The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-19

As people, we are clamorous about repudi-
| alton, and indignant that we should be
| thought capable of such knavery: And yet
| our own history furnishes an example of the
| most unprincipled, cruel and shameless repu.
diation ever heard of.
And this, not of obligations for money Dor.
| rowed of capitalists in the way of business, but
| for money intercepted on its way into the lit.
tie hoardings of widows and orphans, whose
| fathers and husbands, the ship owners and
merchant princes of the land, stood by oul
| country in the time other sorest need, and up
| on the assurance of President Washington him.
| self, sent their ships to sea, under promise
of protection.
France, under the plea of necessity seizes
and confscates these ships and cargoes. We
| demonstrate, and France magnanimously &C.
knowledges the wrong, and offers full indem-
nifty. Our government accepts the offer, re-
ceives the money-or moneys worth-emp-
ties it into the national treasury, and tells the
sufferers, who have been spoiled of their in
heritances, or possessions, until some went to
| the madhouse, others to the almshouse and all
the rest into their graves, impoverished and
| broken hearted, to whistle for their 1nnnay -
| petition Congress-the subject is referred to
| committee after committee until over thirty
three hundred memorials are on file in the
Senate and House, and forty-two reports have
been made, twenty -four in the Senate and
eighteen in the House, by the ablest men of
their day without distinction of party, and all
but three acknowledging the Justice of the
claims, and urging the payment to the suffer-
ers, as not only expedient and wise, but as an
act of clear and unquestionable duty.
Yet more, On two separate occasions, Bills
have passed both Senate and House for their
relief-only to be vetoed by the PRESIDENT
Polk at one time and Pierce at another. for
reasons never satisfact tory, even to their best
friends.
And now, what is to be done? By treaty
we guaranteed to the French their West India
Islands against all the world. We violated
our pledge, broke faith with the French-and
they lost their West India possessions forever.
We were liable to damages for uncounted mil
lions-for all it would have cost us indeed to
enforce the guarantee. We ask indemnity for
the spoliations on our commerce. Napoleon
and his minister acknowledged the justice of
our claim, and would have settled with the
sufferers at once; but our government steps
inland Napoleon offsets the French claim
for failures of guaranty against our claims for
confiscation, leaving our government to settle
with the sufferers The proposition is accept
ed, and the United States Treasury receives
what belonged to few of the people of the
United States, and up to this hour not dollar
has been paid over to themi
Was there ever reputation to be compared
with this? To rob our own flesh and blood
to take Their property, without so much as
saying, "By your leave" and then to mock
when their fear cometh.
At one time, Gue millions were appropriated
in bill that passed both Houses-but when
we know that the losses of this District alone
amounted to eight hundred thousand dollars,
si&ty-nlne years ago, which at simple interest
would now be over three millions, what would
We thought of a proud, sensitive people who
are Wiling to compound with their creditors
;n 10 sucn creditors-for moneys not borrowed,
-, ep'ed- appropriated - and wrongfully
""nneio-ior three generations, according TO
So'n rato' while they are in a blaze Of in
dignatlon all over the land, at be,ng ,naro1,,
: Ne"'"''otf j. N