every dollar that is confscaisd to
the government goes TO pay the expen
ses Of the war; and every dollar thus
paid, lifts a dollar from the loyal tax
payers of the land. Hence, every dol
lar that is stolen from a secessionisi is
dollar taken from the United States
Treasury and from the pockets Of the
loyal people Of the country. This is
so plain that even fool cannot fail to
perceive ii.
What then? Why these proving
thieves who 90 about to 6lch from The
secesh are stealing from the pockets of
their loyal neighbors. They are, there
fore, the very worst kind of thieves.
But il is said the government canno,
find proof agains! all who are secesh at
heart. Well. suppose it cannot Sup
pose there are men who sympathlze
with the South. but say nothing and do
nothing 10 aid the rebellion Is man
to be punished for his thoughts ? The
like was never heard of except during
the days Of the lnquisi,ion Of ihe
church of Rome. and We do not pro-
pose to establish the lnquisiiion in free
America. God forbid! Least of all
do we propose TO ls! bsnd Of thieves
run such machine here.
If q man is rebel, he ought 10 be
stripped of his property and either hung
b., hn1 NJ. l.. l..