, 1864-02-06
TEE VOICE OF THE ARMY. on TIE
FLOOR OF TEE HOUSE.
Gen. Garfeld's Speech on
COnfScatiOn.

I
C0nfscation.
We print below some interesting extracts
from Gen. Garield's speech on Conascatioa,
/ giving the historic argument as developed
/ by the General:
! Tie General began by graceful allusfon
| to the fact that some things Which Ind been
| said Touching tho military aspects Of the
question Of contlscation, enlboldened him, as
| in some humble degree representing on the
floor the army of tho Republic, to ask the ill.,
| diligence Of the House.; and after abiding to
| the widely diverse theories, on the one hand
that the rebel states were out Of the Union
and foreign enemies, and on the other that
they are both In the Union, and are entitled,
now as ever, to all their rights under The
Constitution and laws of the Union, hesought
historic parallel to our situation In the Brit
ieh revolution Of the seventeenth century.
James len the throne threw ths great sea 81 tho
people, took refuge In France. The crest atates-
faen Of The kingdom took counsel together on
sGmG sine ,oday one aa he "n Eins has T abaestea
ard We will put another IN his place." Another
Eaid, ''The crown Is hereditary, and we must put
h. hf bis Ths Of b9oxs an
hnoer saId wi appoint 4esent s az and con-.
people vii E1
Through ali this struggle two facts we1s apps
unworthy 10 il it; and they dlled It with the man
Of their choice. We are taught by this that when
ever great people desire to do i thing which
ought to be done, they will find tho means Of do
n this Government VIC have thrown of the
kingIy. fiction, but there Is another which We are
thet. Here, corporations are moro Than kings. Il
is tho doctrine Of our common Inv tif We may be
sa1d to haye common law) that corporations have
commit crimes: that they cannot be punished, aud
5eins applied to r. Tsbe! states. fSsy arc cor
fate and po1itie; they arc Immortal; md canaot
be touched b. the Justice oflaH, or By the power
o. ap They ho,sr around
cannot be punished or their ancien: rights invaded,
The people Of the South, under the direction Of
those phantom States, are moving the powers Of
earth and he'll to destroy this Government They
plead the order Of their Statee as their shield from
punishment, and the States plead the tmpnrity Of
But the American people wiI not be deluded by
these theories nor waste time in discussing them.
They will etrike through all shams with the sword
End hnd practical selation as En=lsnd did.
When tho Government of the United States de-
ela1ed that VIC were in a state. Of war, the rebel
States came under the laws Of war. BY their acts
OF rebellion and war they have swept away every
yestige Of their civil and political rights under the
Gonsttnion 1 Of ihe united s5ates. Thelr oIllea-
Whieh usually accompany obligations, they had
forfeited.
Ant with this as basis, he proceeds to ar
que thnt contlecation Is at once legal and ex-
toric parallel, new Us yet to the discussion OF
th1s question In the house, and new, too,
| presume, to large proportion Of the pub
lie:
The gentleman from New York, Gr. Fernando
.. .Mooa. lew days since, n bis address to the
lad occurred IN this country. Wish to cali his
attention to another rebellion IN this country which
TIC d,d not notice, and in which the question Of
eataon II WAS very fully aud very practically
d;seEEted;
Do gentlemen forget that this Unloa had its osi-
gin II revolution, end that cont!scation played
Sesy important part In the war Of thAt revolution?
Many Of The thirteen colonies had almost equal
parties tor and a:ainst England in tiat struggle;
there were more 1toyaliats than Whiss. Twenty |
thousand American Torea appeared in the arnlies
9rans as IN IN re- ht ten; Iay
Inc
Our fathers had to deal with these men, and with
oote ITO bs hs9yrx soSs o M
VIII sireie EXCEPTION, eoaseatea M 'd the a raj ana
Eers onal property OF every Tory in arms. They |
did ii, too, By Tie Recommendation Of Congress.
Not only 60, hut they dsoTe Tory synpsihizers !
:1om tho coEntry; they would not permit them to
remAia upon American soil. Examine tho statutes
Of tycry COLONY except New IInmpahire. Thich tbe
tide q battle nevtr reached. and you will find con-
nseas,on la"s o. Inc most thorough aud sweeping
~.
ahd inca, MteF 9Qolins Ut length from the |
correspondence Of Jefferson (When Secretary |
OF Statc,) tho fullest declaration Of our right |
to cou1iscsste The property Of the Tories: lie
continues Tia h;stnrr - Ao~0' "~
H7.a Ta.,a. 49,. ~;
~ ne tories teat tie1 10 England called upon the
Crown 10 support them. a commission was
aanp1lhtea 10 examine thclF claims and psoTido
tot !hc.r onts 1t - siEaidcant tact that of the
Sast number e. o. Ios1es, perhaps not thousand re-
alISo aS In m ss eouna15 alter tao var: The people
~, S,d ,aS ra* = II taey weIe aesSa
Thsr coloni1cd NJ Rrnnsrca n Nass ~ suG
wtIe scattered aiong tie Borders Of Canals. The
States would not tolerate The psescncc OF the lew
WHO came back under the provisions Of the treaty,
and [stneed them the right Of voting or OF hold