The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-02-08

From the Louisville Journal

LIE questiOu VI pei "ouSne
which is engaging the attention OF the
Lower Branch OF the Congress, is one
of deeh ginterest 4 aud great Importance.
The original confscation bill, passed by
Congress a year ar d-a half ago, was vetoed
by President Lincoln on tile ground that be
thought the contiseatien of read estate Tor
a longer period than the life-tlm OF the
traitor was not constitutional. Thebill was
cha aneed TO conform co his views, and then
it became a law, The attempt now inPro-
gress in 5Congressi is to change the existing
law 20 the form Of the e,original bill, and we
presume that the opinion of those engaged
in the attempt is that the President would
at this time be willing TO do what he refus-
ed to do eighteen months ago We hope
that they are not right in tue opinion. but
we are by no means confident that they are
not. Mr. Lincoln has undergone SO many
changes, that no one except perhaps bis in
innate friends can tell how many more he
has undergone. The subject agitated In
Congress is of immediate Importance, for a
large amount of rebel real estate Is now In
the Government custody, and some disposl-
ton must be made of it. So 1e-TrrJ-
A law for the permanent conf1scatIon OF
real estate would certainly be unconstltn-
tional, but the Constitution has very little
to do now with the action OF the President
and Congress. The very mention OF the
Consultation seems to be mocked at and de-
rided by the whole radical party. But even
if the proposed confscstion were not pro-
biblted by the Constitution, it would still
in the view of all just men, be terribly I'M
polite. We should at such time as this
look net only to what is strictly constltu'
rional, but to what will serve best to pro
mote tue re establishment of the Union and
the restoration OF the country to prosperl'
ty. The measure which has already been
adopted will, if rigidly executed, be sut1
GENTLY ruinous in its operation, but that
which is now brought forward for adoption
would whelm nearly the whole Southern
people, not only the ablebodied men but
old men, women and children, in utter and
lifelong ruin Let the war be prosecuted
with all practicable vigor, let it be carried
on with greater energy than it has pccn, let
the blows o. Federal power fall upoa the
Southern armies like the bolts oil heaven;
but let us not undertake to doom almost au
entire population of both sexes and all ages
To remediless and hopeless want and mise
cry. 10 attempt such thing will not be
to hasten tue war TO u close but 10 drive
millions to most terrible desperation and to
make them fight while breath remains in
their bodies. s.-.----.-------
We have spoken of almost the entire
population of the South, for, if the proposed
law be passed, there are exceedingly few
there to whom it will not be applicable
All who are old enough have sworn allie
glance to the rebel Government, by far the
greater part have been in the rebel armies,
and the.remander between the ages of six
ten and sixty-five will be swept into those
armies by the relentless conscrption now
about to 20 into effect. 1t has been pro
claimed thousand times by all the loyal
papers of the United States that great
proportion of ;he Southern people, while
opposed a. heart to the rebellion, have
sworn allegiance to 1T and taken up arms
under simple compulsivn, death or imprison.
ment being the alternative. And surely 1t
would be crime and an outrage if our
Government, knowing, that, from the first
OF the Ybellion, it has had no power to
protect the Southern people in their loyalty,
we're now TO devote them and their fami-
lies to ruin forever because they we're forced
at The point OF the bayonet into the avow-
al of rebel allegiance and the taking up of
rebel arms
The New York Times, in an excellent
article upon this subject, says that can re-
call no instance OF such sweeping.
Wholesale confiscatioUs as this bill contem>
plates The old Roman Empire has the name
If being about as bard a conquerer as the
world has seen, aud yet lis usage was Lot
TO confscate the property OF its enemies
entircly, but to reserve for tue original pro
prietor one third, for the subsistence OF
hirnscIfand family. Cromwetl's contisca-
tions il Ireland, which have always figured
as particularly severe, we're yet attended
with aIlotmenls III Connaueht, such as the
Protector deemed sufficient for family sup
port. Russia's regime over Poland after the
insurrectiou of 1880 has been considered
almost merciess. Fifty thousand Poles
were sent to Siberia, aud about ten thou
sand estates were contiscated, Bat these
es iates were only small proportion OF the
old soil of Poland. In the State OF Virgin
la alone there are over hundred thousand
freeho,ds; within the limits Of tue "Conled
eracy" at least three fourths Of a million
Nearly all ofth vast amount of real estate
would be forfeited by its present proprietofs
this confiscation measure weIe carried
out aCcordDgto It's terms for there Is hard
iy a areaI estate owner in tue South who bas
not participated in the r. bellion in one way
Or another Such sweeping work, were it,
practicable, would throw into the shade
everything of the kind known TO his
tory.
The object of the Polish and the Irish
ceniiscanons was to make quiet Subjects
Their success may be reat in the chronic
discomfort and repeated iBsurrections of
the two countries down 10 the present day.
The object OF our conhscatians must be to
make willing citizens, for our republican
system admits of no such conditions as that
of subjects. We may strip these rebels Of
tneir possessions if We please, but we have
got hereafter to sbar,. poiitical mower with