Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-05-24

resistibls. This is playing into the hands OF
extremists. Mr. Walker quoted, with great
force, the advice given by jackson, Clay, Web.
ster aud others to South Carolina, in nulhca-
ton times, to appeal to lhe courts instead OF
setting aside the legislation Of Congress.
The status Of the States after iii" i"sureec-
tion was suppressed. was very hal Piy pre-
s.nted After II foreign war, and the with
drawal Of the force which overthrew the ad-
ministra;iom Of law in any State. its citiz"ns
would he restored to their c"ns,it utional rights.
and could Of their motion, re-orgnn'Ze
the ST ate Government under tho same cons,i-
tuition, or create another md make it to suit
them. suffice only to the Constitution of the
United States. So, when the insurgen' power
of a rebellion was overtime wn, its ordinances
of secession being nulhti.s, its officers created
under q hostile regime being illegal, the citizens
w.rc entitled to reconstruct under the snme
constitution existing tcfore rebellion, or under
ono altered by themselves. But they are c'''
zers--rn,i,lcd To citizens rirh'S-auiJrct 10
a citizens penalties for n,sc' nduct.
The conquered province theory met with no
better fate than the heresy of political opn-
ions II was shown ,ha. the LAT: war was not
a war within til: meaning OF the '"t'"n
it was simply Il suppression of rebellion. The
territory was nt conquered territory; its rco-
RI. were citizens OF the United States, testor-
cd to their const tutunnl ob!igutions-rot
aliens subject to the mere will Of successful
enemy. The concluding appeal to the court
not to indulge i'll an evasion of their duty, by
acting as those who wished the duwpfall Of our
Government would have them, but TO dis
charge their Obligations as the high court Of
, l;.s, resort, was most eloquent md impressive.
The speech and its Arguments will hong be
quoted Us q masterly analysis Of the powers Of
! the Govcrnm nt and an exhaustive exposition
! Of the functions Of the supreme jn'iicn.urs,
and powerful vindica,i"n of the principles
Of constitutional g"vernment.
| GREELY ON CONFISCATI0N.
Grecly in his recent Speech ut Richmond
| thus discrurscs on this interesting suhj-ct:
| have heard in Richmond that coloreI men
will not buy homes or lands because they are
| cxpecting h0ii.estea,ls as the fruit Of confscn-
ton. r. Dat o." from black. mo so !" from
n white mani Believe me. friend, you can
| much sooner farn home. Confisca.ion is tie
work Of years, hy n tedious legal process. If
we have passed through the exasperations OF
tie las. two years without carrying this idea
into execution, We need not hope for it now.
Thal. Stevens, the great man who heads the
movement, and who is, perhaps, one OF the
greatest men who ever eat in Congress. is the
Only advocate Of such course among all our
Senators and Representatives. No bill has
ever been reported to attain such result since
th. surrender Of the rebel armies.
The speaker continuing, remarked that in
his judgment conf<ca,ion would be attended
with famines and disasters such never before
attended this country. Mr.. Stevens argued
, that 500. 100000 would be put in the treasury
by conf scation; but history had never ye, fur
. nished an example where $500 ,000, 900 had heer
put into any treasury by confscation. Con
fi+ca,ion bred deadly feuls. The feuds com
menccd in consequence Of the coniscu,ion 0
lands in Ireland by Cromwell two hundred
years ago were not settled to-day. lie did no
believe that any wise man who WINS the frien'
of the black men would advise them to wres
land by cCntiscn,on from their n.iyhbors. II
I would not insist that all values aud indu.,rie
: not believe that il all The property in tn" Sout
were put up at auction it would bring $500.
= 900 600 and then good deal that might b
u condemned would after all escape coItiscatio,
II for es soon as the owner Of such land woul
: hear Of con6scation. he would slide it into tn
e hand of some loyal relative to be taken cai
Of Sometimes this land would he restore,
e and sometimes not. Cpniiscation wonld beg,
all sorts of frauds and corruptions. He I'm
been impressed with the exceeding chenpne
y of Virginia lands, some Of which could be ha
e at ten dollars per acre. which in the course
e a few years woull be w"rti, one hundred do
t. lars lie couuselled his hearers to buy lands
n and he thought that buying them was Ii
c cheapest way Of getting them Let them ow
IL lands, and have spot to stand upon {: It woul
1t give them dignity aud the respect Of neighbor
er but they should not wait for confiscntion
j. give it to them. lie was n Republican. he e,
pected to live and die as such, but he ddu
Of say to those who differ with him in their viev
1e to 60 forward and vote as he did lie wou
er never insist upon any ones voting for IN
IS. who would not represent his views. He wou
of advise the people Of Virginia. though. 10 Sci
ct men 10 Congress who could take the oath, O.
re who would endeavor 10 reorganine the State
Sc was necessary under the enactments of Co
ct gress. II they would do this. Virginia wou
take great place in the counsels of the n
tion. He then advised the people to take h,
Of the present state OF affairs like ssnsil
il men, and 10 except the terms Of Congress
a.. honesty and good faith. He had heard Il
in the white people had been attempting
mn coerce the black man TO vote as they wish
es lie appealed to the white man to let ev
90 man vote according TO his own conviction
M, Let no plain or visible reason arise why Il
H. should not get into Congress this winter.
HE bessecbed them To forget the past, and w
nd forward with tho firm determination 10 achi
Tho glory and greatness for our common count
. FIDELITY IN ADVERSELY.
we It is the remark Of Parton, iu his bogral