New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-11-14

OF faith on che part OF SheiE government.
So stood che relations between the swo
powers, When in 1903 The United States
purchased tue colonial empire 81 louis.
lana. The $40 powers compromised all
antecedeng difficulties BY az agreement
that she United States should make q pay.
men: 9: perhaps $4,000 1000 francs
iD full payment soE the province
and THAT il consideration Of tie sum q
10000, 900 francs. reserved by tie United
States from the purchase money .: she
province, the United States would assume
payment 81 all claims adjudg91 % BE
valid Of her citizens against the govern
ment o: France. Nov part cons:iera.
ton OF the sale and purchase Of Louisiana
was an assumsi: OF the gar: q lie
United States and .uie claim % beial!
Of its citizens as against France .or any
indemnity COX past damages. This is q
succiIc: statement OF "'tLe French spoo
GatioD claims which have haunted the
aalls Of Congress, and. perhaps the con-
science 9! some who may, in tie past,
have known citizens ruined ~ tie delays
Of diplomacy and legislation. Soon aftes
the convention Of 1860 commission vas
appointed to examine the Claims agains:
France. Il appeared there had 5sen more
than two thousand American vessels cap
tQred by France. Many claims were re-
jeeted and q list Of valid claims was re-
ported. Then commenced appeals 20
Congress Tor the liquidation of :Lese
claims, and we may suppose :has after the
government had the money il hand as
trustee ?oy its own citizeus sLey would
have been speedily satisfied. Since Tia:
time there have been abou: sixteen 3e.
ports on these claims made BY tie House
and seventeen BY che Senate among
these. twenty-five nave been SAVIOR.
favorable. three adverse and :wo Iii.
Yided. etc. SIX bills for their payment
have passed the Senate. swo have passed
both houses These bills have been twice
vetoed. MI. Polk objected 70 pay them
by "a assignment Of five millions OF acres
out Of the nationa! domain or by United
States bonds bearing five per cent. Oh the
ground that the Mexican war might re.
quige all the peans Of the treasury.
President Pierce was 40: convinced that
the claims for indemnity az Tie hands Of
the United States were valid, and 50 the
claimants have been RENTED to q per-
petUai demand against the government.
No doubt many o. these claims have long
since passed from the families q the
original sufferers. Perhaps beartIess spec
lators and claim agents may be tie benz.
fciaries Of delayed justice, if it Je justice
to pay the claims, Of all this We know
nothing. We are alone anxious for the
honor OF the nation that the claims should
be adiudicated o. dismissed, paid Or IN.
paid. Private property, says the CON
stitution, shall not be taken for pub
lie uses without compensation 10 the
owners. Apparently the United States
used tn acknowledged demand against
France r. part pay for q purchased
province, and possibly as a means
Of avoiding a war. With tile merits,
however, of these claims we have nothing
T. do. The honor Of tie renubic-it8
duty 70 protect and compensate its own
citizens, and especially to pay over money
to the trusts to which it vas dedicated
are all obligations which effect every
citizen. In this view We recommend all
representatives. in Congress calling them
selves Republicans to insist at once on
the final settlement Of the French spolia-
ton claims. Il due, they should be paid;
if fraudulent or invalid, let i be So 1e-
cIared, that tie claimants for an american
vessel confscated and sold under the
DEGREES Of Berlin and Milan Of the last
century, may be put upon the same foot
ing with the claimants tor tho sgo.;atioas
Of The Alabama OF Shenandoah.