Randolph County journal., 1864-04-01

sented bear dire, tly upon the meas
ure now before the House.
Mr.. Speaker. this rebellion has fre
Nently. and very justly, been style,
a shareholders rebellion. 1t is like
wise a lapdholders' rebellion, for tn
chief owners OF slaves have been tn
chief owners OF land. probabl'
three fourths, III not five siXths @
the lands in the rebel States at tn,
beginning Of the war belonged t,
the shareholders, who constituted on
I ~ about one fiitIeth part Of the Who'll,
population OF those States; whilst o
the entire landed estate of the thrc,
hundred and fifty thousand slave
holders of the South, at least two
thirds belonged TO less than one-third
OF their number. ! make my calcu.
latlons from our census tables, and
Such other information rs | find with.
in my reach The bill have report
ed therefore contemplates no general
seizure and coniiscation Of the prop
erty OF the people in the insurrec-
tionary districts. 1t looks to no
sweeping measures against the rights
of the masses, but simply to the
breaking up and distribution of vast
moDopolies, which have made the
few the virtual owners OF the multi
tude. whether white or black. 1t is
bill 10 restore the people to their
inalicnable rights, b chastising the
traitors who conspired against the
Government. 1t proposes to vest in
the United States the lands which
may be forfeited by coniscaton in
punishment OF treason, or OF other
crimes under municipal laws; bv
copiiscatiOn rs a right OF war. by
military seizure, or 10y process IN rem, !,
and 10y sales for non. payment OF tax
cs. The 3gdntty Of real estate which
will thus pass from the hands of reb-
els can not now he definitely deter
mined. but in seeking 10 estimate it
we should bear in mind one import
ant COlSlucIalIOU.
The war which the rebels are
waeing against Us is no longer n
rere insurrcctjoD. 1t is not grand
national riot, tut q civil. territorial
war between them and the Unitcd
States. Having taken their stand
outside ofthc Con stititiol, and rest
el their cause on the naked ground
of law,ess might, they have, of ne
ccs>ity, no constitutional rights.
For them the Constitution has ccas-
cd 10 exist They are bclligercnts,
enemies of the United States. They
still owe allegiance to the govern.
mens, and are still traitors. bat they
are ut the same time public enemies,
who have simply the rights OF war,
and are 10 be dealt with according
To the laws OF war The rights OF
war and the rights Of peace cannot
co exist in the hands OF rebels. One
party 10 contract cannot violate it.
and yet hold the other bound, and
hence the Constitution has nothing
" glatevcr to do with orr treatment
of the rebels, unless we shall see fit
voluntarily to waive the rights of
war. anl deal with them IS citizen,
| am not nov ut.crisg my
own opinion, hut ,ic solemn judy
ment of the Nlii9l itself. speaking
a .thoritat;,e!y through the hi-hest
cour. il tie Union. According To
the decision oi that court a civil war
between the United States AMI the
rellDls hats been carried on for more
than two years AMI a half. Ia the
celebrated prize cases decided last
spring, and reported in ,, Black
Reports, y. CD, Judge Grier says,
',the parties 10 Il civil war are in the
same prcliclncat - two nations
who engage IN a contest, and have
recourse to arms that "a civil war
exists. and may be prosecuted, Oh
the same footing as ii those oppos
ing the government were foreign III
vadcrs. whenever the REGULAR course
Of justice is interrupted 10y revolt,
rebellion, or insurrcction, SO that the
courts cannot he kept open; and
that the present civil war between
the United States and the so-callcd
States has sach & char
actcr anil magnitude rs TO give the
Cnited States the same rights and
powers which they might exercise in
the case OF national or foreign
war Such. Mr. Speaker, is the
aw AS to the relations existing be-
tween the rebels and the United
States. am not arguing the point.
because all argument is closed BY
his decision. The rebels are bellig.
,rents. and when they shall be cf-
'ectuolly yanquished, they will have
simply the rights Of conquered
leOple under the law Of nations, that
; to say. suc!i lights rs we shall
,hoose to grant them. according To
ne laws of war. untrammeilel by the
Constitution OF the United States.
In the light OF this settled princi- |
be. Mr. Speaker. jadgc OF the ex
cLt Of rebel territory which must
all under orr control The war
vill increase in intensity and fierce
less to the enl The evaporation
# the rebels will naturally keep
ace with our successes. Our war
,olicv. which las been steadily
rowing more AMI more earnest and
adical for the past two years. will
ot again become n "war on peace
.rincinles - The amnesty procla.