New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-01-23
PAST AND FUTURE.

destroy the titles 10 real estate. A foreign war,
even when attended by invasion. produces no
such result. When the British oyerrun our
Northwestern frontier destroyed Buffalo and
other settlements on the Lakes, though personal
property was carried OF and houses burned, yet
the title 90 real estate was unimpared. When
they landed On the Chesapeake, sackng Wash
ington and HGyro de Grace, holding q posses
sion that was but feebly disputed except at
Baltimore, IL was personal property alone that
changed owners. If the people abandoned their
domicils as tho enemy approached, they return
ed to them as he retired. No interloper5 hav-
ing occupied them during their absence, there
were none TO set up claim 10 title by possession.
Tho fight Of loyal people under such circum-
stances worked no civil disability. What they
suffered was simply amsiorune Of invasion.
If the enemy had temporarily deprived them of
their rights, holding them Tor the moment in
allegiance, yet when DO retrea.ed they i'm
mcdiately revived.
But 70 vas not 80 during the Revolutionary
contest. That was so empLa'ically a civil war,
that in every State there were two parties in
arms against each other. One party fought fox
American Independence, the other for British
supremacy, but both were composed Of native
born cit,7cna One Ha5 aided By the presence
Of British army, the other depended on Itself
Had the American people been unanimous in
their opposition 20 Great Britain, ID would not
have boon a civil var, neither ould it haye been
so long maintained against them. Bot citizen
being srrayed against citizen, gave to il q mixed
character-it wasforeign and civil war combined.
TO fight for Independence was held 70 be loyal,
to oppose it was held to be disloya!.
Those who opposed il wero universally
known as Tories. Many of them had been
oiilce-hoders under the King; many Of
them belonged 10 the highest classes Of
society; many were educated, talented and
wealthy; while the fact csnno. De dis
puted, that Toryism was 50 prevalent that Il
furnished more armed men % assist in crashing
Independence, than The Continental Army was
able to muster FOR maintaining il. As the
Whigs Of tho Revolution steked their all upon
the ifsue Of the contest, the Tories necessarily
assumed Ike hazard Many Of the latter
withdrew from tho country Mt the beginning Of
the contest, carrying with them their personal
effects but abandoning their real estate.
Society was already SO disoreanized, the future
was 50 uncertain, and money was so universally
boarded, that more We're deairous Of selling ths
of buying. Titles had already become uncer-
tain. Az The war progressed tho condition Of,
things became worse. Each State enacted con
.fcs.ion laws designed 20 cripple the Tories BY
stripping them Of their property. They absn-
doned land' and houses precisely as the Rebels
have been abandoning theirs ard thousands Of
them ncvcrreturned to recla'm ,heir possessions.
As the American armies advanced, the Tories
fed; when tho British army moved, others
wers indlced byfear 10 follow 70. The flgdyes
had no rest. So large quantity Of their real
estate vas thus brought within reach Of the con-
f6ca.ion acts that much OF il was overloozed
and escaped condemnation and sale
Ao ne cities and their vicinity had been
crowded with Tories, 40 in thofe localities their
abandoned property abounded. Some OF them
had been killed IN battle, Others he'd fed the
country end dare not return 10 reclaim what
they had lcfc. Tho few who yentured TO DO 90
we're again compelled TO ny. In multtudes Of
cases even the voluntary absentees failed TO re-
turn and resume possession. Titles Tins be-
came unsettled. Their properties were entered
or by squotters who eventually gained good
titles by long possession. Property of this de-
scription IL found in all our seaboard cities.
Some Of il has been thus taken ont Of its neutral
status within very few years. There arc also
ground rents which have not been demanded
since tho frat outbreak Of the Revolution.
Other estates, liable 70 cOnfscGtiOn, but over
looked at the time, have been 6quatted on and
held until tito camo Of possession. SO valuable
had some of these become and 40 numerous
vera they In SONS localities, that sharp lawyers
who devoted themselves TO unearthing tho
secrets of past era have grown rich by levying
contributions from those who held them in pos
session o. the price OF undisturbed ownership.
These are invarable incidents Of civil war.
Tho rich traitor knows beforehand that confs-
cation Of his wealth will DO tho penalty Of bis
treason. When our population was barely
three millions, OF whom say only half were hos
tile TO the Government, if civil war resulted so
to disloyal owners of real property. whst
will be tho uncertainty and misery among