The Confiscation And Emancipation Bill Just Passed By Congress

Á ÏUIXtoanppress im i ■:.: h treaso anl ícut'etliei.rop j? ?' enaeted by the Señale and House of Representativa of the United States of Ame i tea in Cimgreía asumhled. That every persou who símil hereaíter commit thé crime (f treason aga-io&t the Unittd States, aud sha!l be adjudged guilty tlierof, shall suffer death, and aU Lis alavés, if auy, shail be declured and made free ; or lio shail be imprisoiird for not less than five years and iined not less thuu $1.0, UUU, aud al] his slaves, if auy, sball be decl.ired u.d ruado free ; said lino sliall be levied and collceted on any or al! of tlie property, ical or person al, bjteïading slaves, of whieh the said pcrg"ii fo coiivicted was the ownei at tbe time of eonniiitting the aid crime, auy sale ox cunveyauee to tho eoutrafy uotwitlmtaiiditig. Sec. S. And be itjurther enaeted, That if auy person shall hereafter incite, set on foüt, assist or engage iü any rebellion or iusurreetion aguinst the authority of the United iStat.es, or the laws thereof, or eha'l í;ive aid or comfort to, any such existing rebellion or iusurreetion, and be convieU'd thereof. such person shall be tiuuifched by imprisonment for a periud not exceednig ten yeius, by a fino not exceeding S1Ü.000, and by the liberatiou of all Lis claves, if any he Lave. Hec. 3 And be it further enaeted, That every person guilty of either of the offetsses described in this act shall be forever incapable and disquaiified to Lold any office, un der tho United States. 8ec. And be it further enaeted. That this act shull not be cunstrued iu ay way to affect or alter the prosecution, coi.vietion, or punishment of any person or persone guilty of treason again.st the Unitud Otates Before tho pasease of this act, aniega sueh person iscoavictod un der thlS OCt. Sec. 5. And be ilfurUter enaeted, That to usure the speedy terwinatibn of tbe present rebellion, it shall be the dut y of the Président of the United Staces to cause tlic seizuro of all the estáte and property, money, stocks, eredits, and et' feots óf the persous hereafter nuimd in this sectibn, and to appls and nse the' saine, and tne procceds thereof, for the support oL the Army of the United States, that is to say: First, of any pcrter actin; s an nffigor of the army and i:avy of the Rebels in arnis sgainst ihc (i'iwn-.ment of the United States' secoudly, of any hereaft'jr ifcttng as Preside, Vicc PresiBent, Mrtnl o of any Court, Cnbinet i Minister, OoTütuissioner, or Co so eallod Ccüledertlte States ui America ; thirdlv, of any pertbp a-eting as G-ovetnor of a Stüte, iñember of a Convcntioii (;r Lc islature, or Judgé uf any Court of any of' 1 the aó-oftlled Cïoiifcderate States of Amor ica ; l'ourtlily, of any porsón v.ho, having hclii í' honor, trust, or profit iti thu Unitci! States, shall hercafter hold an ofiice in the so-ealied Confedérate States of America ; fifihly, of any person hcroafter holding any office or ageney nnilcr t (inverninent of the so-callcd Confödernte States of America, or under any of tlie sevcral States of tho said C"nfederacy, or the laws thereof, whethcr eiich oiÜco or ngency be natioual, State or municipal in its name or character : Provided, 'I hat the persons thirdlv. fourtbly, aué fifthly abovo describod sIkiü bave accaptod their appointmont oí elcction sinco tbe dato nf tiio pretended ordkiance of Scccssion of tlio 8tate, or hall liave taken un oath oí allegianèo to, or to support the CouBtitution ot' thc süeallud Confedérate States; sixthly,. of any perwna wlio, owning propcrty in any loyal titate or Terntory of the Uniteil States, or the District oí' Golumbia, ehall hcreafter REsist aDd give aid and comfort to such rebellion, and all sales, trausfers, conveyances of any sUeb proberty sbH be nuil and void, and it shall be Ii SCtffioiént bar to any suit brought by sueh is, ui f'ur the pOS8esiou or the uso of such property, or any of it, to allcge and provo iliat be ís ouo oi' the persona debed in tbis section. Sec. 6. And b? itfurlher enacied, That if any persou wilhin any ibtate or Turril ory of the United States otlier than thoee numed as aforesaid, after the passage of this act, being engnged in armed rebellion against the Government of the Unitid States, or aiiling or abetting such rebullioa, shall Bot, within sixty days of public waniing and proclauiation duly giveu and made by the Pregideut of the United States, cease to aid, cmintenance, aud abet sueh rebellion, and return to li s aHegiance to the United States, all the éstate aad