Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-03-11

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Notice. Lor Political Meeting. to be charged 10
Marriages, NUtIeSsOf funerals. aud auuoucsms {,
OF SermOnG, 30 eonts each. uOnYlI-'SI
THE fear OF COnhscnrtOn of property il
now most relied upon by the rebel leaders
to nerve the southern people to action o.
der their Ptestut discuuragemen,s. They
tell them that uUt ouly will the negroes ali
be freed, but the entire properly of the
South will pass into Yankee hands, if tie
government succerds. THIS idea of course
has great effect. The chiValry dread the
loss of property quite as much as The loss
of power and social position. We should
be glad to believe that these fears are to
be realized. If Judge UuderwOOd's inter-
PreIatiOD of the contiscariou law and its
constitutional limitations can be maintain.
ed. the rebel leaders may be pretty gen.
orally punished by the loss of their prop.
erty 10 lands as we'll as 10 slaves. The
real estate Of the South is In few hands.
and the large majority of the property
holders have been actively and earnestly
in the rebellion. Coufscatiuu of their
property during the remaining portion of
their lives will be but small punishment
and The government will realize little or
nothing from the sale of the incomes of the
forfeited estates. Indeed cOnfiscAtiou to
the tIteuI which the constitution has been
supposed to allow does not pay costs. 1t
will iUfiict temporary Inconvenience upon
the rebels aud their families, wherever 1t
eau be enforced, but the government will
realize no considerable amount of reVenue
from it.
The loyal people OF the cOuutry feel that
those Who have made war upon the ma
sicu7Ought = be forced 70 pay the. 81 4penss
oF7thsir 0Wo SabjogaIion. ifIhere is 40
real and radical eon6seAtion Of The prop
srty Of reheIs, the loyal people OF the
country will be obliged to pay the cost
Of the war, tor the South will bs inpover.
ished and have no means of paying much
Tor some years to come. The war will leave
upon the country the burden Of debt Of
two thousand millions of dollars, more or
VS' AuSb tue lOJAI STATES pay lnlS 0eot,
or the larger part OF III Most certainly If
any means eau be devised by which those
who have brought this calamity upou us
can be compelled TO pay the cost, it will
satisfy the popular sense of justice, aud 1t
will be wholly aud aud absolutely right In
itself. The value OF the cultivated luuds
10 the now i0surgeut states was estimated
10 the ceuSIs Of 1850 al something over
eight hundred millions. Il is now cYnsid-
trably larger. Nearly all this laud is
owned by men who eau be convicted of
treason. But snppJs only half these lands
are thus forfeited; at least five hundred
millions of dollars might be realized by
their sale, aud the other property Of rebels
coniscaLrd should yield Au equal amount.
Thus one halt tue war debt might be ex-
tinguished at once, "r very yearly that
amount
Another advantage of this radical con-
6scatiOn will be the more rapid social re.
generation OF tue South. This is certain
to come 10 timei The causes are already at
work. aud The arrogant planters are TO give
way to Industrious aud thrifty farmers; the
great plantations are to be cut up iuto
farms. and az Intelligent Iaboriug popula.
tiOu to supersede the degraded and servile
working class OF the South. This may be
by the education OF the freed negroes; by
their emigration, white cultiVaIors sue.
ceeding them; but probably BY both to.
gether, as the South will support much
larger free than slave population. Such
an tufurion OF Yaukee Industry aud energy
as the South is sure to experience after the
War-as is Indeed already felt 10 the sub
jugated districts-will soon make that sec.
ton much more productive, and conse-
quently richer, than il ever could have
been uuder the lazy aud thrifLless system
Of slave labor. Aud here is another eco
nOmical reason for desiring the general
confScatiou Of rebel property; il will not
only lift large portion OF the national
debt at once, but will put The South in
condition to pay in future a more liberal
share Of the taxes by which tue whole debt
iS TO be ultimately liquidated.
Congress has little to do at the present
session. Legislation for the war has been
pretty nearly futshed up 1t had better
make this matter of con6scatiou chief
study. II it can discover means to estab.
Iisb sweeping eoufiscatiou of the proper
~ of rebels, without stretching too tautly
lie constitutional powers, 1t will accom-.
Plish more for the social regeneration of
the South, and assure more certainly the
loyalty OF its future population, than it can
BY prOpouuding any theories OF reconstruc-
tion. Crush out the rebellion, punish the
rebels and take their property, and recon-
Btruction will take care OF itself,
l