[4CJ]

The rebel congress passed in May, 1861 a bill that required PRIVATE debt owed to northerrn creditors ( a sum of @ $200,000,000) be paid to the rebel treasury.

'On a review of authorities, I am entirely satisfied that, by the rigor of the law of nations and of the common law, the sovereign of a nation may lawfully confiscate the debts of his enemy, during war, or by way of reprisal: and I will add, that I think this opinion fully confirmed by the judgement of the Supreme Court in Ware v. Hylton, 3, Dall. 199, where the doctrine was explicitly asserted by some of the judges, reluctantly admitted by others, and denied by none.'
Justice Story, Brown v. The United States, 8 Cranch 110 (1814)

But it wasn't just a Southern thing, the Radical Republicans repudiated the confederate debts via the 14th Amendment.

[Grand Old Partisan]

The United States Government can indeed confiscate assets used to support any rebellion, whether of Confederates then or some Islamic militants now.

As for the 14th amendment, it referred to debts of the Confederacy or rebel state governments incurred to support the rebellion, not to private debts.

[WhiskeyPapa]

the sovereign of a nation may lawfully confiscate the debts of his enemy, during war...

Is this quite just to creditors? Did we notify them of this sage view of ours when we borrowed their money? That has no application in this case. The people of the whole United States are the sovereigns of the United States.

It should embarrass you to say some thing so ridiculous.

Walt