property, ïnoneys, stocks, and oredits of such person shall bo Hablo io seizure as ifouesaid, and it shall be tbc duty of the Pres dent to seize and uso them as aforesaid, or the proceeds tbereof. Aud all sales, transfers, or couveyaaces of auy such property aftor the expiration of the said sixty days from the date of suüh warning and proclaraation shall be uull aud void ; and it shall be a suffieient bar to any suit brought by Kuch porson Fot the pos,es.sion or uso of such property, or any of it, to allege and prove ihut he is one of tho persons described in this seetion. Slic. 7. And be itfurthcr enacted, That to secure tho coiideumation and salo of any such property al'ter the süine shall have been Beized, bo tliat it may be mude availablo tor the purpose aforesaid, procöüding in rem shall be instituted in tLe nam.' of the United Stotea in any District Court thercof, or in any 'J'enitorial Court, or in tho United States District (Juurt for the District of Columbia, withn which tlic property above deseribed or any part theroof may be t'ound, or Lato tbs same if wovablo nny first be ; t, which próceedings .'hall conform .■ . as may be to proceed: adiniralty or revcnue cate?, and f said property, whether real or personal, shall be ft'ond to hseve belo;:ged to a person étgaged in rebclb'on, or who has jiven aid or comfort thereto, the same shall be oondeiiined as enemys1 propertj, aud becoiue the property of tho United States, and may bj Üisposfid of as the Court shall decröe, asá proceeds thereof said into the Treasury of the Uuited States for the purpose aforesaid. Seo. S. And be t f ui ther enacted, That :ho several courts aforesaid shall have oowcr to inakc such orders, estaBlishiug such Fonns of dccrcc aud sale, aud direct such deéds and conveyances to be executed and delivered by the Marshals thereof, whcre real estáte shall be the subject of sale, as shall fitly aud efficiënt y effect tho progress of this act, and irest in the puichasers of aueh property jood and valid tí t les thereto. And the said court shall have power to allow sueh "ces and charges of their officers, as shall e reasonablc and proper in the preuiiSec. 9. And he üuriaer macted, That all slavcs of persons who shall hercuftcr bo engaged in refeullion againet the Govcniniciit of the United Otates, or who shall ín ai)y way give aid or comfort thereto, escapiug from such persons, and taking reiugii whhin the lincs of the army ; and all slaves captured frora suc-h persons, or deserted by them aud coming uuder tlie control of tho üovernmont of the Ui. i ed States; and all slaves of such persons found or bciug within any place occupied by rebel torces, and afterward oocupicd by tlie furces of the United States, shaü be' deemed captivos of war, aud tíjiall be forever f ee oí' iheir servitude, and not again held as slavcs. Sec. 10. And be üfurther enncted, That no lavo escapiiig into auy State, Têrritory, or tho District of Colunibia, from any other State, shall bu delivcred up, or iu any way iuipeded or hindered of hie liberty, exoept tor crime, or somc offense a'ainst the laws, unlcsa the person claiming said lugitive shail first make oalh th.it the persop to whom tlia hbor or seivice of suth fugitivo is allrgd to be due, is his lawt'ul owuer, and has not borne árart against the United States in the present rcüellion, nor iu any way given ;iid aud comfort thereto ; and no person engaged in the military or naval service of the United States shall ander any pretenso whatever, aasume te decide on the validity of the claim of any per son to tho service or labor of any other perron, or surrender up any such person to the claimant, on pain of being dismissed from the servieo. Sj:c. 11 And be üfurther enaoted, That the Prcsidutit of the United States is authorizad to employ as uiany persons of Afriean descent as he may doem uecessary and proper for the suppression of this rcbellion ; and for this purpose ho may orgaaize and use them in such mannei as ho may judgo beat for the public welfare. Sec. 12. And be it furtlier enacted, That the President of the United States is hereby authorized to make provisión for the transporta ion, colonization, and settlement, in some tropical cuatttry bey oud the limits of the Uuitud States, of suoh 08 of the AlVican race, mado free by tiiu provigions of this act, as may bo willing to cuiyrate, having tirst obtamed the consent of tho (Joverriment of said country to tboir pruteetion and settlei:n!,t within the saine, -wvitli all the rigbts aiid privileges of tVecinen. . lo. And be it f ar Uier enacted, Tiiat the rresident