The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-28
Two Leading Radical Papers on
COnfiScntiOn,
The Albany Jou,-aul saws:

We cannot believe that the propo-
sition which Mr.. Stevens has put for
| ward with SO much elaborateness in q
carefullyprepared speech will secure
sufficient support in Congress to
make it really formidable. We
should blush for our humanity and
begin to doubt our civilization. we're
such a result possible
The Nation, o thoroughly radical
paper, zone OF its editors is son of
William Lloyd Garrison,) gives the
bill the following solid rebuff, after
summarizing its provisions:
A bill III which provision is made
for the violation of u greater number
of the principles of good govern
ment, and for the opening Of deeper
sink of corruption, has never been
submitted to Il legislative body. and
we venture to add, that had anybody
proposed such q measure to the Sui
tan after the storming of Constanti-
nople, he would have been expelled
from the ''AIcdilis" as ruthless and
troublesome visionary. There is, of
course, no probability that Congress
will pass it; but the mere prospect
that it will be discussed in the House
atf1lcts us, and must atflict everybody
who cares for the credit of the coun-
try.
On the other hand. the Pennsylva-
MIA North american says:
For our part, we are in favor of
conhscating the estates of all such
rebels as Davis, Stephens, Lee, Wise,
etc, and we believe that Congress
should exercise the power it undoubt-
edly possesses to that end We have
not benefited our country in any way
by restoring to these men the huge
estates upon which they had grown
so lnsolent. These men have cost
the country an expenditure of money
that would have more than sufficed' to
buy up all their possessions. Their
course since the return OF peace is
proof conclusive that they are not to
be trusted or believed any longer,
and that they are bent on doing as
much mischief as may be within their
reach. What they are capable of,
we may see in the terrible war they
waged for four long and bloody years,
and in the countless lives lost by their
means.
The same paper, which, it will be
seen, is a rabid advocate for confsca-
ton, says:
However Republicans may disagree
respecting Mr.. Stevens confiscation
bill, there is one point in it upon
which they ought all to be able to
agree. We allude to the first section,
wherein it is provided that the public
lands of the ten rebellious States
shall be confiscated This is mat
ter that has hitherto escaped the
attention of all our rpublic men except
Mr.. Stevens, and we DOUBT not that
many who read his speech will feel
surprised that no one'has anticipated
him in this capital method of making
the Gulf States pay us, to some ex-
tent, for the injuries they inflicted
upon us during the war. In the case
of Texas, to which he calls especial
attention, there should be no delay
whatever in availing ourselves Of the
opportunity to contiscate the remain
der of that public domain which she
ASoNA 'SNI w liClSCli ttU ttiC LiluC Oi ilcI
annexation as a guarantee for the
payment Of her debt that very debt
that was subsequently forced upon us
as national burden by the compro
mise OF 1880.
OF all the States concerned in the
late rebellion, Texas escaped with
the least punishment All the at
tempts made to carry the war into
her territory proved abortive, and
the long and desperate struggles in
the Southwest were mainly sus-
tanned upon resources derived from
her. The contraband trade with
Europe through Mexico was carried
on by her The droves of beeves
upon which the rebel armies fed were
furnished by her. And at the close
of the war, after all the rebel armies
elsewhere had surrendered, the Texan
rebellion was still intact. These pco-
pie, having felt little or nothing OF
the horrors of the war, have re-
NAMED incorrigibly disloyal and de-
tiant, and although we have all
recognized that some punishment
onght to be used to bring them to
their senses, none that WAS feasible
could be thought Of
1t was asserted by those who pro
fess to know, that Texas has proited