Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-08-28

Hon. Henry s. Foote devotes paper
in the Washington Chronicle to an ac-
count of some of the outrageous legisla-
ton contemplated and perpetrated by
the rebel Congress" during the war of
the rebellion. He condemns JEFF. Davis
with all his old-time savageness, and
.criticises bitterly his =" infamous cabi-
net, who, he says, were "absolute
slaves to Davis viii, mercenary to un-
scrupulousness, corrupt, and cOntempti-
BILE. To show how extremely happy
and contented the South was IN those
days of rebel rule, how well and cheaply
she was governed, and how carefully her
interests were guarded, at that time
when carpet-baggers" and radicals"
were unknown, and only "our own
people" had control of Legislative and
military affairs, we quote a portion of
Mr.. Foote'S paper, as follows GA great
experiment of States-right secession has
been made, and it is important that the
world should know precisely what bane-
full consequences resulted from this ex-
pertinent, in order that no such insane
and deplorable attempt shall again be
essayed In this broad Union, and in
order that all may be solemnly warned
not to take even the first step toward
that evil state of things which was soon
to be realized in Richmond. do not
believe that more heartless and grind
ing despotism has been anywhere known
since the days of Dionysius of Syracuse
than the one there set on foot. Upon
the pretext of military necessity, all
power was concentrated in the hands of
Mr.. Davis and his myrmidons, and not
a particle of this power was intrusted to
them which they did not criminally and
corruptly tr nscend to abuse. By
shameful act of servility, Mr.. Davis
was given authority to suspend the
great charter of liberty whenever and
wherever he pleased; and this was done
on his own earnest solicitation. A bill
was passed, called the 'Forcible I'M
pressment Law which placed all the
means of subsistence for men and do
nestle animals completely under the
control of Mr.. Davis and his official
servitors, large proportion of whom
were dishonest and opp i've beyond
anything which can be ,nceived of,
save by those who came in contact with
that terrible system of fraud and vio-
lence which they introduced. A con-
scription law was passed, which brought
under Mr.. Davis command every able
bodied man in the South between the
ages of sixteen and forty-ive; and all
who refused to serve in the Confederate
army against the paternal government
of their fathers were subject to be shot
as for desertion. When the bill for this
purpose was upon its passage l offered
thirteen different amendments to ii, in
tended to correct palpable unconstitu-
tionalities all of these were rapidly yo-
ted down, and then, with only small
number of others, / voted against the
measure. This law of consumption was
most vigorously and cruelty enforced,
and was the cause, not only of very gen.
eral popular disgust, but the fatal en-
feeblement of the Confederate army by
actual desertion. A sweeping confsca-
ton act was passed designed to take
away all the property of all those who
anywhere within the limits of the Con-
federate States did not give open coun-
tenance and support to the cause of the
rebellion. This law was afterward so
amplifed and extended by amendment
at the instance of Mr.. Perkins, of Lou
isiana-a special devotee and confidant
of Mr.. Davis-as to embrace the prop
erty of men, women and children, where
soever located. who might chance to be
then absent, who, holding property In the
South, did not Immediately return within
the confines of the Confederate States
and take an active part In the war;
When this most nefarious amendment
was under consideration earnestly pro-
tested against it, and brought to the
attention of the mover that such men
as the venerable DR.. Duncan and Leven
p. Marshall, of New York, both for
merly of Mississippi, would be stripped
by this law of most of what they were
worth, though their age and other
causes had prevented their taking any
decided part In the war to which Mr..
Perkins responded that it was just such
men as these that he wished to bring
within the operation of the law. Ithen
ventured to mention that there were two
amiable and accomplished ladies of the
the city of Nashville, Mrs. Porter, the
daughter of the venerable Felix Grundy,
and Mrs. Player, step-daughter of John
Bell, who would be ruined by this law
for one of them was In Philadelphia and
the other in Hartford, the education
of their children re- sIvely-when 1
was again answered tn.t it was precisely
such cases as those described by me
which it was desired to reach. And so
this law passed and had the Confeder-
ate triumphed, and Mr.. Davis been con-
tinued In power, verify it would have
been enforced to the letter. At last a
member from Mississippi came, one
morning, into the House of Representa-
tives, and offered bill for adoption
which proposed the immediate and uni
versal establishment of martial law, and
for an Indefinite period of time; and
this movement was VIGOROUSLY inspired
by Mr.. Davis himself. 1 got up imme-
diately and denounced it as cold
blooded and unprincipled attempt to
establish an armed despotism, at which
the proposer grew afrighted. He came
into the House next morning ana asked
to be allowed to withdraw it, but as I
made stern objection to this it was not
withdrawn, and now remains a perma-
nent monument of infamy and reproach.