is 1 ei eby authorized, at .une hereafter,_by proclumation, to extend to persons who may liave partioipated in the exisling rebellion iu auy or part thereof, pardon and amnestj', with sucli exceptiqoa and at such time and on such coudiiions as he may dcein expedient for the public welfare. Sec. 14. And be üfurther enacUd, That the courts of the United States shall have full power to instituto proceedings, make orders and decrees, issue procesa, and do all olher thLgs necessary tocarry this act into cü'ect. Modiflcation of the Confiscation Bill. Washington, July 16. The following ia the bilí whiuh lias I both houses, which removes the President' objectkms to tlic confiscution bül: Rcsolced, by the Señale and Home of RcpiescHtattces, etc : Thut tbe pre of the tiiird olauso of the fifth section üf ' au act to supriress insurection, to punilh Ircason and rebellion, to soizo and coniiseatej theprop(3rty of rebels, and fo otber purposes,1" shall be so eonstrued as not to apply tü any acts done prior to I the passage thereof, nor (o inclu'ie znv nieinber of a Statu LsgislstRte or n JuJge of auy State oourt who has n.it i accoptiiig nr entering upon t lio dutiea of bis ofliro, taken au o;ith to support the : " ut ioi) of the so callad Confedérate States of Auieriua. Nor shall any pofthmept or proceedings ander Raid uet be so construed as to work a forfeiture of the re;il estáte of the offouder beyond bis natural life. The President's Message on the Confiscation Bill, Washington July 17. Fellow-citizcns of the t'tn:ite anl House of 1U-; ri tfïl ■■: Considering the bilí íor an aot to supi toss ifisurreotion, to punish troasoa iind rebelfion, to seize and confiscato the propurty of rebels and for o; lier por poses and the joint refoliition explMniitoi-y of said aet as being substantially mie, I have approved and sined bot h. BeFpra I was Dormed oí the passageof tho resolution I bad prepsred a dratifht statirig öbjèctions tó tbe bill beeórtiing a law, B copy of which draugH.t is herewi'-h baP8mitied. aai) ' 1IAMLI.NCOLN'. THE VITO 5I1Í3SAOH. FeBbw-citizeÍM oí Ibc House of Repr sentaüVea : I herewi'.h re'.urn to -our honorable body, in wbich it originated, the bill for au aot ontitled " au act to Stippres - treason and rebellion, to seize an?l confisento the property of rebels, and for other purposes," tofrether with my objectinns to its béttomifig a law. Th;re is mm-b in tl-.e bill to wbieb I ivo do objection, lt w wbolly pi'ospeotive, and it touches naither the person or property of any loyul citizen, in wbieli ptirficüíár ií w jóat and proper. Tliü Ist anii 2d seeiions próvido for CQnvictioo and punishment pL p whn shull be giiilty of tréason, and the person who shall incite, gét on loot, asrst or engage in any rebe'lion or msur. '. the a'ithnrity of tlie l' er tho laws thefeof, or shail ;■: ooijilort t any esisting rebtjlion or nsurractioa. liy ,i fair cohsffnotion the persons within lhe.-o BBctión ure not to be :■ trial in duly eons'i coints, under the fonusand all the sub stantia] provisions oí' law ftnd oí t'ncóhstitution d'ppTi&able to their severul cases. To tflis I pereeive ño objection, and especially as Bunh perscïna vouM tje vciihin the general pardoniog power, and al.'-o within the special provisión R i' pardon and amnesty contuined in tlus act. It also provides thnt t!:e slaves of persons oonfiscated under theso seotions ehull be fi'ee. I think there is an nnfortuoate fo'rm of expression rajjher than a substantial objectron to tRis. It is start I ing to aay thflrt Ootigress eau [reo B slave wilhui a State, and yot wero it SLiid tliat the ownerthip of the e) ave had first been transferred to the nation, and thut Congreas had then liberaU;d hi n, the 'lifticulty vvould vaüish and ihis is the real case. The tcoitor agair.st the general governrneut forfeits his slaves, at least as justly as ho does any other propeVty, ftBd he forfeits both to the gever mnunt aginst which !ie oflendc The government, so far as tliero can be ownership, ovvus the forftsited slllves) and the questioo fp.r Congress in regard to them i:;, shall they be iniidofreeor sold to nevv m asters ? I see no objection to Congress duciding in advanee that they sh:ill be free. To tho high honor oí Kentucky, as I am informeel, she has been thft ovvner of some flaves by èscheat and has eoá Bonè, but liberated all. I hopo the faam is true of eoino other States. Indiod, I do not believo it vvould be phyfioally possible for tho general govornmont to return persons so cireumstaneed to actual slavery. I believo there would be physical resista