The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-03-03
French Spoliation Bill.

President Pierce has vetoed the bill recently
passed by Congress, indemnifying American
citizens for French Spolation. This bill has
been twice passed by Congress-for the frs
time under and during the administration O.
President Polk, the principal of whose reasons
for interposing the veto, if our memory serves
US correctly, was, that the treasury funds were
ell needed, and would prove inadequate to
meet the rapidly accumulating expenses grow.
ing out of the Mexican war, which the 1" honor
Of" the Administration" if not the nation, de-
manded should be vigorously prosecuted" to
the bitter end" The bill was therefore We
toed by Mr.. Polk. and the claimants besought
TO wait a little longer" The reasons given
by President Pierce, as presented to us by the
telegraph, are substantially, that the Govern
ment of the United States are under no obliga-
tion whatever to make the indemnity contem-
plated by the bill before him. He does not &C
knowledge the validity of the claim and such
he asserts, he believes must have been the opin-
ion of Presidents Jefferson, Madison and Mon
roe, as he has been unable to find in any of
their messages to Congress the first allusion to
that subject. We never before recollect to
have seen or heard the fact disputed that the
Government actually stood indebted to our cit
liens, the original claimants, just as positively
as if each of said claimants held its promissory
note for the amount which should be proved to
be due. 1t is matter of history that the United
States have once very nearly been involved in
war with France to recover indemnity for the
very losses upon which is based the present
claims, viz; depredatons upon American ship
ping, DC. and when it is considered that the
French Government have paid our Govern
ment in full for the same, and that the money
is still in its keeping, simply in trust for the
claimants; that the treasury is now over
flowing with a surplus of millions we are at
loss to conceive Of any honest argument or rea-
sonable excuse that can now he urged in oppo-
sition to the adjustment of this long delayed
act of justice. True, many, much the larger
number of the original claimants 1--WE know not
that even one is now livng) are dead and gone;
but where do you find the code of morals or of
law by which the mere fact of their dccease is
made to cancel the obligation. We are appris-
cd of the case of more than one, who have gone
down to the grave, after struggling through
long years Ofpoverty, suspense and disappoint-
ment, with bitter murmurings and impreca-
tions upon the Government resting upon their
dying lips, in view Of its ingratitude in with
holding from them their rghtful inheritance.
After reviewing the history of the case, the
President concludes his message as follows:
"This review of successive treaties between
France and the United States has brought my
mind to the undOubting conviction that, while
the L. S. have in the completest manner done
their whole duty towards such of their citizens
as may, at any time, have been aggrieved by
the acts of the French Government so also has
France as honorably discharged herself of all
obligations i'll the premises towards the United
States. To cOncede what this bill assumes
would be to impute undeserved reproach both
to the United States and France 1 am aware
that .he bill proposes to provide indemnifica-
ton for such valid claims of citizens of the
United States and France as shall not have been
stipulated for, and embraced in any of the
treaties enumerated but including such claims
it excludes all in fact for which, during the ne
gotiations, France would be persuaded to agree
that she was in any way liable to the United
States or to our citizens. What remains and
for what is the S5,OOO,OOO appropriated? In
view Of what has been said, there would seem
to be no ground on which to raise a liability of
the United States unless it be the assumption
that the United States are to be considered the
insurers of all claims of whatever nature which
any individual citizen may have against TO-
reign nation"