The Portland daily press., 1865-09-26
THE VICTIMS OF CONFEDERATE
BONDS.

The proceedings of the recent meeting o.
Confederate bond-holders in London have Al
ready been reported by telegraph in our cor
umns. Some of the speeches ana reSo'u'l ~
l3 of tl,;s meeting are irresstibly funny. One
has no difficulty in believing the statements
made nv one of those present, that the largest
holders had failed to represent, @not wishing
"a annaar publicly in the matter lest they
should be considered in stupid position as
- holders of Confederate bonds" One bond
holder contended that the Federal Govern.
ment had a right to pay this debt, a view Of
s.g the case which wiltshire some people as pc
culiar. Another "feared there was no chance
of the Federal Government recognizing the
late Confederate Government as legitimate
one" We should say not, gentlemen, decided
993f saNFr Snancer Herapath thought it would be
unraasonahIe 10 think that they could have q
claim on the Federal Government beyond the
amount of property belonging to the Con-
] 3a9 federate Government of which the Federal
Government had taken possession"
The property of the Confederate Govern
mentn having been mainly stolen from the
United States, it is questionable whether the
latter will meet with high degree of alacrity
any claims even to the amount thus modestly
limited.
Ons member Of the meeting proposed to
. adjourn, and wait for something to turn up
"Mr. Green obi ectel to the adjournment
lfsa BY appointing a committee that day they
4AH would put price upon their stock consilera-
bly, above what it was at present. That would
.ssa show that they were determined to make a
beginning" sea ae43D ia
What they were to begin on, Mr.. Green did
oi 8so not state. I a6 EuaT 98g3lt
ssThe Chairman promised to give all the as
,ss they had advanced What, he asked, would
be their debt when divided amongst the seven
Confederate States? (Hear, hcar.) 81
At the close of the discussion the following
resolution was passed THAT considering the
position in which the subscribers to the
eseSs Seven per Cent Cotton Loan of the Confedef-
ate States of America are placed, it is expedi-
ent that a committee should be appointed to
=. consider the rights and claims of the bond
holders, with instructions to report to SUBJ
Is sequent meeting before taking any steps to pro-
tect the same" 4s3s+ Ht
+. just what these proper steps were to be
was not decided upon but the same Mr. Green
suggested that it would become them to bring
their claims before the President and Mr.
A Seward. I'VE should rather have advised that
- they address themselves to the trunk-makers.
with view of getting good bargain for the
mass Of waste paper their hands; but,
incase Mr. Green's suggestion should be adopt
ed, the London Star offers the followingas the
model for a suitable speech on that occasion
sFo80eJ Ms JOHNSON Sir, we are de outation
from the, British Confederate Six per Cent
Cotton Loan Distressed Bondholders We
lent the sum of three millions to Mr.. Jefer-
fj IS son Davis and other citizens of the United
innas States, who were at the time asserting their
sovereign right to inflict wrongs upon their
5 fellow citizens. . by avfolat9n Of the law of
hGbeas corpus you have interfered with Mr..
Davis in his lawful pursuit Of happiness by
means Of a government Of his own making,
K and have de fact0 put him inFortress Monroe,
and de fdcso assumed the control of the
Southern States IN his place., We have been
% 80 advised that In these circumstances you are
morally, and internationally bound to repay our
s3g money; morally because had it not been for
the bayonets which we metaphorcaly placed
In the hands of your fellow -countrymen the 4
e az gallant soldiers of the North would have had
few honorable scars to show to the admiring
friends at home; morally, because BY. the guns
and the bullets we provided many ofthe Amer
ican youth we struck with mortal wounds /
and now fill honorable graves, leaving leg
acy ofgreat deeds to after generations. In
ternationaly, because having given you
the opportunity to display your prowess the
comfy of nations requires that yon should re-
fund the amount we paid to your enemies to
enable them to fight you with that determine
ton which makes your victory SO remark
ahle.' u sf ssft s-f 81 COCO =