The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-16
WK. CANERON 8 90. Publisher.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1865.
The Programme Of Thad. Stevens.

lie comes squsrely up to the mark, and de-
mands thsi the rebel States, having assumed
that they were out Of the Union, should be
treated IS If they were. He has not the
least federation for the Presidents plan Of
restoration, which he thinks would but re-
plant the seeds of rebellion to germinste and
produce, within the next quarter century,
the same bloody strife which has just
ended. Having determined 20 hold
the rebel States as conquered terri
tories, he would confscate the lands Of
the rebels, appropriate portion Of them TO
adult male freedmen, and sell the remain
der, the proceeds % be applied towards the
sVtnguishment Of the public debt, and pay
ing loyal men, North and South, for dam
ages done them BY the rebellion. Thisis
tremendous bid for the formation Of party /
for plumber, for ii the plan Of Mr.. Stevens /
should be adopted, it would result in moth |
iur else. The New York Tribune sees what |
1t would lead TO, aud promptly interpOses
objections 20 any such wholesale conhsca-
lions. Amongst other cogent objections, it
gives the following:
Unless al niste-g Is fable, the Govern
meut would realize ne 10 rotbip,, from
this wholesale c0nhscBtiOB. NlSocs1 reeaU
an instance wherein a treasury " SlioS or
public debt extinguished BY the J-oceeds
of aconiiscationy MaTshals, judges, ini,-m-
ers, deuouncers, spectators, and the who.
Yulture tribe whom the scent Of fat car
csss calls together, would become suddenly
and iabulousiy rich bat precious little net
proceeds woulc ever reach the Treasury Jun
ness humHn nature has totally changed
within q few years and Of such change we
can See no evidence.
Worse than ell, the Southern people would
starye 10 death while the transformation
was ina progress. No one would SOW IN
doubt as 10 who should reap; no one would
build OF repair, or make any considerable
Improvement on land EequestrEtsd and
about 10 be- sold 10 the highest bidder; all
would be- stagnatiOn, disgust, hesitancy-no
uue emIi wing labor and n0 one choosing to
add % the valuation Of q property he, with
very scsnty means, was hoping 10 buy. In
our deliberate judgment, Mr.. Stevens pro
lect, d executed. would kill more of the
blacks than the war has sent 10 their graves
and uut many fewer Of the white.
The Tribune is not wrong in its belief that
the Government would realize next to moth
ing from the proposed confscation. The
experiences Of the war are enough TO satisfy
ANY honest man of this. What sum has the
Government derived from the confscations
that have been made? Let the following
statement Of the New Orleans correspondent
ri the lstou Advertiser ian extremely
radical jouual) answer;
Government has in fact made very little
by its r8uGseatiuns. Mcclure. the default
lug Qusrtermaster here, teHp0re Banks,
turned over seveuty-hve thousand dollars
o. TOE net proceeds Of the sales Of all the
splendid Paris-made furniture, gold and
SILVER plate and in6nitude of valuable
things which were taken from the houses al
rich aHseutees and registered enemies OF
New Orleans, aud Judge Durell, OF the
juited states District Court, says that the
uel proceeds of the confscaton sales OF
property sdjudged 20 the United States IN
uiz court viii not exceed 100000. Thu
YOU wIl Tecollect includes such prOpertIe
a- the eight hundred valuable city lots %
John Shdell, with many a splendid store
aud family residence upon them. Harpies
who have done nothing but make money
uuI of both parties during the war, prom
b. c1nGscauon; the Goverumet does not
This statement shows very plainly wha
would b5coine of the proceeds Of confiscate,
cc,ve but a small proportion Of them
Sir. stevens may be honest--We do no
doubt that be is-but il appears &
us that his proposition would open the doc
TO the most gigantic frauds ever Perpetraled
corupuug So both public and private MEN
aud degrading TO the nation. The Populs
mind has already been sufficiently demon
allied ~ The immoral aud debasiug influ
eues- of the war. In Gods name, let u
have season lor moral recuperation.
