The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-03
THE DEFAULTING SOUTHERN RAIL
ROADS.
From the N. Y. Sun.

From the N. Y. Sun
During the rebellion all the Southern rail
roads were in the hands of the Confederate
Government, and were employed exclusively
in its service. Indeed, it is not too much to
say, that without their aid the rebellion would
have been impossible So long as hostilities
lasted their managers were unable to procure
new iron or new locomotives, and peace
found the roads altogether worn out and un-
provided for the business about to be thrust
upon them The iron of their tracks was
used up, and their rolling stock was consum-
ed or worthless.
Some of these roads, however, had fallen
into the hands of the national autho rites
some time before the termination of the war,
and had been put in good running order for
the use of the army. The line from Nashville
to Chattanooga, that from Memphis to Grand
Junction, that from Harper's Ferry to Win
chester, and that from City Point to Peters
burg, and probably one or two others, were
furnished with new iron, new engines, and
sufficient supply of platform cars. In these
repairs and improvements the Government
had employed large sum of money. 1t
had also accumulated considerable number
of new locomotives, and large amount of
iron. The locomotives were all of the gauge
in use in the Southern States-fve feet vide
and could not be employed upon any of the
Northern railroads. Accordingly, it was neces-
sary to dispose of them in the South The
Southern companies, however, being without
means, were unable to pay cash either for
engines or for iron; and it was thought best
both by President johnson and by Secretary
Stanton to sell them the locomotives and the
iron belonging to the Government on credit
The amount for which they were thus
trusted was something more than four
millions of dollars; and we are sorry to say
that up to the present day their conduct has
not been such as to justify the confidence re-
posed in them.
Precisely which of the Southern railroad
companies are delinquent we are not in
formed, but we learn generally that the roads
in Tennessee and those in the Southwest re-
fuse to pay. The reason by which these
companies attempt to justify their refusal is,
that during the war the Government made
use of their tracks for the transportation of
troops and supplies, and this service they at
tempt to set off against their purchases from
the Government at the end of the war. Their
claims have been rightfully disallowed by the
War Department.; but the companies propose
TO test the question by bringing suits against
the military officers under whose authority
their roads were used.
This design appears to us to exceed in i'm
pudence anything else that has been heard of
in modern times; and although it is not to be
expected that judgment can be obtained
against any officer who used one of these
railroads, it would be quite proper for Con-
gress to pass law to prohibit the bringing
of any such suits. The railroads we're all
captured property; they were just as much
subject to the will Of the power which had
captured them as were cannon and muskets
taken in battle. The companies which owned
them might, without injustice, have been
entirely deprived of their property and they
ought to regard themselves as treated with
extraordinary magnanimity by the Govern
ment when it freely restored to them the
railroads with which they had done their best
to destroy the Union. The sale to them on
credit of four millions worth of iron and
| locomotives was also an act of extraordinary