The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-04-18

testimony Of an eyewitness il is obvious that the desrue
Of the warehouse not caused by any occupation
by the American troops even OF their having been sta
toned against IT, and using protection but ~ eonse
quence Of their having been ordered down and attacked h'
enemy when possession of H. and in the of carrying
off tobacco thererom IL shows too, that tho enemy u
taking away the tobacco, not governed ~ The CIR
cunsanoe Of the building in which It placed having
been used OF NOT for military purpose,
On the whole the Auditor reported against the claim, bu
the Comptroller reversed ha report directed account
Of the Attorney Generals opinions and The money was
paid.
Then, SIR what Is the state of the facts regards that
whole Congress refused grant relief any other
principles than those OF the laws Of 1916 and 1871 The
then before the accounting officers and they re-
leced the claim testimony of precisely the same KIND,
character and description that in this The party
then made personal application 10 the President OF the
United States who had member Of the Senate enter
tanned opinions differing from those of the Senate upon inc
subject and of blessed by those opinions he
thus biassed undertook exercise supervision special
case, re-e1amned the decision of the Auditor, determined
that there for relief under those laws, and d.
rected him Tesaie the account The Attorney Cen
eral gave short written opinion, without single argu-
ment to support it, without single principle to sustain
IT. composed OF ten lines, mere dtci,la dtcfu which,
not wrong regard to the whole reasoning OF the case
certainly law On the other hand you have the
fact that statement OF the principles which the claim OF
Caet was rejected after the law passed was comnlu
ncated by the Third AUDITOR on Caie'ts application to the
Senate the United Sates that referred 70 com
mttee that the committee, after deliberately considering the
whole subject be discharged from its further con-
sderaon You have them repeated acts showing the ads
of the Senate specific with full knowledge
Of all that the Auditor done and you have that reversed
by the President The United States departing from The
line Of his duty, opinion bf the Attorney General
which word of argument sustain it, but
which must be sustained If at ALL on the mere diet OF the
officer KegE
Mr. President as to the matter of authority therefore,
think there be moments hesitation. As 10 the
of principle, have endeavored TO show that this
claim is directly in the face Of the principles which have
governed Congress to allowances claims Of this char
aeer. ~
But sir, have something say upon the evidence
by which this claim is supported and 1t Is important to look
IT, The ground which this claim is sustained, II al
ALL the testimony given this that the warehouses,
and the tobacco in them destroyed consequences Of
their occupation and by the troops Of the United States
And if the troops OF the United States occupied the
property, if the destruction not in consequence of that
occupation, by impressng upon public character the
enemy justified in the destruction the government
is clearly responsible Then the question IS: Was the
enemy justified the destrucons did he destroy these
buildings consequence of their being occupied by the
troops Of The United States The evidence shows that our
approached in their barges that the ma went down. got
behind the warehouse, fired them with their muskets
and the enemy landed and destroyed The warehouse At
Nottingham the enemy destroyed the warehouse at
all The militia there had taken out quantity OF tobacco,
made breastwork Of and used cannon there but the
enemy did approach and did not into conflict with
This General Bisooes statement, and shall have
something say about that presently III connexion with
conflict Nottingham; but months afterwards the
British, their retreat from Washington carried of all
the tobacco at Nottingham, and other places where they
could lay their hands upon that at Magraders they had
previously destroyed when the mitia rctreated.
Now sir, is this occupansn by the troops Of the United
States and the troops of Great Britain justified in the Y
act Remember the question is, the British ushed IN
the destruction did they destroy the property in
qnenee of Its occupation by the United States place OF
military deposite barccks' The United States did not
occupy for any purpose but merely attempted defend
mill defended IL,
absurd say that such defence occupation OF
the property which justified Its desiructoni
But again. sir Nm Jenlfer proves that TO the Cedar
Point warehouse, the British engaged IN the act of
moving the tobacco and carrying away when the militia
went down to prevent them and they epulsed the militia
and burned the tobacco This shows that the destruction
wss not in cons equenee occupation by the Uni
ted Safes but that the British had determined to take the
tobacco irrespective Of any action of troops or govern
ment; or other words that their object plumber
SIR look through the whole course Of that war; and you Ind
clearly tina, such the object OF Great Britain Reports
made in the House of Representatives early 1913
showing this and shall refer to one OF those reports You
find that in 1873 the British commenced their depredalions
higher up The Chesapeake, Havredeerace, and de-
soyed everything before them They destroyed the towns
OF Georgetown and Fredereown the eastern shore ct
Mary land and the pretex then that the militia had
fired flag of This brought the subject TO the
attention of Congress- and on the als July, 1873 Mr.
Macon made report the spirit and manner IN which the
waged by the enemy, which will be found at page
339 of the American State Papers, Military Affairs, FIRST
volume After enumerntng great many acts OF outrage
ery the Chesapeake bay and In the neghborng coun-
uy.n And under that head the facts enumerated:
"Thc testimony collected under The seventh head shows
that the private property of unarmed citizens has been pill
aged by the officers and of the British yessesow
coast, their houses burnt and places of public
ship mutlaed and dehed Ii appears that the officers ami
mated by the presence Of Admiral Cockburn particularly
distinguished themselves in hese exploits This evidence
proves TINT they governed by the combned motives OF
and revenge satisfied with bearing of for their
own the valuable articles found the others
toniy dcaced and destroyed II has been alleged 10 paia
of these Of wanon cruelty, that flag sent shore
by the Admiral frod upon by the American militia
The evidence proves this have been the fact Thu
peience has been resored only conduct which
no circumstance can justify"
This was ia 1915 At that time the British bad ravag
Havre-deGrece; and wished refer the language used
by the committee Of the Senate their report upon claim
somewhat similar 10 this arising out Of that act shal
read IT, because the alleged ground Of destruction in this
similar TO that and my object show that thes
tobacco warehouses not destroyed in consequence OF
the result Of, any occupation by the United States
which took place. according the usges of cv
zed warfare, but accordance with the settled system
desoaon and plumber which tracked the pathway Of tho
British army wherever they 90, foohold the ter,sr
| Of the United States during the OF 1912.
Sir, not old enough tske part in that contest
but am old enough reoolect the events which
lated TO boy Of the conduct Of Great Britain, and
reeolect the impression winch they made on the public
mind at the time. There "a not whose memory chi
back 10 that period who that the common
feeling OF the country outraged by the mode whIci
the carried by Great Britain. Yet cir the pre-
bill Is bnsed upon the principle TINT such al
astiabe by the rules and ussgcs Of civilized warfare
have said that would refer the report Of the Com