Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-31
LOYAL CLAIMS.

u HNA~AS SAhAHos
The Wig and Register appears as the
champion of the Union men OF East Ton
nessee, advocating the payment of all
claims due for property taken by the Gov
ernment during the war. It has discover
ed in the report of the Hon. Columbus
Delano, Chairman of the Committee on
Claims in the 40th Congress, statements
which, it is shocked to say, are slurs upon
the character of every Union man in the
South. Upon examining that report, we
find the slur complained of to be the sim
pie enunciation of legal proposition
which we supposed was familiar to every
law student in the country, and not new
to men of the experience in journalism
which we accord to our contemporary
The declaration was that in the eve of the
law, every resident of the States in rebel
lion was an enemy TO the Governments
Considering that long before the report of
Mr.. Delano, and frequently since, the Su-
preme Court of the United States an
nounced the same well established princi-
pie of law, we see no reason for any such
sensitiveness on the part of our neighbor.
Every citizen living in the South during
the war had the character of an enemy to
the Government impressed upon him. ~
reason of the hostile character and pur-
poses of the insurrectionary government
under which he, for time, lived No
matter what his personal sentiments may
have been, he partook of the character of
the government over him, and in the eye
of the law was an enemy This principle
of law is based upon reason and justice,
and has been recognized for years by every
known publicist. The Government of the
United States could not direct its armies
against those personally who were rebels,
for they were too numerous. 1t was i'm
possible to singlee thin out. The Govern
ment was, therefore, compelled to make
war upon the people of the South as a
whole-as an organized body-and for the
purpose of facilitating its efforts in sup
lpressing the rebellion, and thereby short
! ening the war, lost sight of illdi,ttlt,nLs,
and made war upon all who chose or were
| compelled to remain within the cncmy's
| lines. BY strict construction of law, every
bit of property in the South was lawful
subject fof seizure by the Government.
But such has not been its policy. 1t did
| during the war and has since, in so far as
/ it was possible, recognized the patriotism
and devotion of this people, Hundreds
ond thousands of dollars have been paid to
aur loyal East Tennesseeans, and more
will yet be paid. We believe more would
! be paid now were it not for the extortion-
ate demands made by some who thought
more of their claims than they did of their
| country The most eXorbitant demands
! llttNt StlltlullN btcll IlutIt ny HlCll WHOSE
| loyalty, to say the least, was questionable
! This class of claims has swollen the aggre-
gate due to such q sum that every legisla-
| tor trembles when he thinks of the bur-
dens it makes probable for the future. If
the large and eXOrbitant claims of these
quasi Union men Were out of the way the
Others would speedily be settled.
But we suggest that these complaints
would come better from other sources
One day our Democratic friends complain
of high taxes, and the next they complain
that the Government does not pay these
claims, which would certainly raise all
taxes very materially.
! But their motives in making such COM
| plants are well understood. They seek to
make political capital out of it, and care
little about loyal mems demands. If they
! had thought more of the Union men Of
East Tennessee during the war and before
the war, we would not now have claims to
settle, or bitterness to recall. The Union
people of East Tennessee have suffered
enough at their hands already, and they
would thank them now if they would
NEEDLE less with their claims We know
the Government is just, and will give them
relief as soon as possible Our delegation
from Tennessee in Congress have done all
they could, and the complaints against
them fortunately, come from sources
where the motive is understood.