The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-05-02

stevens on tho Rsbels-Proseription
Conhscstion and Destruction.
The terrible old man of Pennsylvania who
has been the whipper-in of the present revolu-
tionary and weak Congress has again brought
forth his bantling Of vindictive legislation
against the helpless ex-rebels. On Monday he
offered in the House of Representatives sub
stitute for the bill he introduced last Decem-
Der 10 oonascate the property Of these people.
The character and general features Of the
original bill and the substitute are the same.
The cOnascatlon clause Is preceded by and
mixed up with other matters, but that Is the
gist Of the proposed law. 1t provides for
doubling the pensions Of those who were made
prisoners by the casualties Of the late war.
This, Of course, Is tempting bait for the
soldiers to swallow the Ubiquitous PROPOSE
ton for seizing all the property of the
Southerners: II adroitly appeals to the
selfish interests Of large and influential
body of citizens in order to disguise
or cover up the injustice and cruelty of the
measure. The bill provides also for paying
the damages done to loyal men by the rebel
government and rebel raiders. This, too, is
intended, doubtless, to bring to the support Of
the bill q large class Of claimants. But the
prime motive for the clause, probably, may be
found in the desire Of Mr.. Stevens and other
Pennsylvania patriots to put their hands into
the Treasury. Mr. Stevens had foundry de-
stroyed somewhere in the nsighborhood of Get
tysburg, we believe, by thesrebel raiders, and
his constituents lost horses, cattle and other
things No doubt Mr.. Stevens and his Pennsyl-
vania friends and neighbors could make ont
nice little account for damages. great
many others out Of Pennsylvania could do the
same. II may be seen from this bill that Mr..
Stevens is not the pure, dfsintcrested patriot,
after all, that some people have supposed him
to be. The motive for making such sweep
ing conflscation Of the property Of the Southern
ers as proposed is infamous. The mere pro-
position Is disgrace to the Congress which
could listen to it. We seem to be carried
back to uncivilized ages or to the
horrible times of the French revolution. Let
us hope for the credit of the country and the
age that this bill will never come up again.
But in addition to doubling the pensions of
pensioners and paying war cikims out Of the
oonfscated property, it is proposed to distri-
butte tho lands among the late slaves Of the
South and to erect buildings for them. That
Ia, in reality, to turn over the whole Of that
magnificent productive Countrywide largest and
best portion Of the American continent, TO an
inferior and ignorant race, to reduce it TO the
condition Of Jamaica or worse, to drive out OF
reduce 10 an inferior position to the blacks the
people Of our own race and blood-our rela-
tives-the white man and the highest type of
humanity. The proposition is perfectly mon
strous, and it is difficult to conceive of any one
making 1t but crazy, vindictive cynic. Only
let us imagine the state Of things if such mea-
sure could be carried out, though we have not
the remotest idea it can. Eight millions of the
elevated white race, and nearly four millions
of negroes, the lowest in the scaae Of Humanity,
occupying the country: The lands and
other property Of the whites confscsted and
the lands given to the negroes, with buildings
erected thereon at the expense Of the govern
ment and from the proceeds Of the conascated
property! Nearly all the whites disfranclised
and prescribed and the negroes enfrsnchised.
That Is precisely the state Of things intended to
be brought about by Mr.. Stevens and his radi-
cal friends in Congress. There nofer has been
ia modern times, il ever, such = tremendous
revolution; no, not even in France, for although
the sweeping conflscation measures Of the Con-
vention placed the landed property In other
hands it did not 60 to negroes, bnt TO French
men, to people of the same race and nation. The
bill in principle and detail is 50 outrageous
and prepostcrous that we should not think Of
referring to It seriously did we NOT believe that
the radical party, who have the power in Con-
gress, Is cspsblaof doing almost anything how
ever .monstrous. Still we hope the more mod
crate and conservative men in the national
| legislature will be wise enough and have
strength enough to prevent Mr. Stevens mon
strous bantling from being revived again.
TIE DECLINE OF CH0LERAs-It. Is O pleasant
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