The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-02-23


corrupli5n Of blood, can Il be said
that treason may tot be punished b
depfising the convicted person of that
property which belongs solely 10 him,
10 which no one else during bis life
has any legal claim aud that he is 20
be permitted before be mounts the
scaiIold 10 dispose Of il for tie fur
gherance of the very cause Cor enga-
ging in which we deprive him Of life Z
Gould the fathers have gravely dis.
eussed this question OF forfeiture and
inserted IN the Constitution The mere
shadow without particle Of sub
stance Did they mean that for the
highest crime known 10 The law the
forfeiture should attach only long
enough for the convicted felon 20 be
transported from the prison 10 The
scailoldY Z No, sir, our fathers never
were cheated by shadows or grasped
at siraws. They meant something by
the insertion Of this clause. Forfeit
ure was to have some practical oper-
alton as a punishment for treason
III 30, the forfeiture was intended 10
operate upon the interest Of the otlen-
der in whatever estate he possessed,
and upon the whole Of that interest
and nothing more; and wisely and
humanely, contrary to the English
law. il was not intended 10 operate
upon au interest ia sSe vested u-
terest -in an innocent descendant 20
the property u posSession Of The con.
sicied traitor by virtue Of an heirsAip
which tie ancestor himself could nei.
ther diycst nor affect. In other words,
the forfeiture could not operate upon
any title or interest not resting IN the
person attained ;and this, in my iudg-
ment, is all that was intended by the
clause :" or forfeiture beyond the life
OF The person attained"
The tears which we have seen shed
here in behalf of innocent heirs are
crocodile tears tears like those Of the
play-actors on the boards, got up for
the occasion, FOR effect always bot.
tied and ready for use. No more like
the tears which flow from the true
fountain than the muddy waters OF the
Potomac are like the crystal brooks
which leap from the mountains of my
own noble State Suppose the inno-
cent little children do suffer in estate
Suffering IS the consequence of crime.
There is an authority upon this point.
| hope the gentlemen upon the other
side will recognize it and be cointorted
thereby. II is older and higher than
Blackstone or Mansfield or Marshall
or Story more potent than the edicl
of hinge or the judgment of courts
II is the authority Of God himself, who
says to those who rebel against His
government and bow down TO serve
other gods:
Il the Lord thy God am a jealous
Gud, visiting the iniquity of the ia
Tiers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation Of them that
hate me and showing mercy unto
thousands Of them that love me and
keep my commandments"
so much, sir, in regard to forfeiture.
Sir, do not wish TO be misunderstood.
| have taken the ground that as the
right of secession does not exist no
State can take herself out Of The I'm
ion, either by ordinance of secession
passed in convention or by the upri-
sing OF the people in rebellion. Such,
as understand, is the position taken
by The gentleman from Kentucky, who
addressed the House in labored and
polished argument few days since
upon certain joint resolutions intro
duced by him, and still undisposed Of
While admire the argument Of the
accomplished gentleman as tasteful
and replcie withthe subtle reiinements
Of the schools, | carnoi agree with his
conclusions as being either necessary
or logical.
III understood the honorable gen.
ileman he cont,pdel ibal a State can.
not secede. agree witli bin. Iie
then coniehded tIial iuasmuch as i
State cannot secede she may az any
time, although she is dc jaeto and not
De Jure out of the Union, come back
into The family Of States with her Old
constitution and institutions, ana that
Congress i bound to receive her
Upon this point take issue with the
gentleman from Kentucky. This mas
not be the time TO discuss this ques-
tion. When the proper occasion ari-
ses ! may submit my views upon the
subject.
Sir, there is no one upon this floor
who deprccates this unhappy and un.
hallowed war more than | do. There
is no one who desires peace more thar
! do but, sir, that peace must be an
honorable peace, and based upon prin-
ciples consonant with the integrity, the
honor, and the purposes Of a free Cor.
eyament. Slavery caused the war, and
il is % protect it that the agr is con.
tinued by The rebels. When the Con.
siiiulion was framed slavery existed
inherited from our mother who now in
ihe day Of our trial claims TO stand
With folded arms an Indifferent spec
taio. Of war upon the issue Of which
depends the progress Of Christian civ
ilisation more intimately than upon any
OF all the conflicts and struggles Of al
Tia .s.,tt.Ys,.s (fa. {,.tH.,.s emma a