The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-13
(FoR TIE CAMDEN CoNrEInRArR.l
Impressmelals.


The power of impressnent can only be ex.
ercised.by the Confederate Government by i'm
plication, under the clause of the Constitution
which provides, that "private property shall
uot be taken for public use without just COM
pensation." When exercised, it should be done
with all possible guards against abuse; and
such guards, it viii be seen, are provided in
the Impressmcnt Act. To this end, the act
declares it shall be resorted to only in cases of
"absolute necessity" and when the property
needed "cannot otherwise be obtained" The
impressng officer is required to notify the par
ty whose property it is proposed to impress, in
writing, accompanied with an offer to purchase,
stating the price offered and the mode of pay
mcnt, and that if the price is not accepted, he
will proceed to ascertain the value of the prop
erty under the I'd section of the Impressment
Act; that is, he will appoint an appraiser and
the property holder smother, who, disagreeing,
shall appoint an umpire, to ascertain and de-
termine upon price that shall, in the words
Of the Constitution and the Impressment Act,
be "just compensation" &c. This is the rule.
when the owner of the property holds it for
his own use and not for speculation, which tact
shall be declared on oath before the Impress
ng Officer. In case of spectators the rule is
not so Gberal-I might say-not so just, or
constitutional
The very worthy gentleman who lately Wis
tied Camden to impress horses, did not proceed
according to the terms of the law, or its spirit,
nor of his instructions. He omitted to state to
parties whose horses he impressed, (or said in
his written notices he chad impressed" ~ that
if they refused the prices offered, it was "his
duty" to have the property appraised, &c.
Even the most intelligent parties here were not
aware that they had any alternative but to sub
init to the prices offered, however inadequate
positively, or relatively, to prices offered
other parties; or however arbitrary the dis
ordinations in taking one PERSONS property
and passing by another.
The Impressment Law is cautiously drawn,
and manifests throughout the purpose to secure
to owners of property "just compensation
that is the actual value of the property in fair
and open market.
But says party who has no horses liable to
be impressed, then the Government will get no
horses, or such prices will break it. However
embarrassing to the Goverpmcnt-fatalt to the
Treasury such prices may prove-yet no reason
can be given why the owner Of a horse should
not be paid five, or ten specie prices for his
property as well as the owners of corn and
wheat, and bacon, and beef, and cloth, and
leather, and everything in fact the Government
needs, are paid for their property.
Nothing is more certain than that the Gov
ernment will fail financially if it continues long
to pay the prices for property, now prevailing
and daily rising But such prices can and must
be promatly reduced, by reducing the currency to-
the normal, healthy amount, by unticing the
gordan knot, or, cutting it by some decisive
stroke-involv- ing no gross violation of faith,
orat all events no injury, or loss, to any holder
of the currency. LAW.
Inauguration of Gov. Brown.
MILLEDGEvILLE, Nov. 9-Joseph r. Brown,
Governor elect of the State of Georgia: for a