The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-12
Eeast ane Future.

overrun our North-W estern Frontier, destroy
ed Buffalo and other settlements on the Lakes,
though personal property was carried off and
houses burned, yet the title to real estate was
unimpaircd. When they landed on the Ches-
apeake, sacking Washington and Hayre do
Grace, holding q possession that Was but
feebly disputed except at Baltimore, ii was
personal property alone that changed owners.
If the people abandoned their domicils as the
enemy approached, they returned to them as
ne retired. No interlopers having occupied
them during their absence, there were none
to set up claim to title by possession. The
fight of loyal people under such circum-
stances worked no civil disability. What
they suffered was simply misfortune of in
yasion. If the en- envy had temporarily de-
prived them of their rights, holding them for
tho moment i'll allegiance, yet when he retreat
ed they Immediately revived
But it was not so during the Revolutionary
contest That was 80 emphatically q civil
war, that in every State there were two par
ties in arms against each other One party
fought for American Independence, the other
for British supremacy, but both were COM
posed of native-born citizens. One was aided
by the presence Of British army, the other
depended on itself. Had the American peo-
pie been unanimous in their opposition to
Great Britain, it would not have been civil
war, neither could it have been so long main
tanned against them. But citizen being ar
rayed against citizen, gave it mixed char
acter-it was foreign and civil war combined.
To fight for Independence was held to be 10y
al, to oppose it was held to be dsloyal
Those who opposed it were universally
known as Tories Many of them had been
ofhcs-holders under the King; many of them
belonged to the highest classes of society j;
many were educated, talented and wealthy;
while the fact cannot be disputed, that Tory
ism was so prevalent that il furnished more
armed men to assist in crushing Indepen-
dence, than the Continental Army was able
to muster fer maintaining it. As the Wings
OF the Revolution staked their all upon the
issue of the contest, the Tories necessarily as.
summed like hazard. Many of the latter
Withdrew. from the country at the beginning
OF the contest, carrying with them their per-
sonal effects, but abandoning their real estate.
Society was already so disorganized, the fu-
ture was so uncertain, and money was SO uni
Tersally boarded, that more were DESTROYS Of
selling than of buying. Titles had already
become uncertain. As the war progressed
tho condition of things became worse. Each
State enacted confscation laws designed To
cripple the Tories by stripping them of their
property. They abandoned lands and houses
precisely as the Rebels have been ABANDONING
theirs, and thousands Of them never returned
70 reclaim their possessions. As tho Ameri-
can army advanced, the Tories fled when the
Briti'h army moved others wero induced nv
fear to follow it. The fugitives had no rest
30 large quantity of their real estate was
'nus brought within reach Of the confscation
acts that much of it was overlooked and
escaped condemnation and sale
as the cities and their vicinity had been
crowded with Tories, SO in those localities
their abandoned property abounded Some
Oh them had been killed in battle, others had
fled the country and dare not return to re,
claim what they had left The few who ven
tured to do so were again compelled to fy
IN muititudes of cases even the voluntary nh
sentees failed to return and resume posses
sion. Titles thus became unsettled Thei
properties were entered by squatters, VIII
eventually gained good titles by long posses
sion. Property of this description is foun,
IN all our seaboard cities. Some of it ha
been thus taken out of its neutral status with
In a very few years. There are also grount
rents which have not been demanded sine,
the first sutbreak of the Revolution. Othe,
estates, liable to confscatiou, but overlooked
at the time, have been squatted on and held
nntil title came Of possession. So yaluabI,
had some of these become, and SO numerou,
were they IN some localities, that sharp law
yers who devoted themselves to unearthin,
tne secrets OF past era have grown rich b,
lSvymg contributions from those who hel,
them IN possession as the price of undisturbe.
ownership.
These are invariable incidents Of civil wa,
The rich traitor knows beforehand that conf,
cation Of his wealth will be the penalty OF hi
treason. When our population was barel
three millions, of whom say only half wer
hostile to the Government, if civil war result
ed so to disloyal owners Of real property, wha
will'be the uncertainty and misery among
population nearly six times az large, who's
defiant boast has been that they are all ira
tors3 Thousands of them are now passin
through the same furnace which consume
the Tories. Like them, having staked al
they have lost ALL and are now fugitives i
the earth. Others will unquestionably entc
into their possessions, the loyal succeedin
the disloyal precisely as they did in the la,
century. The old uncertainties Of title ma
be cured by the action OF Government whic
seems alive to the necessities Of the case.-
This, if done promptly, will hurry on paci
cation.
As aforetime, squatting will be practic,
everywhere, and in the absence af healir
Legislation, time will confer title. 0wne