The Portland daily press., 1865-09-15

.rs,tye- SIS 90 fleJ' yPff1' VT NucuWccs
--esg- READING Matter on all Four Pages.
STEVENS ON E-CONsTRUTCIoN.
The Hon. ThaGdeus Stevens recently made
a speech to his constituents at Lancaster, Pa,
ii VII eh he developed his idea Of the proper
course to be pursued with the disorganized
Southern States. Mr.. Stevens takes, on this
question, the extreme ground that the United
States Government, being in the position OF
conqueror, may exercise toward those lately IN
revolt against it all the rights Of conqueror
in reducing them to such q condition that they
shall he Incapable of further mischief Aim
inc to destroy the class which has been the
guilty leading class in the rebelion-namely
the former -holders-hc declares for their
disfranchi ement, and for the sweeping con-
fiscation of their estates. Here is his plan.
"TheTe are about 0,O00e0O Of frcemen in
the South. The number of acres of land is
465,J 200. vi this, those who own above
200 acre. each, number about 10000 persons,
. holding IN the aggregate together with the
State about so, CO., 600 acres, leaving for all
the Others below 200 each, about 71,09O.000 of
acres. BY thus FORGETTING the estates Of the
Leading Rebels. the Government would nave
394,0O0,O00 of acres, beside their town proper
ty, and vet nine-tenths of the people would re-
main untouched Divide this land into conve-
nient farms. Give, il you please, 40 aces to
each adult male freshman. Suppose there are
100000 of them. That would require 40
COZ, I'D Of acce3 waca,i ded acted from 1914,
0o(00), leaves 353,000000 Of acres for sale.
Divide it into suitable farms and sell it to the
highest billers. 1 think it, including town
property, would average at least $40 per acre.
Ta25 would produce 50, $40, 100000.
"Lst it be applied as follow, to vita
Il. Invest $40, 100000 in TX per. cent Gov
erameat bond, and add the interest semi an
nualiy to the pensions Of those Who have be-
come emitted by tais viianouS war. ssls
2. Appropriate $200,900,900. to paw the
damage done to loyal men, North and South
By the Rebellion. 'tfaas tsf szslfss aEEaI
80: Pay the residue, being 5000 100000, to-
ward the National Debt"
The objections which must arise to such a
project as this, are too obvious to be enum-
Grated. Setting aside the insuperable obsta-
cies in the way ofmaking sucha scheme prca-
tlcable, and suppo ing it possible to carry it
out, we have no faith in the beneficial natur
of its results. The New York Tribune very
sensib says: e
Unless all history is a fable, the Government
would realize next TO nothing from this whole
sa conilscation. Who can recall an instance
wherein Treasury was flied or Public debt
extnguished by the proceeds OF a confiscation ?
M arshais, judges, intoFmeFs, sdenouneers. spec
ulabors, and The whole yult,lre tribe whom thu
scene OF rat carcass calls together, would be-
come suddenly and fabulousiy RIGA: but. pre-
clous Little net proceeds would ever reach the
treasury, unless human nature has totally
changed within a few years; and of such
cnagne we can see no whence.
w orse than all, the Southern peopIe would
'sta-ve to death while the tran form ,ttion was
IN progress. no one would SOW in doubt as
4. 70 VINO should reap; no one would build or re-
pair, OF AXE any considerable i1lpruvement.
on lanl saqae -tratea and about to. be sold to
tle hIgDe-t bidder; al would be Starvation.
disgust, he.iCancy-no one employing labor
3 an no one caoosing to add to the valuation Of
property he, with very scanty means, wal
hoping to buy In our deliberate judgment
Mr Sscvens's project, If executed, would Kin
more OF the blacks than the war has sent to
Their graves, and not many fewer of the
whites.' 1874 8gefIl7s 49, =,
<, Moreover since President johnson has be-
gun the experiment of certain policy of re-.
construction, we bslieve in seeing that policy
fairly tried before it is abandoned for any 9th
e.. These southern men say they are honest
and lit tobe trusted that they accept the stu
ation, and wiz do all they can to carry out his
plans; and he proposes to test their good faith.
Why not? @Even If We do not altogether be-
leYe them, even it we perceive that faults Of
temper and wrong theories of social life may
SO Tar enbarrass them that they viii not at
once come up alt gether to our hopes and ex-
pecsations-can we not do more with them by
ttu.ting them, by throwing the responsibility
upon them, by holding them to their promises,
tnan By emDitterins them ?"
For our part we are not of those anxious
ones Who think the county must necessarily
lie going to destruction because their partic
mar pet theory is not at once put in practice.
eTne course adopted by President johnson
may not be in all respects that which we
should have chosen to see pursued, but since
1t has been adopted we believe In seeing 1t fair
" and July tested. We desire only certain
resats-the restoration Of social order, and
the establishment of the political institutions
of the South onsuch basis as shall secure
the supremacy of iree principles, ami render
foreVer sacred and indissolubie the Union for
which SO much blood has been shed. So these
results are achieved, we care little by what
particular process they are brought about = 4
Wshage faith in the American people. We
know thatthey are generous and iorgiving,
anxious to hold out the hand OF kindness to
those WAC have injured them, and to.Iive once
more in anity but we know also that they
are jealousy waJchfuI over the safety Of thoIe
principles whichthey have been fighting four
years to maintain, and should occasion reuuire
they will know how to guard them in the flu
ture as they have done in The past. They have
fought the Slave Power and killed it, and thew
are not now to be out-witted by its ghost. or
frightened from their convictions by the con-
yulsive STRUGGLED of its galvanized body. If
tae Pfe5ilents policy succeeds, they will be
satisfied If it fails, they viii not lack RENE
dy. l.aI : -
PICTURE OF THE BLAIR FAMILY.
Thaddeus Stevens, the old war horse from
IL y. = g . I + u. p