Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-03-23
Homesteads Ina tine south.

MI julian, a membe OF congress from
Indiana, made a speech TO the House, on
Friday last, on the subject of Home
steads for soldiers on forfeited lands of
the rebels, and took the ground that the
rebels being belligerents they must be
subject 10 the laws of war, to which they
appealed; that the lands Of the rebel
leaders, who are the principal land hold
ers in the South, may be legally forfeited
under the tax Law, internal revenue law,
or the eoniscation act when so acquired.
He argued that they should be devoted
along with the rest Of the public domain,
to free homes for the men. This system
of small homestesds, under free labor,
would break down the land monopoly
which has cursed the South.
If it is, as it seems to be, the settled de-
termination of the Administration, TO
crush out both the rebellion and its cause,
slavery, there is no more effectual way TO
accomplish that end than 70 strip the reb-
els of all their property, real and person
al, and transfer their lands to those who
have proven themselves more worthy Of
occupying and enjoying them, by aiding
in maintaining the rightful authority Of
the Government. We doubt if it viii be
possible to secure permanent peace, ODE
dience and order in the South, until
Southern Society shall have been revolu-
tionized in It's tastes, habits, prejudices
and customs. by an overwhelming infu-
sion of Northern ideas and manners, car
ried there by the free, hardy enterprising,
men, the beautiful, iberty-loving, intelli-
gent and industrious women of these up
per chimes. In the restoration and re-
generation of the South the North will
be required to give literally of the vital
forces of its great physical and mental en-
ergies. The South may be willing, but it
cannot rise from its prostration and de-
basement without the helping hand Of
the ~anxiously willing North. BY this sp.r-
St of co cooperation it was that Louisiana
was 8 few days since raised from the pit
of secession and again planted on the
rock of the Constitution. Ii was the leay-
en- of Northern influence that gave life to
Alabama, and enabled Is, ZOO to 10000 of
her sons to swing that State back into
the Union ranks. So it will be with eve
ry insurgent State. They viii be liberia
ted from the thrsldom of secession in
spite of themselves. The Northern peo-
pie, in self-defence, have been called to
go forth on a mission of progress and
amelioration. and such forcible Roadway
has the movement made under the high
pressure influence of the public sentiment
of the North. that there is no power in
the South adequate TO its resistance.
Our own representative in Congress,
Gen. Garfield, was the first TO offer to the
nation thoughts bold and startling on this
question. lie had the honor of leading
off with an able discussion of the propo-
sition involving the forfeiture of rebel
lands, the doctrines of which viii proba-
bly, become a part of the policy of the
government in the adoption of measures
for the proper vindication of its majesty
and authority, and the merited punish
ment of the traitors who plotted to de-
stroy it, that slavery with all its hellish
concomitants might reign supreme.