Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-03-08

! "a 6'uIH uIEeSteu us EemArS6 to what
SAID and my remarks were based upon tn,
CHARACTER OF the claims which have beer
Presented TO the War Department, ant
which are now pending in the Court o
Claims. They involve claims for pepro.,
as well as for all other kinds of prorer,v
andtor damages CT every description. ss,
that many of them should uot be paid, tn a
1t wonld be a disgrace to the nation to en-.
tertaIn some of them, especially those fol
runaway negroes. I base my remarks up,
on facts existing, upon claims which have
been presented, and now the gentleman
can direct his upon the same basis,
Dir. Blair. haze not, nor do suppose
that any gentleman who bus advocated this
DILL has asked pay Tor any negroes; aud [
trust IN God some measure may be brought
before this Congress in which that subject
viii not be introduced. We have no ne.
grOes 10 West Virginia. thank God that
free soil ia stamped upon her; and in her
constitution she has said that she will rid
herself of this exciting question.
volyedin lhis bill by virtue of the claims,
now pending in the Court Of Claims, in
which compensation is asked for negroes.
Mr.. Blair. II the claims are unjust do
not pay them.
Mr. Wilson. This bill is for the pur-
pose of taking away Jurisdiction in such
cases aud retaining it 10 the hands of Con-
gress.
MIR. Blair. If you were to pay for all
the negroes, North and South, allowing me
TO be the appraiser, It would not much
to pay for all of them.
Mr.. Wilson. But the gentleman is not a
judge of the Court of Claims.
Mr.. Blair. No, sir; I do not suppose
ever shulI be.
Now, to say that you will postpone the
day when you will pay these claims is vir-
tually to say to the border States, to whom
is due more than to any other people the
efforts to put down this rebellion, that
they never shall have any pay do not
wonder that gentlemen who live in the
New England States, aud those who live
IN what are known as loyal States outside
OF the theatre of the war, cannot and do
not appreciate the condition OF those who
live in the midst OF the war. Why, sir,
there never has been day from the time
the Government was founded up TO this
h"ur when tue North was SO prosperous as
now. She is actually wallowing in wealth.
In order to protect them the Government
aoes not have to station sentiusls at their
doors, uor in the streets of their cities and
towns
But how is it in the border States? Who
could have made more sacrifices than they
have 10 maintnin this Government Why,
sir, the district | represented in the last
Congress particularly, aud many of the
counties now represent in this Congress,
are made barren waste on account of
the desolations of this war. They have
sent into the Army almost every man they
shadS and am proud to say here that West
FViPUfniA hAa
TO crush out Nud put down the rebellion
than any other State of this Union in pro-
portion to population. And learn by let
tiers received to day that her quota uuder
the last cali made by tue Chief Magistrate
OF the country is almost supplied, aud that
no draft will be required there. They have
not only given their sous and their fathers
10 the country, they have not only watered
every inch Ct soil in West Virginia with
their blood, but they have actually given
every particle Of property they possessed,
so that multltudes of them are now in a
suffering condition. Iu that State there
are poor people living 10 tue mountains.
whose vents are few, and who have very
few means to supply them. Rebel parties
come along aud steal their horses, drive
away their cattle, uud they sometimes
have gone so tar rs 10 take the clothing
from the childrrn's backs and carry il
away. Ottentimes everything in their
houses ia carried off by those parties.-
Reduced to extreme destituliUn, they 20 TO
work aud get barrel of corn aud get it
ground, and then come AlOug Union SOL
dlers, exhausted and half starved, and
cheerfully they divide their last norsel
with them. They sometimes gave receipts.
which were almost invariably INFORMAL
Sometimes they took everything man had
and gave him no Acknowledgement.
Now, it is an act OF justice that wesars
asking at the hands of Congress-nothiug
more and nothing less. We do not ask
you to bestow boon upon u.s. We are
not asking you to make US a present.
appeal to nOFthern meu, to their sense of
justice, to aid US in sustaining this meas
ure. The issue is now before this Govern.
ment, aud 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 pail or not, or whether
they shall be forever deharred.
1t seems TO me, sir, that every one must
see the necessity, il the Government ever
intends TO pay these claims, that the ques-
tiOu should be determined nav when proofs
eau be obtained. aud we can show whether
or not our claims are jusI. II you post.
poue this matter for thres or GVe years.
there are probably not enc. tenth Of the
Claims which are perf.ct just, and which
every Judge in the land would give judg-
ment for, 10 which tue claimants will be
able at that time 10 furnish proof. II,
then, it is the iutention of Congress ever to
pay US our just ciuims, now is the time; aud
you will indicate whether you mean to do
it by the votes you give now. Butt if you
postpone auybody's claims, iu 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 not perhaps have been Union this
day.
ask the House as a matter of justice to
sustain this bill. We border State men
have stood by this Government hs my
from from Maryland (Mr. Thomas) has