Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-02-10

and, moreover, that II was particularly
explained by the American negotiators
that the Legislatures would be free tC
comply with the recommendation or not
and probably would not comply:
THAT the British negOtiators sounder
stood it;
THAT the British ministry so under
stood it;
"And the members of both Houses o
Parliament, as well those who approved
as who disproved the article.
Il have shown that Congress did rec
ommend earnestly and bona .fds;
THAT the States refused or complied
in greater or less degree, according tc
circumstances, but more of them IN
greater degree than was expected. y
Je1ferson'S Works, vol. 3.
And Jefferson concludes the passage by
saying that the right to confscste is un'
doubted as war right. He moreover
goes on to say the British Government
knew they had no right to demand that
we should restore confscatedss property
The members of Parliament admit in
their speeches that the treaty was based
upon tie knowledge that they had nc
right to demand the restoration of con.
iscated estates.
The Tories that fed to England called
upon the Crown to support them. a com
mission was appointed to examine their
claims and provide for their wants. say
it is significant fact of the vast number
of Tories, perhaps not thousand remain
ed in this country after the war. The
people would not endure their presence.
They were driven out, and took refuge in
all quarters of the globe. They colonized
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and were
scattered along the borders of Canada
The States would not tolerate the pres
ence of the few who came back under the
provisions of the treaty, refused them the
right of voting, or of holding Office or
property. 1t was well known that there
could be no peace between our loyal peo-
pie and them. Their history is a sad
record of infamy, obscurity, and misery.
Some exhibited their vengefui hate long
after the war was over. Girty and his as
sociates who murdered Crawford in the
Indian wars of 1871 were Tories of the
Revolution. Bowles and Panton, leaders
among the Creek Indians, and who start
ed the Florida troubles, which resulted
swamps of that State, were Tories. As a
class, they went out with the brand of
Cain upon them, and were not permitted
10 return.
One State alone relented South Caro-
lima passed an act of oblivion, restored a
large part of the confscated estates, and
permitted the Tories to vote and hold Of
ice. Her policy has borne lis bitter fruit
Her government has hardly been entitled
to be called republican. The spirit of
has ruled her councils, and at
last plunged our Republic into the most
gigantic and bloody of revolutions.
Let us take counsel from the wisdom
Of our fathers. II is probable that those
men who confiscated all the property of
armed Tories would, a few years later,
establish it rs a fundamental doctrine of
The Constitution that no conhscation can
be made beyond the lifetime of the indi-
Tidual attained? 1t is not probable that
men who had just done what they stub
Oornly held TO be right should enact as
part of the supreme law of the land that
/ should never be done again.
l come now to the question more di-
'ectly before us. This question, of land,
Mr.. Speaker, is inseparably connected
With the peculiar institution of the South.
It is well known that the power of sla-
7ery results in large plantations that the
planters capital drives the poor whites
% the mountains, where liberty always
owes to dwell, and to the swamps and by
places of the South but the bulk of
all the landed estates is in the hands of
he slave owners who have plotted this
great conspiracy. Let me give you an in
stance of this, one of a thousand that
might be given. In the town of Muir
reesboro', Rutherford county, Tennessee,
/ place made sacred and glorious forever
by the valor of our Army, there are four
-een thousand four hundred and ninety
three acres of land owned by sixteen per-
IONS, and three of the sixteen men own
more than ten thousand of the acres
)ne OF the three owns more than half of
.he whole township of Murfreesboro' =
And that is only specimen ofwhat these
men OF the South are to the lands of the
south. Only a few hundred men own
,he bulk of the land, in any Southern
State, and these men hold the lands and
OWN the slaves. These men plotted the
'ebellion and thrust it upon u.s. They
nave had the political power in their
hands, and if you permit them to 60 back
20 their lands they will have it again.
The laws of nature, the laws of society,
,annot be overcome by the resolutions of
Congress. Grant general amnesty, let
hese men 60 back to their lands, and
he land owners will again control the
south. They have so long believed them
selves born to rule, that they will rule the
poor man as with a rod of iron. The
andless man of the South has learned
,he lesson of submission so well that when
ne is confronted by the landed proprietor
le begins to be painfully deferential, he
s facile and dependent, and less a man
han he stood of Gods acre covered by
his own title-deed.
Gentlemen, if we want lasting peace,
f We want to put down this rebellion so
hat it shall stay forever put down, we
must put down its guilty cause; we must
put down slavery; we must take away
,he platform on which slavery stands
.he.great landed estates of the armed reb-
sls of the South. Strike that platform
beneath their feet, take that land away,
md divide it into homes for the men who
nave saved our country. 1 put that to
his House as a necessity which stares us
n the face. What, let me ask you, will
you do with the battle-fields of the South?
Who owns them? Who owns the red
ield of Stone River? Two or three men
OWN it all. And who are these two or
.hree men? Rebels every one-one of
hem a man who once sat in this Cham
Der, but who is now a leader in the ranks
Of the rebel army. VIII you let him come
back and repOssess his land? Will you
lsk his permission, when you go to visit
he grave of your dead son who sleeps in
The bosom Of that sacred field? If the
principles of the gentlemen on the other
'ide be carried out, there is not one Of
.he great battle-felds of the war (save
which lies yonder on this side
1f the line, that will not descend to the
IONS of rebels for all time to come-to
men whose fathers found bad eminence
BY fighting against their country, and who
will love their fathers for affections sake,
md love rebellion for their fathers sake.
iod forbid that we should ever visit those
pots made sacred by the blood of so
many Thousand hraua mo-, aol 80 o,,r