The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-02-24
from the Crisis.l faf' 1s
Converting Southern Estates
Into lincoln GOyevEalpaeEat &
acknowledgements by
Taxation
From the Crisis.l

Observation-Disclosures. by
Taxation
| We last week, showed how Chase, Lin
Icoln & Co. were escaping the confscatiol
provision of the Constitution-which hal
lust undergone an able discussion in Con
gress, and terminated by the vote on Fri
day, of very doubtful judgment of thu
House, several Republicans Of the Blair
school voting with the Democrats; Frank
Blair, himself, making speech agains
ct the corruption of blood" asiA
The case, however, at Beaufort, Hiltof
Head, and "the region round about al
we showed last week, clearly escapes al
the controversy about the Constitution
and "the Government having bought
in the property for taxes, levied by mill
tary authority, sells it in fee simple te
squatters and purchasers, negroes, women
heads of doubtful families, u white men
&c., &cl The Government is bound
therefore, to either secure these farms tc
the purchasers by standing army to
overrule the courts of justice who would
dare decide in favor of the heirs of the
original owners, as we'll as to keep them
while living from retaking the country by
force, and thus drive the "new comers -
off In case of recovery of the property
by the original owners, through any con-
tingency, then " the Government has
got to make all losses good to the pur
chasers, whether white or black, by ap-
preparations out of the United STATE
Treasury, and from taxes collected off Q:
the people Of the North. So much for
that.
Now let US look into what is going on
down the Mississippi. Here we have an
other exhibition of government wisdom,
confusion, anarchy and "peonage, the
worst species of slavery in the world, 5
slavery of debts, obligations and of labor.
The freed negroes, or "Feeed men," as
they call them, are, on the Mississippi
not furnished with farms, but hired Ia
Yankee Northmen, under rules and regu-
lations adopted by military authority, al
seUes dollars per month, and these North
men, or men from the North, rent, not
purchase, the Southern. plantations of "ths
Government" or of Secretary Chase,
which is the same thing.
A party of Yankees, from Blendon
township, in this county, intensely aboli-
ton, are organized, and some of them al
ready gone down the Mississippi to rent
cotton farms, work negroes and do divers
other things under this Arrangement
which IL the system adopted on the Mis
sissippi frsm the mouth Of the Ohio dow
to the Gulf The lessees, it appears, rent
these farms, paying SO much pound fol
cotton raised; no crop-no pay. A writer
to the C5nsaIet'ctaf from Nirksburg thus
develops the process of leasing;
VIcKsBURG, Miss, JAN %, 1864
"There was quite an influx of strangers
mostly Northern. men, here during this
week, drawn together from the fact being
known that Mr.. Mellen, Supervising Spe-
cial Agent of the Treasury, was here tc
make arrangements for leasing the aban
doued plantations. To facilitate the busi
ness the territory along the Mississippi
River was divided into districts, and al
Assistant Special Agent for leasing thu
abandoned plantations, and taking chars'
of abandoned property, appointed fo
each, as follows:
+" From Memphis to Helena, on boil
sides Of the river
From Helena to the mouth of tn
Arkansas, on both sides Of the river
| " From the mouth OF Arkansas river II
the south line of Carroll Parish, Louis
lana, both sides of the river; A. w. Nc
Farland-ofice probably at Skipwith
Landing or GreeEville.
] - L. IL &c Narron Dn -
ish to Grand Gulf, both sides Of river
lC. A Moutrose-o office Vicksburg.
4 From the mouth of Grand Gulf t.
Natchez, both sides of river; VIM. Bur
net-offce at Natchez.
(. These gentlemen are opening books
and preparing records Of the plantation
within their districts, and will be foun'
willing and ready to give all information
within their power relative to these places
"There were number of competin;
Applicants for some of the plantations
and to decide the matter fairly and Civ
every one an equal chance, Mr.. Mellel
determined to offer those in competition
at public auction, the party holding tn
highest bonus per pound on their crop
over the regular Government rent of tw'
cents per pound, to receive the lease o
the same for one year, under the regula
rules and regulation of the Government
THE sale took place on the goth, ant
was largely attended and quite spirited
A list of plantations thus awarded vii
be found below: r5 i.2sgc' ',st ~
vd S7 Highes
Plantation. To whom awarded Bid
Gozey, s7atqsa j. A. Biddle 81 cts
Knox, afT II. O. Freeman LILO
Kiger, hsrJ j. II. Hodges
w. Fl. johnson, j. A. A.larker s-1aa2
Biard, John Fa"ng gasr7a 81
M,llet, VIM. Nichols 2
Dslkeith, j. NJ. Wells lilo
Ma. or Baliour, j. N. Green st
Oak Grove, p. L. Buekner I
u