Ne are glad 10 see that the New Yor
Times also dissants 30 the proposition Of MI
stevens. Il closes an article on the subjsC
as follows:
We DO mot propose nov 20 enter upon an
special criticism ct the atiorm thus La
down by DIR. Stevens. But We beg lezve I
doubt his right thus 10 prescribe neg princi
pies aud q new policy Tor the Union party
aud % brand as "Jopperheads and rebels
ali who refuse their adhesion 10 them. An
drew Johnson. for example, would -carcel
b. considered either "Copperhesd or
rebel, and yet his position is very dis
tuctly and very decidedly adverse 10 ia
theory and the policy herein laid down b
ar. stevens. We do not believe that IN
people have fought this war for the purpo,
ed establishing as Washington the most 7,
lsutlcss despotnm the civilized world h,
ever seen. Nor are they nj an likely to r,
gard the determination Of the S0uther
people as the most likely means of restoriu
Jrabqulilty, promoting order AMI forming
''u.yre perfect Union If that is their ten
per and their purpose, Congress NAV pa
such rnactmeuts as Ar. Stevens demand
Otherwise, we think they viii hesitate abol
&C.. 90 say the least.
The Herald speaks Of the proposition
the following terms:
The Jacobiu programme. from first to les
'- one OF unqualified hostility 10 the soutl
era policy of PRESIDENT Johnson He pr
poses che restoration of rebel property
iast Hnd a. far MS possible; stevens or,
pa rs william the C9nquerors "Domtsis
Book OF cuuhscatiou, OF the alternative
repudlauou and universal bant ruptcy. I'll
President Is treating the late iusurgeI
States as States that have never been Gus
thr Union S.cvsns accepts them "in n
pasluyn ma which they placed themselves
e. severed iron the JuIon, an indepeudeI
government aC ftctO, an alien enemy, % D
dealt With according 30 the laws OF war.
Upon any other bazs, be contends, lei
DAVIS cannot be convicted of treason, an
that the same difficulties will exist IN ii
tempting iorieituIes, which can only folio
sttul,on and then, Il Is said, only for ID
hle ~ the inaletactOr." Ia short accordin
10 Stevens, the rebel States must be tresis
a. The fullest extent Of the powers Of In
c'uqueror as subjugated alien enemies 4,
thai otherwise ia the Reconstruction w. Ar
only planting the seeds Of another rebellion
HIS programme, therefore, IL that OF Ser.
ataI sumueT-to hold sad States I'm A Ter
u1ousl condition until they are it 70 form
SAFE constitutions, republican ia fact. no
~ i1im ouiy, and ask admission into IN
Union as new States he does moi toncl
,A tue question oi negro suffrage Ia +
a'ahng with the subject in a broader yi.,,
''s'''s may prescribe the qualifications a
voters lh "a Territory, but nowhere .ls, H.,
'the President" he maintains. .shos =, =,
even tbs or any other power TO NEEDLE :,
lh' subject, except BY advice of to,,rres.
bat mere Mr. Stevens forgets the alB,s
""'''e3 DISCRETIONARY war powers conferre
upon me PRESIDENT by Congress for the su,,
preston OF the rebellion, AID that the now
'is 'ho' conferred have not been recalled
hut air -tih lu force. An this. houeVer
goes iar nothing with the lacobin rcco,.
s1ructoT, who Insists upon treating our la,
rcoelIod- Southern brethren as subiurate,
alien enemies.
Il e accordingly proposes the forfeiture a
tlt estates oi the leading rebels, o. the sv
tent 0l 4si, coo oO0 acres, the distribStion Of
10000, uuo acres Of these lands 60 the emap
ripated blacks, AMI the devotion Of The ~
ualHder, 80, O0O, 900 acres, % the redemp.
uDu oi the national debt. This debt. 4,
maintains, viii be over four thoussn
millions Of dollars, when it Is an funded
ana ihen we shall have 10 raise aunaailv.
~ lAahon' s4Io.00o,000 10 meet the inter.
60 anu current expenses q burden which
n'las we people canHot bear. Like
Wendell Phillips, therefore. Thaddens 81
N'us presents hls plan Of reconstruction. or
lLe alternative Of repudiation, financial
chaos ant universal anarchy
The new platform Of Thaddeus Stevc,.
a1d his JacoDin associate leaders ana tbeir
ioIi'@ef''.n his own words, is this" Tpe
broad platform VI mountaineering he -
eminent out II the conquered ierri,,-s,.