, 1872-11-30
FRENCH sPOLIATION CLATmg

"AA~HAA NAAN tl'hnHa
claims arise out Of transactions occurring before
the present century, and their history or their
foundation may be briefly stated.
During our Revolutionary struggle, France
Was our great ally. It matters not that her
friendship for the revolving colonies was in
spired greatly by the bitter hatred OF Great
Britain, the result Of the long wars, and partcu-
larly Of the loss Of the Canadas and other
French possessions in America. It was sweet
revenge to France, If she could Offset the Eng
ish conquest OF Canada by aiding the independ-
ence and separation from England Of her thir-
teen colonies along the Atlantic. In those
days of our weakness, not to say OF our
peril, we made many treaties with France, and, in
consideration Of the aid furnished in the way Of
troops andnava1 vessels, We promised and agreed
to everything that Was asked. One Of the stipu-
lations and agreements on our part WAS that, in
any war between France and England, the ports
Of this country should be- open to all French
cruisers and their prizes to the exclusion Of the
English. After our independence, there fol-
lowed the French Revolution and the Republic,
and, Of course, the wars with England. The
British seized all the French islands in the West
Indies, and demanded Of the United States equal
privileges in our ports for English cruisers and
prizes that we're extended to the French. The
alternative was q war. France demanded of the
Union the execution OF the treaty excluding the
British vessels. In this dilemma, the Union
declared strict neutrality. extending to
both parties equal privileges. The French
Government Was indignant, and her cruisers,
from 1898 to 1900, captured our merchant ves-
sells upon the high seas. subsequently, France
acknowledged the i1legality Of these proceed
ings, and confessed liability therefor but ahe
also claimed, as an Offset, damages resulting
from the failure, On the part OF our Government,
to maintain its treaty stipulations The offset
being larger than our claim, France paid no
further attention to the latter.
Washington's Administration advised the
American sufferers to file their claims, and tho
Government would try to collect the came; but,
eventually, the two Governments agreed to sign
receipts and cry quits. The claims OF the
American vessel-ownerB remained On file in the
Department without any action, the disturbed
state Of France from 1900 to 1916, our
Own war with Great Britain, and other
causes, precluding investigation. At last, in
1926, under the Administration Of John Quincy
Adams, the arrangement which long previously
had been made between the two Governments
Was published, and the claimants discovered
that their only redress was against their OWL
Government. France had been discharged
from all liability Whether hfr. Causten had
been engaged in the business before that time
VIC Dc not know, but since 1926, he has devotaa
himself to pressing these claims, and hin 1ono
Life seems to have been protracted that he nav
see 'heir final payment. Regularly every ses-
slon Oh Congress the papers are presented. ra.
1erred' reported upon favo1ably, and then tha
case Stands still. The claim, dating from ha.
1ore l8oo, has survived the Administrations of
Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J.
Q. Adams, Jackson, Van Buren,, H.rri-
son, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore,
Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, johnson
and now Grant. For over 48 years these claims
have been aforma1 appealto the ibera1ity Of the
nation. Upon them there have been protracted
debates. They have been discussed by all the
great men who have been in Congress- since
1926. They have been discussed in the Legisla-
tures Of many States and several Of these bodies
have, by jointresolutions, appealedto Congressto
pay them. They have been reported upon f.
uorah7v 1.,o of
Congress-, and bills for their payment have fre-
quently passed one Or the other Houae. Twice
the bill has passed Congress, once under Po1k's
Administration and once under Pierce's, and On
both occasions have they been vetoed. At the
last session, the Senate fixed the 18th Of Decen-
ber for the consideration Of the bill, and
its friends propose to make desperate struggle
to pass it this winter. It involves the payment
OF several millions Of dollars.
The original claimants and several generations |
of their SUCCESSORS have passed away; but, owing
to the zeal Of the now venerable agent, the |
claim has never been allowed to pass into OBJ
1iyion. All over the country the multiplied end |
remote descendants Of the original c1a;1uants
are demanding the money. The Boston Journal
states that one-third Of the money is due to
persons residing in Massachusetts, and, as an
illustration Of the high value once placed upon
the claims, it states that Mr. Bartlett, Of
Newburyport, when dying, left one-half his for
tune to the Theological School at 'Andover, and
the other half to his heirs,-the school getting
the money, and the heirs the c1aimsfor damages
for spoiations by the French.
In the report made to the American Woman
Suffrage Association, at the annual conven-
lion held in st. Louis last week, Mrs. Julia
Ward Howe submitted an array Of facts that,
taken together, illustrate how much women can