Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-06-02
The MORGAN RAID CLAMs-W u w.

| Ann MohuAN Raid CLAIMS.--W, IL WErT.
'hehadical Attorney General for the stats
OF Ohio, has written and published hs
opinion of the law passed by ths Legisla.
lure authorizing the payment of the claims
Tor damages done 10 citizens Of this State
oy the late Gen. JOHN H. MORGAN in his
raid through Southern Ohio in July, 1868
HIS opinion occupies about three columns
IN the daily papers,. He declares that the
law is unconstitutional, and the Auditor
refuses to pay the claims. The time was
when 1t was considered the province of
the Supreme Court Of Ohio alone to de-
eide upon the cOnStilutiOnality of the
Jaws or the State, after an opportunity
for full hearing on the part of those
interested. Those Republicans of Yinton
county who cast their votes for WEST and
the other Republican officials can ,now
see how easily it is fora very homely
specimen of second rate county court
lawyer to set himself above the highest
Judicial tribunal Of the State and assume
10 act in its stead
A large portion ofthe counties Of soutb
ern and Southeastern Ohio ia dssn,v
interested In the matter. Its passage was
secured by the earnest and persisten,
efforts Of the members from this portion
OF the State. The Western Reserve, which
ala not suffer from this expedition" of
MORGAN, as, indeed, II escaped almost all
The calamiiieS of the war, bitterly fought
the payment of these claims, with, we
believe, one single exception. Having
been defeated in the legislative ha lis thew
ny Tor aid to their political favoritCs-the
Radical State ofllcials-always elected IL
seems, to do their bidding. This decision
oil the Attorney General and the proposed
action Of the Auditor of State, NAV be
considered q triumph Of Northern Ohio
over Southern Ohio. The people of this
portion OF Ohio, who SO freely poured out
their blood upon the soil of other states
IN support Of the gOvernm ent, and left
their homes unprotected and open to ,bo
raVages Of the enemy-must, poor tbouch
'hey be- bear these losses, though the State.
being able, was in duty bound to protsct
them from the invasions and depredations
of the enemy.
The political effect of this action upon
the part Of the Radical State officials. who
have suddenly become such great stiok
lers for the Constitution that they must
treat laws as void before they are brought
before the courts, is noticed by the COlum.
bus correspondent Of the Cincinnati En-.
q1irer. He says:
"The Attorney Generals nulli6cat;on
edlct, and the determination Of tho 6nan-
clal officers Of the officers of the Stato 70
refuse to pay the Morgan raid claims
nave excited Ruch indigna ton all over
southern Ohio that the Republican mana.
GERS here at the Capital are bsoom;no
alarmed. They are getting some sbarn
letters from the leaders in their party in
that portion Of the State,
"A prominent Democrat Of This oitv
to-day received letter from an able and
inhuential Republican, who resides in n
strong Republican county, in which
occurs this passage: 81 candidly bslieye
that this county will 20 Dem ocratic Al the
next election. The action Of your Legis-
iature in providing for the payment of The
Morgan raid claims, is commended by men
OF all parties. But the indignation
against West and other Republican State
officers is terrible and verwhelming.-
Look out for q Democratic representative
from this county in the next Legislature
which will be gain for your party.''"