The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1866-10-16
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iEE leutfh sefil1u ei TIE proposed
eansiitutiohai amendment providing
tba' ihg national debt shail b. htla ,a-
arel. and making any aitempi bs the
Uu.ed States. 81 any Siate, county
t10u 81 corporation q pay any pant of
tie rebel debt unconstitutional has
been opposed as unnecessary and mere
b8ue5mba bv the Democratic party
plie lhr bulk Il that par,y, which NV
aad or gcars las been located az TIE
south has manifested IN various WAYS
rs Intention. II the Presidents policy
succeeds. and 81, South Is restored o.
representation - Congress Wthouttnr
lher guarantees. % makea strong gfsnrt
Is both utthdatc thc National debt and
setuus n some shape, the payment u
Nae rebel debt, or. nj least, enough II IL
% pension ~, rebel soldiers
The testimony taken by tho Recon
struciion Committee upon tins point Is
conclusive The constitutional amend
mont in question proyides that neither
tho United States nor any State shah
assume OF pay arg debtor obligation m-
Cured IN aid 81 instruction or rebellion
against the United States a. aHg claim
.fgr at loss 81 emancipation a any Save
The testimony before the Rooonstrue-
ton Committee shows that there is a
design IN The South TO make a concert
cd effort to obtain pay for the loss II
slaves and Other property, TO pension
the rebel soldiers and obtain some form
Of q recognition Of the rebel war debt
Thus DR. james Turner tostiiies that
those with whom he conyersed IN Lbuis-
lana 'think that eventually they would
bepaid for their slaves, Yhey can arrange
matters Ia Congress as they bope 70 10.
Dr. james l. Hambleton, of Atlanta,
ii native Nirginian, who has lived in
Georgia for fifteen years past and who
was surgeon in the rebel army, testi-
fed that the people believed that when
the passions engendered by the warhaye
subsidized they viii obtain pay for their
slaves and other losses
Cen y. H. Grierson testified that
there is great desire manifested by
tae Southern people for the assumption
'fof them debt They wish to bring that
about. and desire to be paid for thor
slaves ! think they viii oppose tho
payment Of the national debt,
John w. Kicks, Collector Of Customs
at Pensacola, Fla, testified that, prom
iuent men have ever advocated the doe
trine that they would be reimbursed for
the property they have lost in the way
Of slaves and other personal ehattels
They think they viii have been treated
with the greatest injustice if the Gov
eminent does notpay for all these things,
II is the impression Of a great many
itmay not be Of all that unless the Gov
eminent does in some way rcmunerate
them for the losses they have sustained
IN consequence of emancipation, it will
not be doing its duty toward them" .
Gen. Geo. f. Spencer testified th2t the
people Of Alabama say that, when they
get the power, they viii repudiate the
national debt That is common talk;
and their claims for the compensation
for losses Of slaves and property, and how
to manage to obtain power in Congress
to secure them, are an ordinary subject
( Of conversation. He added Il have
had claims offered to me to the amonht
of several millions of dollars to take to
Washington, hut have invariably told
them | did not consider them good for
anything,
Gen A. S. Cheatham testified TINT the
people talked very confidently i'll regard
to an effort being made by their meme
bcrs OF Congress when they are admit
ted to the seats, TO get pay for all the
negroes they have lost, or that have been
freed under the Presidents proclaIna-
ton. lie adds They also expect
that a majority in Congress viii be So
cured, after the admission Of their mem
bers, to gire he disabled soldiers of he
South tie benefits ofHe pension dct. They
also speak freely of the matter of claims.
They say that now they are pardoned,
and again in the family, G,eg expert he
Gorcrme,a ,rH pay hcp, for The dama-
gcs phich hey sustained by Shc7R0u's,
Wilson's, Gricrsoa Sond RoSseaa's iaids F"
j. w. Hunnicutt, of Virginia, testified
that if the rebel Congressman are adj
! mitted to seats; They say that in 1868
, the South viii be n unit, and that with
the help Of the Copporhead party Of the
North, they viii elect President. They
: do not care to have slavery back, but
! they viii try and make the Federal Gov
eminent pay them for their slaves A
man from Virginia told me to-day that
they would be paid for their negroes.
This gentleman lost forty negroes. They
say that unless you accept Their debt
they viii rcpudiate yours. , 1t is
an impression Of most Of them, men,
! women and children, that they are GO
ing to be paid for every rail burned, for
every stick Of timber destroyed, and for
every slave lost
!, Judge Underwood, Of the same State,
says "They would attempt either to
accomplish Reputation Of the nation-
al debt or an acknowledgment Of the
Confederate debt, and compensation
for tho negroes ! think these would
be their leading measures -theirleading
demands, and think that il either the
rebel debt could be placed on an equal-
ity with the national debt, or both could
be alike repudiated, they would be sat
,gG.1 Pint tba leadiu0 euiyitg yyauid