New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-18
WASHING ON.
The French spOIiatioD Claims Bill-hossuth's
Prospects of Liberation.


cor,esDondepre Of The Tribune
wAsHixcros, sunday, Feb. IS.
This bill is now on the Speakers table OF the
House. about eighteen from the top, several o
those In advance Of it however are private bills
which usually require bat few minutes conslde
ration. and when the House commences running
down the Calendar it will shortly be reached. 1t
has many warm friends, strenuous and ardent
supporters but as it is so scar the close OF the
session it is to DO apprehended that those VINO
have charge of the Appropriation bill-who are
onnosed TO this measure of Justice, will make loud
complaints of want Of time and thus stave it OIL
Were Il taken up in earnest it could be disposed
of in a day and night session, which could very
easily be spared The degree Of interest felt IN
his Kin bv the public generally may be judged by
the extensive circulation OF Senator SMITH
lengthy speech, and by the fact that the oret and
verv able exposition of Senator SEWARD has
andy RIM through two very large editions the
second one of which was enlarged by coplous notes
and very handsomely got up. These claims as Mr.
ITv1SGsroE remarks in his Senate Report OF 1880,
run back 20 the earliest period OF our existence
as nation" They have been pressed steaily
for the last half century more particularly and no"
that we are entering the second halt oil that cen
tury would it not be q graceful act to commemo'
rate the epoch by such an act OF honesty as their
payments Why should young, free, rich, pros
nerous America linger thus meany, shlrk IRON
the payment of this sacred Revolutionary debt
The meanness Of the dishonest course thus lar
pursued stands out more boldly In the light OF the
fact that this patry debt was ours to pay, even
bad not France bought off her obligation to pay it
bv the relinouishments of valuable treaties W hen
aid we ever pay France dollar, single
dollar in consideration of her vast expenditures
in aid of America freedom from the CALLING yoke
of Great Britain Never. No, not so much as a
single farthing Nor did We fulfill those treaties
by which we agreed to protect her possessions on
this Continent And how much did our lndepend
ence" cost France No less tAan Three HNndrsd
Millions And yet we have Tor more than halt
century failed to pay paltry sum OF live mllllons
due our own merchants, whose losses grew out
of the partly incidental, and partly retallasory,
acts Of France, while involved IN war Win Hi
Europe 1t seems harsh to brand our own GOV,
eminent with the epithet OF meannessi GUY II
there ever was a paltry act deserving this epltnet
il il certainly this When debts OF any character
are due us by any Government, we are by no
means slow TO collect, and that by resort to the
most extreme measures to which creditors resort
We menaced our old friend and ally, France,
with war; not many years since, for a sum no
larger than that we are now called upon to pay
We battered down the very gates Of Mexico,
strewed her lands with desoaton, and be
smeared her fanes and her affairs with the inno'
cent blood of her women and children, upon the
plea of debt. We lately threatened Portugal
with visit from our men-of war in the Medlter-
ranean, unless she paid some old claims the
Justice of which it would require more than a
Machiavelli to explain.
Whatever of doubt with regard to this spolis-
ton claim may remain in the minds OF those who
would not be convinced though an angel from
heaven appeared in its behalf, it has been en-
dorsed by so many better judges who have ad.
N ual arguments.
such doubts appear too Hmsy for serious con-
sideration. What should we say of such an ar,
ray of names as these on an ordinary political
paper, compromise pledge" for instance
And very many of these have been earnest advo-
Gates of the claim as well as subscribers to It's