The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1864-03-31

pose Of taking away jurisdiction in such
cases and retaining it in the hands OF
Congress.
Mr. Blair. Ifyou were to pay for all
the negroes, North and South, allowing
me to be the appraiser, il would not
cost much 10 pay for all Of them,
Mr. Wilson. But the gentleman is
not Judge Of the Court of Claims
Mr.. Blair. No, sir; do not suppose
ever shall be,
Now, to say thotyou will postpone the
DAY when you will pay these claims is
virtually to say 10 the border States, to
whom is due more than to any other
/ people the efforts to put down this re.
belIon, that they neYer shall have any
pay. do not wonder that gentlemen
who live in the New England States,
and those who live in what are known
as loyal States outside of the theatre OF
the war, canno; md do not appreciate
/ the condition of those who live in the
midst of the war. Why, sir, there nev
er has been day from the time the
Government was founded up 10 this
hour when the North was SO prospe fous
as now. She is actually wsllowing in
wealth In order 10 protect them the
Government does not have TO station
sohtinolS at their doors, nor in tho streets
Of their cities and town.
But how is il iD the border SlatCs?-
Who could have made mare sacrifices
than they have to maintain this Gov.
ernmonl? Why, sir, the distric, | rep.
resented in the last Congress particular
| ly, and many ofthe counties / now rep.
resent in this Congress, are made bar
rem waste on account Of the dtsolations
of this war. They have sent into the
Army almost every man they had; and
am proud TO say here that West Yir.
gnia has sent more troops to this war
to crush out and put down the rebellion
than any other State of this Union in
proportion 10 population And | learn
by letters received to day that her QUO.
ia under the lastca!l made by the Chief
Magistrate of the country is almos, sup,
piled, and that no draft will be required
there They have not only given their
sons and their fathers to The country,
they have not only watered every inch
of soil in West Virginia with their blood
but they have actually given every par
ticIo of property they possessed, so that
multitudes of them are noW in suffer.
ingeOndition. In that State there are
poor people living in the mountains,
whose wants are few, and who have
very few means 10 supply them. Rebel
parties come along and steal their hor.
ses, drive away their cattle, an they
sometimes have gone SO far as to take
the clothing of the chilren's backs and
carry it away 0f,entimes everything
in their house is carried off BY those par,
ties Ruduced 10 extreme restitution,
they go to work and get barrel of corn
and get it ground, and Chen eome aloqg
Union soldiers, exhausted and half.
starved, and cheerIuly they divide their
last mOrsal with them. They somstimes
gave receipts, which were almost iuva.
riably Informal Sometimes they took
everything man had AMI gave him no
acknowledgement.
Now, it is an act of Justice that we
are asking a! the hands of Congress
nothing more and nothing less, We do
not ask you TO bostow boon upon US
We are not asking you to make US a
present. IappGal to northern men, to
their sense of justice, to aid US in sus.
tanning this measure. The issue is now
before this Government, and is to be
decided by this House, whether or not
the people Of the border States who
have thus been sacrificed shall have their
claims paid or not, or whether they
shall be forever DEB AIRED.
1t seems to me, sir, that every one
must see The necessity, if the Govern.
mont ever intends to pay these claims,
that the question should be determined
new when proofs can be obtained and
we can show whether or not our claims
are just. If you postpone this matter
for three or Eve wears, therc are proba.
bly, not one tenth Of the claims which
are perfectly just, and which every Judge
in the land would give judgment for, in
which. the claimants will be able st that
time to furnish proof II, then, it is
the intention of Congress ever to pay us
our Just claims, now is the time; and
you will indicate whether you meaa to
do it by the votes you give now. But If
you postpone anybody claims, in Gods
name do not postpone the claims of
those who are starving, Of those who
have stood by you, and without whose
assistance you would no! perhaps have
been a Union this day.
ask the House as a matter ofjuslicc
to sustain this bill, We border State
men have stood by this Government as
my colleague from Maryland (Mr. Thorn.