New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-02-16
The Old French Claims.

the justice Of the Claims for French 5polistions' %
pay which Mr. TRrxAv SIXTH has very properly
submitted bill TO the Senate. We can, perhaps
satisfy some Of our correspondent scrupes
The Spolistious In question were made under the
Revolutionary Government Of France between
1896 and 200. and were very large in amount and
eagran. in character. They bad very nearly IL
VOWED the two Nations in w ar and would have fuzzy
justified resort 10 war our part, under the re-
ooouixed Law OF Nations Bot new rule turned
m ia France less hostile u this country, and q
Treaty Of Peace and Settlement was made with i
by our Government, in which it Gssuaaed tn pay
uent Of tie Jgst CLAIMS q oar o1cn citizens for
Freaeh S20lidti0ns. Ia other words, France owes
our merchants large and most righteous debt,
though very unrighteously Incurred On her PAT,
aud, sor considerations deemed ample our Govern-
rnent absolved that Of France and consented n
stand IN lis place Bet up to this 18th Of Febr7
sry 1880 il has never paid the first dollar ino1sf
similar debts stnce incurred by the French Govern
nent by Just such Spohatious have been enforced
against and collected Of her al bu; al the CAMPO
mouth, while claim. for spoEat,ols mainly d 'ai
more questionable character have Afforded ch'ei
pretext and ratification for Cur wsr OF lnvs''Oh
and conquest waged against Mexico Our 0O'e'-'
ment Aas been zea.o1s enough 70 make 0'trS pay
ba: not 50 fond Of paying from is own pocket
Vel why HINT this debt been paid before
Il Il, ia inst asks our correspondent. Partly from
ustursl rel1ctanc0 % paying IN general party
/ on pol;ticsl grounds The merchants whose ships
were piundered on the high seas by order u thc
French Directory were almost al Federsists 81
I was Federal Administration that called France
70 account and threatened 70 go 70 war sbo1'
them while the Democrats having very few mi.
aGost, and being he warm PartissDs Of the Frcnc"
Revolubonists, disparaged aud scohed at the com
plants o. Spoiiation declared the Federal outer!
against France bagbosr intended 20 favor Ems
land in the existing struggle between them, a.,
the Army raised by joins Adams to defend The
country against apprehended French invasion,
q costly and needless rensioning Of Federal olec
tionserers on the Treasury, with Wow 70 do'.ot
inc tie election OF Jefferson. On the back o! this
camor sGersoa 1cas elccted and the scepter passed
forever from the hands Of the Federal party. The
new President was backed by strong ana increas
ing mooiities in Congress while various causes
conspired to embtter party feeling and especially
exaspers,e the hostility between the dominant
party and the great bulk OF NE commercial inter
est for q series Of years.
Now cannot orr correspondent see rhy these
French Claims were not promptly paid Can he
not realize how awkw ard il would seem for JEFF
fersonian Congress, composed oi men who had la
rangued and detained ays st the i ederal hosiil
ity TO Frencc ns trumpcd Cp and Uncailed for 70
turn round ard vote 70 borrow or tax Five Ml
ions Of Dollars in order to pay the claims for those
very spoliations which they had dedded aud de-
cried as ideal or rchiy deserved Ii be cans sc
can.
And we put it 10 our correspondents sense Of
honesty whether it is Just to plead the statute oi
limitations on lhe part OF the Government-to talk
Of the half century which has elapsed since he
spoliations were committed, the death Of most OF
tie original claimants, the difficulty Of proving Tie
claims, &c &c : All these arr exc ll'el. reas No
for paying the claims sooner but viii they justify
not paving ut ell II anybody says Yes We
beg leave to dissent. Bear In mind that the clam
ants have asked aud petitioned from year TO yesr
but the Government would not Tor did not pay AID
could not be sued. When one House manifested
disposition to pay, tho other would hang back and
when at last 10th Houses voted the money, the
Accident, John Tyler, vetoei the bill so tie
claimants have been outright swndled for fifty
years. and that fact is urged nj excuse for
swindling them for ever We protest against tie
morality and the wisdom of such course. No
nation ever impoverished itself by paying a Just
debt
We have aow III our minds eye one OF these
claimants He was a Boston importing INGREDIENT
prosperous aud wealthy when French cruiser
seized a vessel wherein he had valuable cargo
and robbed him OF tho whole. Ne kept along sew
eral years Afterwards, hoping for redress from Con
rress. but none came and at last be failed He
lived twenty years alterward and died at eighty
in penury, leaving widow much younger thanhim
self who has lived Oh TO this day in extreme power
", though steady worker and rigid economist. but
is now barely supported by the CHARITY OF distant
relatives She is last failing and about to die, prob
ably last outside OF n poT house, her life having
been made wretched. as was her husbands ly
the bareleced rsssaty 1--WE like plain words OF
the Government Of their own country There are
doubtless hundreds Of such cases though We hap
pen TO know but enc. We regret that any on,
should argue or feel that the length OF tme these
Claims have lain unpaid may Bow be urged against
thsir payment at AL.
TowN ELrcTIoss-M0Rtgomery CouHty.-Ihe
Supervisor elections in this County have resulted
thus Loco Foco--Amsterdam, Canajoharie, Flor
ia. Palatine, Root, 81. Johnsville-6. Wig
Charleston Glen, Minden, Mohawk--4 The Board
last year was Wing, Loco.
Daring Burglary-A Case OF stabbiBe-Death
hy Hyirophchia.
PElLApTLFHIA, Friday, Fec Is.
Correspondence Of The Tdbune
Coming from Remenyi's Concert last night
found crowd about the door OF John Miles. ESQ
The second door above w sshingtOn square in Wa
nai.s;. A daring burglary had been committed by
eAectins an entrance from the rear By vine trol
ice, and all the plate and 'ewelry o. the house Gb
IT,. har.la-. 1r..r, dt.c.....r.-A La.