The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-07-10

the rebels responsible for the damages
It has occasioned. If the doctrine of
these new lights OF republicanism be
the true one, then We should not only
let the conquered rebels on without
helping them, but without any pains
and penalties whatsoever"
MILD coNFIsCATION NOT FULLY Salts
HEE FACTORY. ~
10 Your correspondent, having inq uired
whether this mild" contiscation was
all Mr.. Stevens desired, received in sub
stance the following reply:-
''Weil, sir, 1 shall attempt TO carry
biIl-prObably not at this extra session,
bnt at the next regular session-to as
sess a sufficient sum on n certain class
of rich rebels to pay these damages
to private citizens; first, inasmueh as
they can be repaid in no other manner,
except by the people upon whose necks
we have our feet, But this viii not sat
isfy me by any means. Before con-
sented to regard the rebels as entitled
to full pardon and peace should go on
and carry out the old contiscat,on law
of 1862, which is still unrepealed, and
should then assess upon the general
property OF the conquered territory,
pro rata, a sufficient amount to pay the
whole outstanding war debt of the Uni
ted States, in full. / should do this be-
cause that debt presses hard upon the
loyal laboring masses of the North,
and helps to keep them poor and to
bring some OF their antilles TO the
point of starvation; and because II was
incurred in waging war wickedly
forced upon us, without cause or eN-
cuse, by the South.
PUNISHMENT FUR THE MURDER OF
UNION SOLDIERS.
"when had done thus much through
contiscation TO repair the injuries to the
loyal people and to the North, be-
Iieve should go little further yet. 1
am not willing to allow the murder of
twenty or thirty thousand Union sol
diers in the prison pens of Anderson
vile aud other places, and the shooting
down of colored soldiers like mad dogs,
to pass unayenged. / would create
military tribunals at the South charged
with the special duty of investigating
all these offences. We could not now
probably try the offenders for treason,
nor would it be necessary TO hang
them; but would hold the whole con-
quered territory responsible for the
acts. The so-calied Confederate Gov
eminent must have known of these
murders and barbarities, and 1 would
let none of them of on the pAltry pre-
tence that they were not guilty because
they had not been formally indicted
for the crimes. 1 would put such for
feiture on their estates as would suffice
to remunerate in some degree the sur
viyors of their brutalities, and then
would cut up the other contiscated ter
ritory into small tracts, and would sell
some of it to small capitalists, so that
the South should be no longer held by
u few aristocrats in large manorial
possessions.
FARMS FOR THE BLACK YEoMANRT.
81 would also give every adult
freedman who was the head of a family
a small holding, say OF forty or fifty
acres, out of the lands of their former
masters. III could not find enough in
the old plantations upon which they
were owned, would make 1t up out OF
the adjoining land, so that every freed
man might remain on the spot where
he wa raised, and ifhe could not find
other labor he could occupy himself
and support his family by working his
own farm at home. think this would
be productive of good TO the whole
country and to all classes of fmen-to the
former masters as we'll as to the former
slaves. The freedmen would then be
an independent yeomanry, feeling
their own freedom, and manhood, and
self-reliance, which would he better for
them than the ballot. This, sir, is what
/ would like to do If live and have the
power TO do it. But at the present mo-
ment, considering the demorRlized con-
diition of the republican party-for II is
badly demOraliZed-I may content my
self with the payment of the losses of
loyal citizens by the war, and the pro-
vision of homesteadsf for the freedmen,
and with such mild condscatfon as may
be necessary TO accomplish these OBJ
iects. 1 shall not, under any circum-
stances, feel satisfied with less than
this"
TuF DPS,oRarrzRD DoDGERs IN coS-
GREss-No CoSPIsCATIoS THIS SESSION.
Question by your Correspondent-Do
you intend, Mr.. Stevens, to press for
your "mild' confscation in the ap-
preaching extra session?
Mr. Stevens-PrObably not. L have
taken a wide ground in stating what
desire. Ny position Is that there is
plenty OF time in the future to complete
this work. The conquered provinces
will still be outlying conquered prov
inces OF the United States, until admit
ted as States of the Union. As to the
coming session, / suppose we shall have
work enough and trouble enough, judg-
ing from the past, in setting right the
mischief done by the President and his
advisers. think we shall only be able
to patch up the old law. We may not
even have the power TO pass a resolu-
ton declaring all that has been done
since the adjournment null and void.
Such men as Schenck. Bingham and
others have no bone in their backs and
no blood in their veins. Shellabarger
stood almost alone in the Ohio delega-
ton, for the right, and he made some
noble speeches while the reconstruction
fight was going on. The rest We're ut
terly demoralized. Alter trying every
side wind and expedient 10 cripple or
defeat the Military bill, they voted for
it; and we shall ind them doing the
same again. In the same way they will
twist and squirm and shirk on a direct
resolution of Impeachment.
A MARTYR WITHOUT A NICHE. ..
Question-Dou't you think, Mr.. Ste
vens, that President Johnson desires
an impeachment, SO as to become
maTtyr2
Mr.. Steyens-No. His martyrdom Is
over. He is one already, as much as he
ever will be; but no one would touch
such a martyr and put him in a niche.
JEALOUSY OF WADE THE OBSTRUCTION
TO IMPEACHMENT.
Question-You think, then, that a
resolution of Impeachment could not
now be carriedf
Mr.. Steyens-I think not. It would
be defeated on account of jealousy on
the part of the opponents of Senator
Wade. The contest between Wade and
Fessenden for the Presidency OF the
Senate WIS very bitter one, and per
soual feelings and motives will inter
fere to prevent Wade from occupying
the Presidential chair, even for single
day. After Wade's election, BlaIni OF
Maine, said on the floor Of the House,
This Congress viii never vote I'M
Detachment. We don't want any of
Ben, wadeis aShellywaggers' around
the White House," is this sentiment
that will defeat Impeachment Every