Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1854-02-07
MISCELLANEOUS.
French spoIiation. CIaims.

81, French SpOliatiOn. Claims.
Although this is a mater which has been
before Congress for a half century, we pre-.
sumo large portion OF the public are una
ware Of The grounds upon which the claim
anis for idemni,y base their applico,ion.--
We propose therefore. 10 give shor hisio-
" Of the claim. During The wars which
grew out Of The French Revolution, both
France and England commiIled. under d.
vers prelences, great de2reda,ions upon our
con perce. The ocean became so unsafe "a
our merchants that they began TO Withdraw
their ships, and large laling off in the du-
lies upon Imports was the consequence
The Administrator of General Washington
on The 9Th Of August, 1898, through Mr.
Jefferson, Secreiary Of S.a.e, then issued q
circular, TO the purpor tha, il any of ou;
merchants suffered any injuries upon .he
high seas, or in foreign countries, contrary
10 the low Of nations, or treaty slipulations
proper proceedings would be adopted (or
their relief. M ,jti'.
Al,er this, commerce revived, but series
Of spoilauons followed from both the English
and French, The former promptly paid fol
their llegul captures; bu, those due from
France are ye. unpaid, in consequence OF the
treaty relations between US and France. In
1878, The treaty alliance between US and
France was made, by which that country
sen, her fee. and army 10 aid in the War o.
Independence. In return for This assistance
The United S,aes agreed To defend The
French West India Islands "lorever agains
all The world" and other imponan, righls
were secured 10 France by another treaty
made in 1888. When wnr broke out, in
1893, between France and England. the for.
mer government, called upon US To fulfill lht
treaty stipulation by defending The French
Wes, India Islands against Grea, Britain:
In consequence oilho spoila.ions upor
our commerce we refused TO comply. and ir
1898 Congress declared the treaties abroga
ted. The French resented this Reputation
of treaty, and a quasi ,oar + lowed belweer
the Two countries.
When negotiations commenced. France
demanded thai we should pay for the Yves
India Islands, which the English had cap
,uree. ard we claimed thai she should pay
fdrthe spoila,ions she had committed, upor
our commerce. Our Ministers to France
were Instructed 10 make i. an indispensable
condition of the irenly iha, that nation shoult
mako compensation for the spoia,ions. A
length, on the Both Sept, 1900 treaty wa
concluded by which each nation was releas
ed from these counter claims. The private
clairns for spolaiions were SGT off against ,h'
public or na,ionul claims which France hat
agains, The United SloIes. dt1es
Privale property was appropriated by lh'
Government to pay public debt. and ih'
claimanis now assert the right guarantee;
by the Constitution, which declares: "No
shall private properly be taken for public use
without just compensation" Had the Uni
ted States not thus appropriated the detls o
lis ciIzens they would have been paid by
France, as that Government always recog
nized lhe equitable nature Of the spoilalor
claims. The Obligations Of France were
assumed by our Government, which then
became bound, it seems TO US, by The mos
common principles Of honesty and fairness
to reimburse 10 lis cI,zens the money which
ii had taken from them for u public USE
Strange 10 say. fifty years have rolled away
and this has not been done.
The original holders Of the claims have
nearly all passed into their graves, many o
Them in q safe OF great deslilulon and wan,
Originally wealthy merchants. they were
reduced 10 beggary by The dishonest conduc
Of The Government in not paying its deb,s
Session alier session. winler alter winter
did they spend al Washington, vainly sclic
ling rele. This breach Of faith we cahno
but think is Stigma upon the nation. Al
individual who should have ucled thus woulc
have been considered scoundrel by ali
The Iuci lhat it is wealthy and powerful
Government which has perperaled 'his in
Justice. and no. an individual, but enhances
the moral gull. More than twenty report
from committees, since 1900, upon which
was placed our most eminent statesmen
have reported Iavorably; and number o.
bulls have passed The Sena,e, but none o
them went through Congress, with The OK
cep,on Of The bill OF 1916, which was vetoed
by Presiden. Polk. Those who have inner
ned The claims with interchangeable persever
ance have continued to press The maller up
on Congress, and are now anxiously awaii
ing The result OF leo deiioeralions. In
amount OF the claims must be number o
millions OF dollars.-Cin Enquirer. '"