CONFEDERATE STATES. 



CONFISCATION. 



219 



making busy preparations. They are buying merce- 

 naries for the fight as men buy sheep for the shambles. 

 They are paying bounties, the half of which the world 

 never heard of before. They are spending money with 

 a reckless profusion that contrasts strangely with their 

 native parsimony. 



Our enemies, too, will commence theyiext campaign 

 with some advantages of position which they did not 

 have in the beginning of 1863. They will begin at 

 Chattanooga instead of Nashville; at Vicksburg in- 

 stead of Memphis. They come flushed also with wild 

 hopes, and they are animated with increased ar- 

 rogance. 



It will be incumbent upon us during the current 

 year to call out all our resources and put forth all our 

 strength. We -must make the most vigorous battle of 

 which we are capable. Everything is at stake prop- 

 erty, honor, liberty, life itself; and a giant danger 

 presses. " The Philistines be upon thee, Samson ! 



If we thus act our part, the dangers which menace 

 us will all be averted. The ship may be among the 

 rocks, and the sound of the breakers may be heard, 

 but a steady captain and brave and united crew shall 

 bring her safely out of her peril. Our real danger lies 

 not in the martial array the enemy may send against 

 us, for, under the blessing of God, we have already 

 shown ourselves able to withstand them ; but the point 

 of anxious solicitude is, are we all prepared and re- 

 solved to do our whole duty? 



Do we appreciate the magnitude and the vital char- 

 acter of the crisis that is upon us? Are we all ready 

 to make every sacrifice which the cause may require; 

 to go into the ranks, if called for ; to contribute our 

 property ; to be ready with our personal service, wher- 

 ever wanted, and to count not our lives dear unto us if 

 our country is to be served ? Are we ready to respond, 

 without murmuring, to the military laws which Con- 

 gress shall judge the exigency to require? Are we pre- 

 pared to hail the law which shall impose heavy taxes 

 upon us to retrieve our currency and establish our 

 finances? 



Fellow citizens, if we are not ready for all this, we 

 must become so. Such a spirit and resolve among us 

 are the condition, as they will prove the guarantee, of 

 our success. But we must win this victory among 

 and over ourselves before' we shall be ready to meet 

 the enemy. We must be ready to risk all, and 

 offer all, if we do not wish to lose all. Every man 

 who is able to level a musket must be ready to shine 

 in arms ; if too old or infirm for the army, then as 

 State guards, or home defenders, or reserves. Every 

 producer must arouse his utmost energies to provide 

 food and clothing for the soldiers and the people. All 

 must be ready to renounce comforts or endure hard- 

 ships without murmuring or complaint. 



One gleam of peaceful light for a moment il- 

 luminated the dark scenes of 1863, which is 

 thus described by the "New York Church 

 Journal," in July: 



About ten days ago we received, through some Church 

 ladies, just arrived from the South through our lines, 

 an earnest appeal from bishops and clergy there that 

 we would, if possible, send down some two or three 

 thousand prayer books, and a quantity of Church tracts, 

 for use especially in the Southern army. Application 

 was at once made, by the Rev. Dr. Dix, rector of Trin- 

 ity church, to our Government, to know whether the 

 books and tracts thus asked for would be passed through 

 our lines ; and the Government has promptly and 

 kindly replied in the affirmative. 



We cannot refrain from adding, that the bishops and 

 clergy there, Bishop (Maj.-Gen.) Polk included, sent the 

 kindest messages of undiminished love, as of old, to 

 their brother churchmen at the North. Moreover, we 

 are well assured that, even in the midst of the fearful 

 struggles of war, the Church is steadily gaining ground 

 all through the South. From every part of the South- 

 erm armies, as well as from every part of the Southern 

 country, the demand for the services of Church clergy- 



men is greater than can by any possibility be sup- 

 plied. 



At the same time there is an evident change going 

 on in regard to the feeling with which the North is re- 

 garded. The fierce and fanatical hatred with which 

 the war broke put, is steadily giving way to a nobler 

 and better feeling ; so that many of those who, two 

 years ago, were ready to swear that they would never 

 eat, or wear, or purchase anything that came from here, 

 are now looking forward, with expectant interest, to 

 the time when they may be able to resume their an- 

 nual summer visits to the North, as in the days before 

 the war began. No political message was brought us, 

 of any sort or kind ; it would not have been proper thai 

 any such should either have been sent or received. 

 But it was said, that there is a growing conviction at 

 the South that if ever the country does come together 

 again in one, the Church and the churchmen will be at 

 the very heart of the reunion. 



CONFISCATION. The power of the Gov- 

 ernment to confiscate -the property of the in- 

 habitants of the insurgent States, early com- 

 manded the earnest attention of Congress and 

 led to a full discussion of the extent of this 

 power, the manner of its exercise, and the re- 

 strictions imposed by the Constitution. The 

 results of the examination were the enactment 

 by Congress of the act of August 6th, 1861, and 

 of the act of July Ifth, 1862. The distinctive 

 features of these laws are, that the first pro- 

 vides for the confiscation of property actually 

 used in aiding, abetting or promoting the meas- 

 ures of the Rebels, while the second frees the 

 slaves and confiscates all other property of per- 

 sons assisting, engaged with or giving aid or 

 comfort to the Rebellion. By an order of the 

 President under date of November 13th, 1862, 

 and a subsequent one extending the directions 

 of the first, the Attorney General was charged 

 with the superintendence and direction of .ill 

 proceedings under the two acts of Congress 

 above referred to, in so far as concerned the 

 seizure, prosecution, and condemnation of the 

 estate, property, and effects coming under the 

 operation of the same. Attorney General Bates 

 on the 8th of January, 1863, issued " General 

 instructions to District Attorneys and Marshals 

 relative to proceedings under the acts of Con- 

 gress for confiscation." These instructions 

 provide generally that 



1st. All seizures are to be made by the Mar- 

 shal under the written authority of the District 

 Attorney. 



2d. A true return thereof by the Marshal to 

 the District Attorney. 



3d. A record by the District Attorney of 

 every order of seizure, and one by the Marshal 

 of every return. 



4th. That the District Attorney should exer- 

 cise vigilance in executing the law and care 

 to avoid hasty and improvident seizures. 



5th. State laws directing seizures should be 

 conformed to as nearly as may be, consistently 

 with the objects of the acts of Congress. 



6th. That property seized by the military 

 officers may be received by the Marshal who 

 shall make return thereof to the District At- 

 torney. 



7th. After seizure the District Attorney to 



