, 1864-05-14

that the South cannot be subJugated, and
for fear it lies, il follows this declaration by
arguments that the South should not be.
These wise editors tell the North that sub
jugalion is imptssible, and in the same
breath essay at political capital from the
fact that the Government Is subjugating
the poor innocents Of the Cohfedeacy.
And then, too, the same logic is brought
out on conAscation. There is no Constitu-
tional law to confscate rebel property-the
Government ought not to confscate, if the
law Of con6scation is good--and the Gov
ernment has not the power to seize and
hold rebel property for con6scation. Thtse
are the consistent positions Of the Copper
head papers on conGscation. 1t is remark.
able to observe how much sympathy these
hypocrites have for the rebels-their wi
dows, orphans, negroes and lands! The
Government is numbering rebel fathers,
making rebel orphans, rObbiug rebels Of
their personal property, and selling their
lands to strangers! There are many wi
dows and orphans in the North, but the
copperheads have no sympathy for them.
No matter how much Northern property is
destroyed by rebel raiders, the loss never
attracts their observation.
We have made these comments as intro
ductory to few extracts from a speech
lately made by a Southern man in Congress
IA Southern "Abolitionist,' we suppose
the Express would call him-Hon. II. Clay
Smith, Of Kentucky. The speech was
made during the discussion Of the COnfsca.
ton bill. Mr.. Smith says:
al lay down the broad proposition, nay,
! assert it as truth, that when man be-
comes traitor to his country, rebels against
its authority, and resorts to arms to over
throw and destroy it, he forfeits everything
he possessed even unto his life, when the
Government has manifested its power and
possessed that which the traitor had while
in resistance aud rebellion, and Whatever
he may be possessed Of thereafter is alone
by the grace Of the Government, not by
any legal or constitutional demand he may
make or ever enjoyed. can see no reason
for making classi6cations or distinction in
property. see no reason in admitting the
right to seize, possess, and apply to the use
Of the Government, chattels, personally, or
movcable property, which may be IN the
possession Of the enemy and used for the de.
struction Of the Republic, and ut the same
time denying the right to seize and conis-
cate realty, which also does its work toward
supporting by its breads, its grasses, its
minerals, and its timber, the same enemy.
Lands are Unbeatable, it is true-so also
are money, and horses, and negroes, accord
ing 10 the laws Of the Southern States ;
but no one, ! presume, will doubt for mo.
ment the power Of the Government to seize
and apply to its own use forever any pro-
perty Of this latter kind"
Tho greatest forfeit man can make is
his life--and when he commits the crime
Of treason, all other fOrfeitures are embraced
in tho greater Of the death penalty. Our
criminal laws do not punish murder with
death and cou6scation, because the crime
committed is against life, not life and Gov
ernment Hence the cOpperhead argument
will not hold in the sequence. But we do
not propose to argue the justice Of cOhfsca-
ton ourself, but let the Kentucky member
of the family speak, who again says:
Sir, there seems 10 60 forth deep sym.
pathy for the offspring Of the landed mas.
ter Of this Southern rebellion. You may
60 forward with your laws and your army.
cut down the humble tenant who has been
misguided in this great affair, sweep away
all he has, turn his wife and children out
upon the cold charities Of the world, and
make to him no redress for the capture and
use Of his only horse or barrel Of meal; but
when you reach the landed proprietor, the
aristocratic traitor Of the South, who done
all he could against you, you cry aloud,
Walk light, be careful, this is sacred
ground;' you cannot, say the opponents Of
this bill, touch this land except during the
lifetime Of the traitor, because the Consti-
tuition forbids; il must revert to the heirs
Of the traitor after his death.
On the elucidation Of the Copperhead
platform, -" the Constitution as il is''-the
honorable gentleman is very clear. He
understands "the blood" question, as will
be seen where he says:
Where Is there corruption of blood up
ward and downward in this bill, whereby
the son. or the grandson, or Q collateral
heir shall be deprived Of any estate, real
or personal There is none; the case is
not mentioned. The action Of the Law. Is
upon the person himself, the man who has
committed treason, who is living and in
possession Of property; and l believe there
Is maxim Of law--and il am mistaken
l hope some gentleman will correct me-
that no one can be heir to tho living.
Now, then, We only propose to deal with
the living, acting rebel; punish him, to
take his life If needs be, his property Of
every description. and declare to the world
and all future generations that this punish
ment was because he was q traitor What
declaration has been made in this bill, by
its friends or anywhere else, that innocent
women and children are made to suffer 2