Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-02-19

I
of not less than $4,000. Could not that
fender? And II that real estate did
not amount in value to more than SlO,-
600, would it not be taken in perpetuity
to answer the fne2 The gentleman does
not claim that there is any objection to
that; assessing the fine and levying
it upon the lands Of the offender, and SELL
ing them to satisfy thss fine. suppose
that must be in perpetuity. It seems,
then, the same thing, in substance, to the |
offender found in arms against the Gov
ernment: to take his lands in satisfaction |
of the fine, and TO confscate his lands. |
The last is the most direct course.
Mr.. Speaker, l claim that the fifth Sec
ton, and all the branches Of that section
Of the act, have nothing whatever to do
with the crime Of treason. 1t regards
open, armed rebellion against this gov
ernment, and confsoates property in the
hands of the trsnsgressor for the purpose
Of putting an end to the war and contin-
uing cur armies in existence until that is
accomplished. It contemplates that
ncthing NOR, nothing less.
l an here met by the objection that 1t is
uob uNG65bhIy AOE luu parry " b6 h4LNbbOA
for treason or tried for treason; it mat
ters not TO me that the word treason may
never be breathed in his esrJ. If he be
proved to have taken part in the great re-
bellioR, his property may be taken BY the
President of the United States and sold
for the benefit of our armies. Any man
who would gsinsay cur constitutional and
legal right to arm him with that power,
has more sympathy with the rebellion than
with cur free form Of government.
Why, Mr.. Speaker, the charges have
been rung in our ears from day to day, by
gentlemen on the other side CT the House,
| that we are hunting down innocent Wo-
men and children. They are shedding
tears over this affecting subject. If this
act is to be executed, we are told that the
President is permitted to sell the estste Of
rebels in arms, and that then their wild
ows and children may suffer the pangs of
hunger. How is it that we cannot draw
upon these fine chords of sympathy Of the
| gentlemen on the other side in behalf Of
our own women and children? What re-
gard had they for the feelings Of the wives
/ and children of cur soldiers slain on the
field Of "Bnll Run" whose bodies we're
exhumed that their bones might be worked
into ornaments for these distressed dam
sells of the Southern Confederacy
Whist regard have they for the widows and
children, sndother relations of the two
| hundred thousand soldiers-the flower of
young men-who have already laid down
/ their lives to uphold this fair fabric Of
freedom Never a word of sympathy
from the other side. They can see our
poor soldiers return minus an arm, minus
leg, and look on with indiferencs, as
they pass through these lobies. but their
only care is to protect the property of the
rebels And we are asked by one of my
colleagues, Mr.. Cox, does the gentleman
from New York Intend to call us traitors
My friend answered modestly, no If he
had asked that question of me, he knows
what my answer would have been. / have
seen rebel officers on Johnson's Island,
and have taken them cordially by the
hand because they have fonght US fairly
in the field, and did not seek to break
down the Government while living under
its protection. Yes, Sir; that gentleman
knows that | would have said to him that
I have more respect for an open and avoW-
ed traitor iE the field than for rebel
sympathizer in this Hall. Four month
have scarcely gone by sinoe that gentle
man and his political friends were adYO-
eating the election of man for the guber-
naloTisl Office in my State who was an
open and ayowed advocate of the right Of
secession-an outlaw az that. They re-
ceiVed their answer in g majority against
him of one hundred and Two thousand
votes.
Mr. Pendleton. would ask the gentle.
man hQ9 many men ia the State Of 0Sio
voted for Mr.. Ysilandigham
Mr.. Spsulding' One hundred and eigh-
| ty thousand and there was one hundre !
and two thousand majority against him.
Mr.. Pendleton. And does the gsntg-
man mean to charge that that ola hund-
Ted and eighty thousand we're all traitors ?
Mr.. Spaulding. Not all, trust; but l
cannot yield to the gentleman.
| Mr.. Pendleton. do not desire to press
upon the gentleman Q question that ia
troublesome.
E.r. Spauldlng. 1t WAS claimed by the
gentleman from Ohio, and those who work
| ed with him, that unless the Unionists
carried the State by the home vote, they
would resist the soldiers votes
Mr.. Pendloton. If the gentleman makes
] that statement as applicsbie 20 ae, he
makes a atatement not true.
Mr.. Spsulding. They have uniformly
/ claimed that the Democracy furnished a
isrgs proportion Of the soldiers to fill up
| the ranks Of our armies. That has been
their continued claim; but when 1t came
to the fact of voting they were not ready
/ to trust those Democratic soldiers to vote
for their candidates. That shows the con-
fdenee they had in those of our citizens
now in the armies for the support of this
| freq Government.
But, Mr.. Speaker, we are told that IN
/ less we use emollients this war will be-
come war Of determination. We we're
met at the opening Of this rebellion by the
claim that We must handle the enemy
with gloves or We would infnriate
them. Now, having become infuristed,
/ and having put to death two hundred
| thousand Of oVE men, we are again told
thatWe must not pursue them further for
fear they may become more infuristed
still. When the PrOfessed loyalisis Of
this Republic shall learn to treat rebels in
arms as public enemies. rather than as
erring brethren, the war will be near its
close. This lesson once learned, we shall
have no delicacy in taking and eonasca-
ting lands or whatever else mny tend to
strengthen the hands of the common enc
my. I am one Of those who have embark
eli in this cause for the purpose of protect
ing this free form of government, be the
cost what ii may, to ourselves or those
opposed to US.
said the other day that our govern
ment was upon the eve of bankruptcy. I
desire to repeat it. say our government
cannot eommsnd readily all the money it
wants to carry on this war; and the Treas
ury should not be depleted for the reim-