The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-09-28

Confederate States and compensation for
ealaneiPated slaves: by a refusal to pay i
the pensions granted 10 Union soldiers, or
a gran tEof Ike pensions to those of the /
Confederacy.a c192 7sT -ls3l - as1od,
e cit may be with almost absolute GER /
tainty be asserted that as far as the Con-
federates Of Missouri, and, Pam confident; |
those of other States, are concerned, these |
fears are wholly eroundless. We have |
played at the grand game OF civil war. and |
so ably as to gain the admitaGon Of the
world and the respected magnanimous op-
ponents. We e16st.it for want Of atruInps
but We dress At least our fair share Of the
honoIg. "a -1aE'7 Zaa a-1 - s1;
96onEederates, and especially Missouri
ans are not the men to attempt afterward
to floh the stakes from the winner The I
pay meht Of the interest on the United,
States debt, and the principal Of it when
due, and both as contracted for. is secured
by q principle stronger than any oonsti-
tutional amendment. The prosperity Of
all the people. as individuals Is go inti--
mately connected with the preservation Of
the public credit that, on a mere caleula-
ton of profit and loss, it is better to pre-
serve the latter as the basis of the form
eP We Confederates have as much inter-
est in preserving both as any otLer citi-
zeus. No one who is familiar with events
IN the confederacy in the last years of the
war will ever dream Of an assumption by
any one of any Of its obligations, whether
IN bonds or for loss Of property in slaves
or anything else. Not only by general
public law, but also by express terms of
| the contract, every creditor of the Confed-
eracys made his repayment dependent upon
the establishment of its Independence,
and, as it failed te secure it, he has no
claim, either legal or moral. You, sold
iers, know that, even when success was
possible, the common talk in the camps
was that the amount actually received BY
/ the Confederacy for its bonds and notes
was IN such ridiculous-dis disproportion TO the
amount promised to be paid that no sense
Of abstract law ar justice would ever Sc.
cure their payment.
How then would you receive propo-
sal now, to tax yourselves to pay anything
whatever on them when bought up, as
| certainly they would be, on any prospect
of gain on them, by sordid Spectators,
for mere song With regard TO losses of
property, from the horses which many of
you whom l now see before me had killed
under you in some gallant charge, up to
the millions lost in slaves by some Union
lists or lukewarm planter who denied you
their labor to aid you IN erecting breast
works against Federal balls, all must go
alike the road which universal public law
marks out for the unsuccessful in civil
war. One pays his stake IN life or limb !;
another in loss Of properly or exile, or
both. Let each one support manfuily the
adverse fortune of war, and not degrade
the cause for which he fought by gong
about to the victors, whining for compen-
sation -llt &
\ ''You, at least, and believe nearly all
Confederates, win not countenance any
one IN so doing. The pension questions
4 would be summarily disposed of by anyone
4 who knows the Confederate soldiers. For
us to accept any compensation from the
4 government against which we fought wo'
! be to receive aims 1t is to be hoped nc
demagogue will ever insult US by propo-
sing to us any such meanness. To the
Union soldier his pension is an honorable
distinction conferred on him by the gov
ernment he served, and, according to Law
or usage = part Of the compensation
pledged to him before be entered its ser
vice. Opposing armies have a certair
feeling Of fellowship as even the genera
) public began 10 notice in the intercourse
: between the Federal and general outposts
{ if any -demagogue proposes TO take then
pensions from Union soldiers, let then
: call across the line TO Us II they need help
/. | column TO the ballot-b box to put the swim
die down." bif-.l,s u b.. ar f2rtT7
After reading that, we may not agre,
: with all he says; but can any one doubt
: that amnesty is the best way-t 70 restor,
q harmony and fraternal feeling in aslliof th'
?, States Of the South 2 Does not that an
sYer al that Senator Morton says about
I the repudiatien of our national debt; o
; eur soldiers pensions, and Of the assufnp
4 bhon Of the Confederate debt27T7t
You all remember that Gen. Washburl
9 told the people Of Racine, IN our Joint dis
t cussion here in 1863 that the people werl
: never so prosperous as since the close o
the war Speaker Blaine also has indulgeS
IN the same strain quite recently But j
g must Be borne In mind that within tn
] past few years Mr.. Blaine has become {
E very, rich man, a millionaire, It Is said
: and how can he sympathize with or know
: be true condition of the common people
1 or the burdens they now bearR7 We al
e know that while the fortunate few MAJ
$ have become suddenly rich and are above
{ all pecuniary troubles, the great mass o
g the people, professional men, small mer
: chants, traders, mechanics, farmers, ant
e laborers never felt the burden of taxation
I and the struggle for respectable and hon
e est livelihood more than now.
4 l. To show how we are now taxed I reat
: tTfrom list which l hare had no time :
| verify by actual computation, but whicl
beieve to be correct. A gentleman pre-
: viously engaged in commerce, who under
q stands his subject, has taken the troubl
: to see what the duties are upon a feV
y leading articles. Look at the list tn
e poor man is taxed: --..---. ..-..-..