nee to it, which -vould never bo removed by argument, or diiven away by {orco. In this view of it, I have no objection to the feature of tho bi.l. Anoiher matter in these t'vo sections an I running through other parts oi the tot w'll be noticcd hereatter. I pyrceive no objection to the thii'cl and fourih sectiong. So f'ur as I wish to notioe the fifth and sixth suction, they may be considLiod tngether. That tho enfiipoertienl of these aeolions would do no Hijustioe to the persoDfe embraced within thern, is olear That these who make a cauetoêa war should be compolled to pay the eost oí it is too obviniisly just tö be oalled _in question. To give government protection to the property oí persons who have abandoned and gone on a. crusade to overthrow that samo government, is absurd, if considered in tho inere light of jifstice. The tseveresl jusüce may not alvvaysbe the best policy. Tho ] rinciplo of Beizing ar.d nppropriating the propèrty oi the per boos embraced wilhin these Reotioni, is certain'.y not vory pbjectiofiable, hut a justly discriminaticg application of it would be very difficult and to a great extent impossibla. Would it nol unie to plaee a power o! renrisèton soiüewliere, so that thesa peraona mav knmv that they have somuthing to save by dcsisting? Iamnotsuru wlietlier suoh poivcr of rcmissiün is or ia not within Béction thirleea without a special aut of Gbngress, I tl in s k our military commnndcrs, vvhen, in military phraaa, they are within an enemy's country, shouid in an m1deily tnahnér seize and keep wh&t'ever of rea! and personal prófperty may be necesarv or convcnient l'or their com mands, and at the same time pre in some wav the evidentie oí what the) do. What I havo said in regard to slave while comnienting oh the first and sec ond sectinns, ia applieablo to the nintt with the dift'erenco that nu provisión i ■nade in the whole act For determinirij wbether a particular individual'!-! glav does-or does not fall within tho Mcfined in that section. He is lo b free upon certair: conditions, hut wlietl" er these isonditiaoa lo or do nol, pertai to him, no mode of ascertaining is pn I. This coald be easily BUppliei 'in the tenlh steilon I mako no ob jection. The oath ihereii) rehirei frt'ins to bc proper, and the remainder of the feotion is substantially idéntica) i with a law already exbisüng. The eleventli section simply assnmes to ounfer cliscretionary powersuppn tlie Executive without the law. I have no hesitation to go as i'ar in the direotionindicatedas 1 may nt any time 1 expedient, and lam rendy to gay now I think it is proper for our military rnaiHli.T to emp'oy as laborees :s many is ot A frican descent as can bu used to udvitnl The twuiï'th utid tliirteepth peciions are aomethiog botter. They art; imobjocti.jiiiiblc, tho finir'eeuth is entirelv proper if all uilver part.soi tlo iict sbull t-itn: i c!. Tliat to which I cbflioy objoot por vades most pa-rts of act, bui, more distinctly í] poars n the first, second, ;vcnlll :iüd etgbth sections. It is the urn of' these provisions wliich roaults in tho divt'SÜDg of ti:la foreveir. For llie causea of treason tirul tbo jnjjreditnts of trenson, but amonnting to the lul] orime, il deeFares foi-feítúio éxtè'ndiiïg bevond the livt-s of Ihe ffuilty pnrties, whereas tho constitutioa oí the United States declares t'iat no attninder of ti'oi.son shall work cwrnipiion of l)l'Hd or furfuturo escupí durinfr the üle cf U10 person att:ii,ted. Ti ue, thoro is to bo 110 formal i'.tainder n t Ins case. Still I think t'r.is grèat punishment cannnt be (Hins!itnti-nul]y intlicted ia h diffreol fonu tor thu sume offüNi ü. Wi li great respect, I am corwtraioed to :.. y i iliii.L tiii.s feature of the act is micoustitutionaL It would not bo liilliciilt to modii'y it. 1 muy rereark that thu [irovisiiin of thü Ooftlitutri put i e bnrrowod frona Great Jji'itaiii, üpplie.s ouly iu this country, as l lüider.süiad, U reül or landcii estáte. Agaiü, Ihe act by proceedin#8 in rem torfeitsproperty ior the iiigredionts of bout conviction -.of the supposed ciii!:o, er a personal hearing given him in any proceeding. That ue niay not touch property lying with10 our reach becauíe vo cannot give persoiü'.] nutice to any owner who ie, absent endeavorinor to dêstToy the góv(ji'imient. is eertüirily not very sáti tory. Btill t;,o owncr niay not bo thus ad, and I think a Peasonabjo time . Tor RU9I1 : :; ties tó I na e pi rsonal hearings. Siln'lar provisioils are not uncommon rucecdings in fim fut the roasoa statod. I return thü bül io tho llouwe in wbict) it origina ed.