The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-09-06
The English Press on Confsoatio1,

FL
the remarks of president Johnson to the Virginia 5sls
CATION regard the $40 600 exception Of the emusy
proclamation. The Saturday Review Gays that this de-
termination of the president to effect "a revouttGsgT
redistribution Of property surpasses the power
of Robespierre and ST. Just. The Spectator, always
friendly to US, and very sympathiser with 10
erasn in every form, draws few illustrations .rCu
history, and closes with argument the Tn2aeT
question, whose conclusions it is difficult to esoap8
We quote:
Cromwells idea was grand one when he tris5 .E
make Of Ireland new England, by pouring in En- Oh
settlers shipping off the natives Barbadoes 8g
priving all engaged In the revolt Of their lands.
new England in the Western Island would have been
great addition to the empire and benefit tc t5t
world, and its creation not only seemed possible b0e
in Macaulays opinion almost accomplished, VS. We
have paid for it in three hundred years of weaGroE
and expenditure and suffering. The Terrorist as&
great ideas when they seized the lands of the &mg4s
and broke up the ariStocracy, and the result of 58s
action has been the continuous revolution of sixty
years. France under their rule broke with her pa5t
and has since wasted half her energies in see H
to rscement the links. The Convention had zrsss
ideas when it declared itself the armed ally of every
suffering people, and succeeded in converting the uG
and on the whole, progressive, because fearless,
arches of Europe into suspicious tespotisns
Mr. johnson, if he carries out his thought to To
logical conclusion will have to do at least a. mGoh
the Convention did, 10 change the whole tenure Of
property throughout States large European king
parative poverty, in order that their aceumulatons
may render il easier for the million to accumulate.
Such course would not be expedent, il the sole
motive punishment. Modern society has rejected
the notion of punishing whole communities for potl
cal otenses, Of exrpatng races ostracsng es9segz
or levyng special taxation upon separate grades Of
society, radically unjust. To 60 back to The old
severity and avshness OF penay and punish Philip
II wanted punish in the Netherlands ard Ferdinand
of Austria did punish in Bohemia, TO impoversh
to reeonmence practice secretly justified only by the
query in which Danton excused the Ssptembri5srE
"Letlr sang, done, stait IL 81 pprf"
We strip criminals in England Of their property.
but then do not proclaim that if propertyle2s they
innocent-that poverty Is in itself saving grace
which supplies the absence of repentance The truth
s, Mr.. Johnson is not disqueting himself about the
Justice of the exception at ALL but anxious only to
use law, designed by congress to enable him to puu-
ish his instrument for etectng widespread social
change That change may be necessity, and If it ID,
of course the political argument against it at onoe falls
to the ground.
We acknowledge the right Of nation to savs itsslt
by destroying class fully the right of a surgeon
to save life by emputating limb. Butwe cannot
help believing that had Mr. Lincoln liTahs would
not have seen the necessity would have Sgd instead
OF destroying this immense arstoCratic force; would
have devoted himself to the single task of making ree
dom real for the planter well the mean white the
mean white as well as the negroe and left freedom to
which smack of the unscrupulousnes ss we'll
the energy of revolutionary chief A maximum Of
property above which its possession is penal ia ter
rible idea for legitimate ruler to introduce among
nations who have hitherto believed that properly s
the basis of civilisation.
Experience has shown that several features of ths
presidents plan fail meet the rosy antcpations that
had been raised. Conhscation has always been q fall
ure, both measure OF repression, and a means
Of reilnbursing government for war expenditures;
and the money value of treason is very uncertain
base which to estimate guilt or Nanocence. 1t 10
very clear that the wealth of the south was not the
first to instigate the rebellion, at whatever rate of
speed it may have followed penniess advenurers laN
armed resistance to the Union The removal Of
strictions from trade, and the treatment OF mS
properly precisely men Of no properly are trs !
will do more to rehabilitate the south than the ate
eoazs- 1aa 3osss s. effect r Tie sos6i Is '9o7i
shs paHs aE uehl.ssaeg. i1 must be nv a8er &s1
0. aaeaa6 chance 10 develop tas gssr e Fer -1s
country. =. z ,-'ss o. ~