The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-18
The kue Murphy Claim.

The Sue Murphy Claim.
AMY DARDEN's horse will long be remembered
"a one of the bequests of the Revolutionary
war. The theme was for many year pre-
cicus boon to the Congressional orator In need
of subject for his eloquence. The patriot
soldie1y had seized upon horse, the owner o.
that horse was q young lady, and while few
knew whether the fair owner was ever remu-
uerated. the multitude of burning words
uttered in her defense still dwells in the
memory Of men.
The Rebellion has furnished us with
another theme similarly rich and productive,
and the claim of Miss Murphy may be re-
garded as the new stalking horse from be-
hind which We are already receiving the
arrows of wit, wisdom, and eloquence THAI
cannot be SO conveniently shot from any other
screen.
A fair young Alabsmian is the presumed
owner OF presumed property that was pre-
sumably injured by the U MON forces, and the
young lady in question is presumed to have
, been loyal-at least this ID the present aspect
Of the case. 1t has been stated that the pro-
perty was, at the time it was visited by Sher-
mans soldiery, in the poss session OF Rebel
male relative, who has since conveyed 1t to
Miss Murphy, who was herself at that time
devout follower of Jefferson Davis, but has
since become earnestly loyal. The gentleman
who attested to her disloyalty has had his
credibility questioned by one of the lady's
defenders; bat, oddly enough, this charge has
been since withdrawn, with the ample but
,1.bo auh thn vuif Ia
entirely to be credited upon all other SUBJECTS
he ia mistaken in this individual case
The matter has been complicated still
further to the minds of all thinking loyalists
by the threat uttered by certain Southern
Senators, that II the Government rejects this
claim the South will repudiate the war DEBT.
And this, we suppose, must be construed to mean
that we must now pay all the expenses OF the
late conflict incurred by our fleets and armies'
and also pay the South whatever they choose
:, to ask for being conquered
When the secessionists 80 proudly and gladly
!, accepted at our hands the privilege Of being
n regarded as belligersnts, they assumed also
! the disabilities of the position; and it can be
"a but strange mode of reasoning by which
of the citizens of the rebellious States now claim
nj remuneration for property seized and used by
n the Union army in its passage through hostile
ot territory.
If The laws Of nations and the enactments o
no our own country render this so manifest tina
~ the advocates OF the claim are urging 1t rathe
"a or The ples.of grace and gallantry than as
a, right based on law and logic.
BY their own action 1t became our brotherl
;. duty TO the Southern States to thrash ther
:. back into their senses and we performed tn
nh duty fully and fraternslly, and in consequence
ha liberated from most oppressive thraldor
-. the Upionists of the South, black and white
-. To them we indeed owed primary duty, an
,Ii we performed it to the whites by maxim
- LOYALTY a possibility to them with safety
-, life and limb and to the blacks first by emal
:, cjpation and then by protecting them in Il
L,ia rights with which that act endowed them.
,h Even if We could in prudence allow on
irov selves to be moved from grace and gallant
to reuunerate still further the loyalists of Il
Il eeceded States, we think that the storm OF Il
UF t,ro and brim stone that fell upon that Sodom
ar,o the hand of Grant and Sherman singled o
~ a the few righteous men as Enthusiastically as
Lot Of old, aud we do not now need to find t
fba tried and faithful loyalists py the fecomme
10 ia dation of known Rebels and their Northe
az sympathizers. For the case in hand is ma
7, still more extraordinary by the fact that t
mid claims of the loyal lady are urged SO strer
had ously by disloyalists, who should have CT
ov sistently hsunded her from her possessic
saes years ago instead of fostering latent admi
AZ. ton which now seeks to find expression in
leo warm tribute OF dollars and cents-drawn fr
1ooi- other mems pockets.
=, ~ II indeed it is the duty of the Governm
10 seek out and assist the friend faithful
.I true in good as we'll as evil fortune, that fri
.uo oan be readily iouud-it is the Ameri
onJ people the loyal masses who iaVished Di
.nas and treasure in the nations Defense
| o.ot thought no gift too precious to bestOW FRI
W.. and without stint. This friend Is now alfe