The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-09-08
THE DEMANDS OF TIE SOUTH.
What is Involved in Democratic Tri-
umub

COMPENSATION ron 10 OF SLAVES AND
UTHE PROPERTY AND THE ASSUMPTION OF
THE REBEL DEBT REQUIRED.
We have already called the attention of our
readers to the demand made by the Richmond
Wing and other Southern ne newspapers for com
pensation from the general government for the
slaves lost in consequence OF the war. The
following extract from the Norfolk Virgiflian
will also be interesting to those who are in
quiring whether they can afford to render
probable national Democratic victory by
contributing to a local Democratic triumph
this year. The writer first argues that Eman
cpation was wanton destruction of property,
not justified by the laws of war, and therefore
to be compensated. and continues:
"Add the value of other property lost by de-
probation, from the destruction of capital and
labor wanted to utilize 1t and the injury done
its taxables by the Rebel Government OF
Neutrality-suspicious. that the Rebellion began and
was continued and will end in the White
House in Washington with the present Ad-
mi illustration, as l hope) 40 one will deny, or,
indeed, ever doubted. President Buchanan
and Judge Black, both from the State,of Penn
sylvanla, said they could find nothing in the
Constitution OF the United States TO Justify
Congress, the agent, to declare war against the
States, their principal-this, too, upon tue eve
of war. Such was the opinion of all the great
men from Virginia and Carolina whe made
that instrument, and such was its uniform in
depreciation south OF the Potomac up to the
time of secession. The leaders of the Rebel
lion in Congress said that its war measures
were revolutionary and outside the Constitu-
ton, and that NO man of common sense could
reconcile the two things. The Constitution
was upset, and consolidated central govern
ment, controlled by an absolute majority, es-
tablished on the ruiOs of federal public.
"Such being the fact and the admitted truth,
two or three plain principles OF The. law and
| practice of nations will make the settlement of
the account between the North and South very
simple and easy. That the war was most uu-
just, and in utter derogatiOn of the rights of
| the slave States may be assumed as taken for
granted. The Northern States, who used the
| general government tool, and Its navy and
army, treasury, &c. as the machinery to wage
| war on the South must foot the whole bill, as
| Prussia has made France do, and as tire gen
| eral government itself did in the most uppro-
voked and unjust war it waged against Next
| co. The ground and principle of settlement
must be stdtu quo ante beltatne, and not atti pos
| sidetis'-that is, not to keep the South in its
| present deplerable State OF subsection, but to
restore it to the condition in which it was be-
| lore the Ubiquitous war against 1t by the North
This involves, as we have seen by the laws AID
| usages of nations full indemnity for the past,
| and security for the future, namely, ample
| compensation to the slave owner for the loss oil
his property by the act of the emancipation
of his negroes, or its repeal at the option of the
| master, and the restoration of the slave to his
former state OF bondage, slavery, servitude and
dependence from which be was liberated
| Complete compensation likewise, to the man
rich or poor, who lost houses, barns, grain
corn, horses, cows or any other species of prop
erty. .a.-l -
"rhs is no 'monstrous doctrine 1t would
be publishing, not paying premium for Re.
bellion,' and would not heap disgrace upor
the memory of the thousands of brave meu
| who died in defense of the government anf
the rights of the States. The Southern State,
| should also be fully compensated for the ex
| pense they incurred in defending themselve.
i'll an aggressive war of invasion on the part o
the free States. That is to say the debts of thu
confederation should be assumed and paid by
| the general government by tax levied not OF
consumers by a tariff but by an assessment on
the real and personal property in the United
States. .a-la---l.---.--'-
Inis would be a compromise and concession
on the part OF the South, and the present Ma
tlOnal Debt (abOut two thousand millions o
dollars) being wiped out or repudiated, or pu
exclusively on the shoulders of the North
where 1t should and will ultimately be made
to rest, the new assumed debt of the general
government would be less than its war deb
| now is and the tax laid for its payment en-
tirely uniform and just. The poor man would
then pay on his property lot which he has lit
tie or none) and not on his Consumption an(
wants, which are legion.
disguise it as you will, to this favor thing
VIII come at last" The West, the North
West, and the South, which are one in inter
ests, will combine and repeal the tariff, the act
| OF emancipation if necessary, and the new
amendments to the Constitution, which ar,
frauds on that instrument. As a question o
dollars and cents, of simple addition and sub
traction, not to say justice and common hon
esty, the new allies of the South will find it Il
their interest to assume their share of the pres
ent debt CT the Rebel Government, and to pa,
by general tax on all property the war deb
OF the South
The above is fair exempication of thu
spirit and views of those who call themselve
"the South" and who expect to have thei
way whenever the Democratic party shal
elect President aud Congress- Hence W
infer that tho Democracy can't afford to &c
into power very soon; and even if they could
the country can't afford to let them.