The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-28
CONFISCATION.
SPEECH OF
HON. THADDEUS STEVENS,
OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Mr.. SPEAKER: L am ABOUT TO discuss the
question of the punishment of belligerent
traitors BY enforcing the confiscation OF their
property to Il certain extent, both as pun
ishment for their crimes and to pay the loyal
men who have been robbed by the Rebels,
and to increase the pensions of our wounded
soldiers. The punishment of traitors has
been wholly ignored by treacherous EXecu-
tive and by sluggish Congress. wish to
mike an issue before tho American people
and see whether they will sanction the per-
feet impunity of murderous belligerent,
and consent that the loyal men of this ma
tion, who have been dcspoiled OF their pro-
pcrty shall remain without remuneration,
either by the Rebel property or the property
of the nation. To this issue L desire to de-
vote tho small remnant of my life. desire
to make the issue before the people of my
own State. and should be glad if the issue
were to extend to other States. l desire the
verdict of the people upon this great ques-
ton. What ask of this Houscis is, to give
square vote upon the direct question by
Yeas and Nays. pray you do not evade or
kill it by 4 side wind. When you have given
such vote, 1 shall he satisfied, whatever may
be the result may say in advance that my
remarks will be voluminous and tedious
Amy gentleman who has any business for the
next hour and a half may well attend to it;
but pray him to be here to vote, as de-
sire to understand the feelings of the House
and of the people This bill is important
to several classes of people. 1t is important
to our wounded and MANNED soldiers. 1t IS
important to their bereaved wives and pa
rents 1t is important to the loyal men
North and South 1t is important to 4,OOO,-
900 of injured, oppressed and helpless men.
1t is also important to tue delinquents, whose
property it takes as T1ine. No committee or
e, ,ln{ III OH
able to the President and myself. Whatever
merit it possesses is due to Andrew johnson.
In the Summer of 1864 he said in a public
speech: LET me say now is the time to Sc
cure these fundamental principles, while the
land is rent with anarchy and upheaves with
the throes of a mighty revolution. While
society is in this disordercd state, and we are
seeking security, let us fix the foundation of
the government on the principles of eternal
justice, which will endure for all time. Shall
he who brought this misery upon the State
be permitted to control its dcstinies? If
this be so, then all this precious blood of our
brave soldiers and officers, so freely poured
out, will have been wantonly spilled. All
the glorious victories won by our noble ar
mics will go for nought, and all the battle
fields which have been sown with dead he
rocs during the rebellion will have been
made memorable in vain. Why all this
carnage and devastation 1t was that trea-
son might be put down and traitors punish
ed. say the traitor has ceased to be citi-
zen, and in joining the rebellion has become
public enemy Treason must be made
odious, and traitors must be punished and
impoverished; their great plantations must
be seized and divided into small portions,
and sold to honest, industrious men. The
day for protecting the land and negroes of
these authors of rebellion past. 1t is high
time it was. have been most deeply panied
at some things which have come under my
observation. We get men in command, who.
under the influence of tiattery, fawning and
caressing grant protection to the traitor,
while the poor Union man stands out in the
cold" All this was the eloquent language of
Andrew johnson as I" he was" This was the
text which l took up and elaborated in
speech to my constituents at Lancaster, in
September, 1865, and which has been much
criticized by humane sympathizers with reb-
els. Andrew johnson was the apostle whose
preaclings I followed. His doctrine per-
vades and animates this whole bill What
ever of Justice is in it is due to him. l call |
upon his friends to stand by him in this, his
favorite policy. If you now desert him, who |
can you expect to defend the much endu-
ring man" at the other end of the avenue ?
Having thus rendered unto Cesar the things |
that are Caesars, I will proceed to defend the
course recommended by him, who, above all
others, knows what is due to traitors. This
bill, it seems to me, can be condemned only
by the criminals and their immediate friends
and by that unmanly kind of men whose IN
tellectual and moral vigor has melted into
fluid weakness which they mistake for mer-
CT. and which is untempered with single |
Grain of Justice and to those religionists
who mistake meanness for Christianity, and
who forget that the essence of religion is to |
d" do unto others what others have a right to
expect from YOU" 1t is offensive to certain
pretentious doctors Of divinity who are
mawki.hly prating about the fatted calf, !
the prodigal son and forgiving father."-
They forget that there is no analogy between
the cases. The thoughtless youth having re-
ceived part of his fathers estate, and pro-
badly taking load of corn to market, fell |
into bad company and contracted the loath-
some vice of drunkenness and spent the |
money in rioting and debauchery, and like
all drunkards, made his bed with the swine,
and fed on husks; but like one case only in |
a thousand he reformed, joined the total alb
stinence society, washed himself clean. brush
ed his clothes, and with repentant steps re-
turned to his fathers house. Well might his !
-ased- parent rejoice; well might he Kill the
fatted calf at such rescue. But how We
NAL was such oifense compared with this
murderous rebellion! When the great an
cestor of this bloody race had slain his broth |
er, and tremblingly met his Judge and
sought for pardon, what was the an
swer 2 "The voice of thy brothers blood |
crieth unto me from the ground. And now
art thou cursed from the earth, which hath |
opened her mouth to receive thy brothers |
blood from thy hand. When thou tilleth
the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto
thee her strength; fugitive and a vaga-
bond shalt thou be in the EARTH" When
Cain cried out that his punishment was
more than he could BEAR" the Judge who
administered justice in mercy drove him
forth into stern, memorable exile. Hetaught
no forgiveness for such sins. He prated of
no "fatted calves" I proceed to consider
the bill. BY the act of 18th of July, 1862.
treason is made punishable by death or
smaller punishment, at the discretion of the
court. Before punishment can be inflicted
for treason or misprison of treason the party
must be duly convicted in court of the
United States. Not so with the balance of
the bill. All the rest of that law CATER the
first four sections) refers to persons engaged
in the belligerent army, or officially connec-