New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-18
FRENCH sPOI IATIONS.
soil.

friend asks us TO say word in behalf of the bill
now before Congress proposing payment Of the claims
Of our merchants for their vessels captured or de
roved by French cruisers prior to 1900 soleng known
as the French SpOliatons-'
The case stands substantially thus: Our Govern
ment during our Revolutionary struggle, contracted
very close alliance with France binding each Nation
70 aid the other in their future contests with other
powers BY virtue of that compact we received I'M
portant aid from France in the establishment OF our
Independence Twelve or fifteen years atterward,
France claimed aid from US against her banded assai
ants but was doubted whether our compact with the
Bourbons fairly held TO lavish blood and treasure in
support of those who had dethroned and in good part
DESTROYED those BOurbons and were still their deadly
enemies 20 We stood OF. This rritated the Republi-
can rulers of France misunderstanding and recrimn-
alton led TO quasi war, wherein many Of our merchant
ships were captured by French vessels National or
nriyat.er AID war IN earnest seemed for months inn
nneut Finally this was avoided by treaty, ratl-
fed in 1900, whereby France released us from our
onerous engagement to fight her battles, and we re-
leased her from all reclamatiOns on account oil our
vessels captured and despoiled or destroyed by her
cruisers Each Government relieved itself from en-
barrassing obligations and our plundeTed merchants
were made the scapegOat of their mutual troubles
All this took place some fifty four years ago and
our Government ought to have called in scrutinzed
aud paid tho claims thence arising within the ensuing
wear But the Federalists who had made the new
treaty went ont of power with John Adams early in
lSOl the plundered merchants were nearly all Fede
talists: the Democrats who came in with Jefferson,
we're intent on reducing expenditures and taxes and
~ ina
million, to Federalists under Federal Treaty. So
the matter received the gOby the art Of lobbying,
whereby victim of public spOliaton secures one
half to threefourths of his honest due by sacrificing
the residue not having yet been brought to ito present
perfection Repeatedly. bills were submitted to Con-
Qress for the payment of these claims, accompanied
by Reports demonstrating their undeniable justice
but il was always more convenient to put OF than to
pay; sometimes bill would pass one House and fail
in the other; and when at length was got through
both President Polk vetoed it, the ground (among
others that these claims had stood SO long unpaid that
the presumption strong that they ought not to be
paid at all
/ We are in favor Of paying them, for we believe Hon
e.ty TO be the better hsn Policy hope this Congress
will order their payment and yet we do not feel SO
strong sOlicitude the subject as formerly We
have known so many Of the claimants die in poverty
some in the Aims House others in the Lunatc Asylum
because OF the protracted wrong of our rulers il
denying them their just due-that we presume they
must by thi. time be nearly all gone, and the claims il
the hands Of children grandchildren, nephews OF
speeulators We see not how any one vote again,
the payment Of these Claims and sfterward look al
honest man straight in the face and yet the tarl!
Justice of payment at this time would far shor
Of real justice that feel but langud aud vague in
terest in the subject