Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-06-08

than the basis Of The original settlement in 1890.
And here il may be remarked that the claims of in
dividuals against the several States were within the
terms the settlement Of 1870, provided they had
been admitted by such States prior to September
"a, 1888, and both the Virginia claims and the
Gaphin claim, but for that limitation, could have
then been brought into the account against the
United States.
1t is true that Virginia did not promise to pay
interest; yet as she liable for its payment IN
consequence of her liability to suit, and interest had
been recovered against her, the United States paid
it. What amount has been paid under this head
can be easily ascertained by inquiry. Suffice 1t to
say that the relative burdens of the two States, as
assumed by the United States need not be kept out
of view in justice to the memory OF either the dead
or the living. The amount involved is nothing:
good faith is every thing; but should the amounts
paid appear TO be worthy of consideration, COM
parison need not be avoided
Georgia did not ask Congress to assume the liabl-
lily she had incurred under the act above cited.
Virginia acted differently and justly; perhaps, too,
under pressure which was not and could not be
applied to Georgia-the judgments rendered against
her in her courts. But the appeal for justice,
whether made by Virginia or her officers, by
Georgia or by Galphin, rests on the same footing
A "simlar principle" may be supposed to pro-
duce similarity Of result. A mere difference
as to persons, or states, or amounts, should not
produce an inequality in the measue OF justice.
If the officers of the State line of Virginia have
ceived from the United States principal andin!erest
on the promise made by Virginia in l779, might
not Gal phin Justly claim to the same extent under
the promise of Georgia made in 1880? Might he
not claim interest on even stronger grounds, since
to him it was promised-to them it was not If
the standard of remuneration be higher in case
than in the other, that standard should be fixed by
the terms of the promise made to each, and that
party should have the higher to whom the higher
had been assigned.
Having already seen that the engagements of Vir-
ginia and Georgia were contracted for the same OBJ
ject and almost at the same time, it may be readily
admitted that the pursued by these State was
different But is the nature and essence of things
thereby changed! Is the principle altered Be-
cause Georgia did not ask the United States to as
sumo the agreement she had made for the common
cause, and which she had never performed, was Gal
phin to be placed on less favored footing than
those to whom Virginia was bound by similar OBJ
legation! The distinction is only as to form. The
parallel between the cases had been perfect if Geor
gia had been the claimant before Congress instead
of Galphin and had Georgia been liable to suit as
was Virginia. this feature in the parallel would not
have been wanting.
The course of Congress in relation to these
claims commends itself 10 the approval OF every fair
mind. In 1882 powerful State insisted on in
demnity against the claims of her sons. The Ma
tonal Legislature listened to her memorial and COM
plant. Her narrative was replete with sacrifices
for the "glorious common cause" and her demand
was granted. In ls4s, to the same Legislature
came another applicant from another State. He
comes unsupported, and sustained by no other re-
commentator than the record Of his patriotic life
and the Justice of his demand. That Legislature
did not stand on forms, by remanding him back to
the State which made but had not performed the
promise. It re-asserted in ls4s, as it had in 1882,
the principles of the acttof $780, After the lapse OF
ifty-eight years, they stood unimpared in vitality
and vigor, however they may have been blighted
and blasted within the brief period that has since in
tervened.
But was there no peculiarly in his case TO ex-
cuse, if excuse can be necessary, this departure
from formal and strictly regular appeal to national
justice In the same year, and almost in the same
month, Galphin was attainted of treason and pro.
missed the payment of his debt The royal colonial
Legislature, which sat in Savannah in 1880, pro-
nounced the attander. In the same year the repub-
lican Legislature at Augusta gave the promise. He
died in December, 1880, having numbered more
than three score years and ten. A few months
thereafter his homestead fell into the hands of the
enemy. They had possession of his body, but ithad
put Oil ZIG Wuuuy VcstuIC VI uCCdys 1SoI dSoiHs
Of treason, nor suspicion Of treason then reached
him. The sanctuary Of the grave had secured an
eternal armistice The penalty or pardon of man
alike paused on its brink, and he reposed quietly,
whether, according to the judgment of mankind, he
was traitor or patriot.
One other view may be proper. In the treaty Of
peace of 1888 was an article providing for the re-
covery of debts due by the citizens and subjects of
the belligerent parties. This was no doubt proper
and just but strange it may appear it is affirm
ed with confidence, upon unquestionable evidence,
that the patrmonial estate Of Gaphin was sold un-
der execution after the war of the revolution at the
instance of British creditors, who had sold to Gal
phin the goods which had passed into the hands of
the Indians, and in fact constituted a part Of the
price of the " coded lands - in Georgia. Whoever
may doubt this point, is referred to the statement
Of Mr.. STEPHENS, who held the appointment of
Judge of the district of Georgia in the early days
of the Republic.
SOME FACTS ABOUT CuBA.-No census Of the population
the island of Cuba has been taken by the Government
since ls4l From other sources find that its population
in 1916 was s9s, 1852; of whom AIS, 767 white !;
226 free colored and 759 slaves In ls4l accord
ing the official census, the population 1907 624, Of
whom 4ls,29l white l52, s3s free colored, and
495 slaves OF the coored free population that time
1874 black and So, 054 muattoe The number Of
muattoes among the slaves 974. There tram
sen population Of 49, 900 included in the total
given above There that time z22 schools, at which
free children received instruction of these $40
n,n fort ka;r