Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-06
PAYING loyal MEN FOR losses.
From the Knoxville whis.l


From the Knoxville Whis.l
We Law before our readers this week the bin in
troduced into the Senate by Mr.. Senter. of
Granger TO compensate the loyal men of Ten
nessee for their losses by the war. This is the
measure lately urged upon the Legislature by the
Governor in special message. and one he has
labOred 10 have passed by this General Assembly.
Our information from Nashville is, that II Is n
popular measure with both branches of the Legis-
iature. aud will be the law of the State beyond
all question in very short time. The issues Of
the state will be fix per cent. interest paying
Treasury Notes running ten year, and the
coupons payable once year, and these Will be
taken for taxes. and all other state dues. ihe
bonds will be issued in denominations of so, 500
and $50. thus creating sound and CONVENIENT
currency. The Governor and Secretary 81 state
will have the engraving done as soon as the bill
passes both houses, and in the meanwhile the
Commissioners will convene and pass upon claims
few millions Of this money, issued upon the
credit of the State. and the integrity Of the
Federal Government. will relieve our people
before the first of August. Whilst the rebels ana
cOpperheads abusing the Governor he Is
labOring TO serve the suffering loyal men OF the
State in something more substantial than ,oord'.
The real people will see who their friends are,
and they will not fail to appreciate them, and
their noble deeds in their favor.
The bill to which the above refers was
introduced sometime since, and is now pend
ing in the Senate. 1t explains that part of
the Governors message referring to the
subject; and the above from the Governors
newspaper indicates what ends it is designed
to subserve. The first section Of the bill de-
scribes its object as follows:
SECTION l. Be 1, enacted Jy The Gencral 1ssem-
BIN oJ the State of Tennessee, That the State Of
Tennessee assumes and undertakes TO pay the
loyal citizens of this State the following descrp,
ton of claims. when the same shall be established
as hereinafter required,
FIRST All claims for horses. mules, cattle, hogs
or other live stock forage and provisions OF every
description taken and used by the national forces
during their occupancy Of this State, IN waglng
war against the rebellion
SECoNDLY. All claims for damages by the ma
ti0na forces in the destruction OF fences, build
ings or other improvements, or of timber or FIX
lures to real estate and for the use and occupation
Of lands houses other property by said forces.
THIRDLY. All claims for property taken: used,
DESTROYED occupied or injured by the rebel forces
in any part Of che State subsequent to the occu-
patton Of Knoxville by Major General burnside;
Pr0Udcd That such of the aforesaid claims as are
collected from the General Government under the
laws of the United States and the rules and regu-
latiOns of the Department thereof are not hereby
assumed, and shall not be paid under this act
The remaining sections prescribe the mode
of establishing the claims, and provide for
their payment as stated by the Wing.
The proposition is unexampled in this
country, or in history. If adopted and carried
ont, it will reduce the State to bankruptcy,
and burden the people with mountains OF
debt which will crush the public credit, and
impoverish our State forgenerati0ns tocome.
1t opens the doors to fraud, and establishes
system of premiums for false swearing, de-
trimental alike to the public morals and the
public credit. The "loyalist" who took
the oath to support the Confederate Consti-
tuition and Government, and who next as
sumed the garb of Rabbi in the Federal
synagogue will have few scruples in swear
ing that he was always loyal" and setting
| his losses at a sum which would make him
pecuniarly comfortable the rest of his life.
| Where two or three of such as these are
gathered together in the name of loyalty,
| the reciprocation of evidence would be COM
plete and irrefragible-and the bill declares
that only the loyal" shall testify.
What the exact or even probable amount
of these claims may be, there is no mode of
determining. We understand that the friends
of the measure estimate the total amount at
| about forty millions of dollars. This added
to existing liabilities would so increase the
burdens of taxation that itwould drive much
of the present population Of the State away,
and be as flaming sword at the gate forbid
ding others to come in.
If it be the deliberate purpose Of the pre-
sent State administration to inhict this at
rocious wrong upon the people, we desire to
enter protest in the strongest terms. In
addition to this we deem it proper to say,
that the people of Tennessee, in our opinion,
will never pay either the principal or inter
est Of a solitary one of these bonds or Trea-
sury notes if they are issued-and that they
should not. The people of Tennessee have
never repudiated any hEnest and Just obi
| cation, and we trust they never may; but we
are entirely satisfied that the holders or pur-
chasers of these obligations will never real
ize their denomnate value. The oligarchy
which has temporary control of our State
affairs, may prolong their sessions, and fur
nish work for the public printer by enacting
such statutes as this, but they are destined to
pass away as the exhalations Of the morn
ing. This fact had as well be understood
! first a. last