National Republican., 1873-11-08
A PREDICTION PULFILLRD-TREAsON
REVIVED.

h benteoHee IVY the Wno'o eo'
A PREDICTION FULPILLRD-TRRAsON
REVIVED.
Old man Hunter, Of Virginia, has made a
bid to be elected to the United States Senate
rs the successor Of John +. LOWS, whose
term expires March 4, 1915. His past record
Is too well known to require particular attcn-
tlon at this time, and II Is sufficient to say
that as the representative Of the slaveholders
OF his own State and the South at large he
has labored faithfully In their interests, and
has won Q reputation which entities him to
rank high among the statesmen Of his Sec
ton. Never intemperate In his methods, he
has yet managed to place himself In the front
Of the most extreme and radical pro-slavery
movements. In making the bid to which we
refer, he has given further evidence Of his
ability to respond TO the sentiment OF "his
people," as the Democratic politicians Of the
South delight to characterize their con-
stituents, and has made the response,
10 view Of his ambition, at most
opportunc moment. With characteristic
adroitness and the skill Of an old politician
he began In speech al the Winchester fair
with proposition which startled the North,
but was subsequently dropped as the utter
ancc Of speaker In heated debate, to COM
pensate the shareholders for the loss OF their
slaves by the war. Many OF the Democratic
papers took occasion to repudiate the propo,
sition In most decided terms. But now thai
the election Is over and has resulted In vic
tory for the slave-holders' party, he has re-
ncwed 1t in the form Of correspondence with
an imaginary or mythical persona dlstin
guished Northern gentleman and has givcr
to the world his views on the subject through
the columns of the Richmond Wing. Form
ing, as we believe this extraordinary declara
tion will, the basis Of future platforms fol
tho Democracy, we reproduce the correspon
dencc In full. A perusal Of 1t will satisfy ever
, the most prejudiced mind Of the truth Of th'
: predictions Of the leaders Of the Republican
party that the Democracy intend to encum
. Der the nation with o colossal debt 70
g compensation of the losses incurred by tn
: traitors Of the South In the war for the de
! struction OF the Government. At the YER
2 2 hour when We begin TO see the light breaking
j through the shadows Of financial embarrass
g mcnt, which have darkcned our surround
i ings for the past decade, this proposition
, comes to prove that the safety Of the repub
lie requires that Its government shall renal
$ In the control Of the party which has don
( so much to remove those shadows. The dis
r cusslon of the "clalms" OF the Shareholder
caLnot fail to arouse feeling Of distrust
and every loyal man will experience n SCI.
, sation Of dismay at the bold revival Of III
reasonable schemes Of the past Itcan hay
no other effect than this; and when "
tha NJ NJ
E forced to admit that II is nothln
a more or less than an attempt
8 establish the Southern Confederacy With
0 the United States. The next step will be I
d saddle the country with the debt Of tho 8,
d called Confederate States, and finally the c
,c fort will be made to compensate the traito
l. for property Of every kind destroyed durir
the war. There Is no chllds play In th
matter. It Is serious beyond anything thi
y has occurred since the surrender. Mr.. HUI
II ter speaks for millions Of voters, and, as u
y leader Of O great section, he represents
u power which the Democracy Of the Mort
o. will be glad to conciliste. The plaine
principles Of common justice are violated
. the proposition, 1t Is true; but when person
. groed and political supremacy are at stak
:. and when 1t Is supported by such darir
= traitors and unscrupulous leaders as tho
y who will rally around Mr.. Hunter, tho
'' principles will fall as reeds before the wlnt,
. gale. Tho specious arguments advanced
, him TO prove that the emancipation ,
= = the slaves by military power was vi
lation constitution, will furnis
grounds for appesls TO the selfish interests
u . people who are suffering the pangs Of
% poverty which naturally followed from the
u treason. The s5OO, 900. 900 Of bonds wit
70 which 1t Ia proposed to alleviate their unfo
=, tunate condition will prove to be bait ,
J" seductive as to cause them to ignore the
pledges when they were restored to ii
Al rights Of citizenship. II will not avail
explain that the individual owners" surrer
= dered all right to compensation when the
,i took up arms against the Government; thi
A. the rights Of States were also surrendered
~ that on the readmisslon Of the rebellion
m States TO the Union the most solemn assu
= ancss were given that no such claim woul
"a ever be made, and that the fourteenth amen,
=. ment to the Constitution positively prohibi
T. It, in the following language;
=, Sec. 4. The validity Of the public debt OF Il
= United States, authorized BY law, including deb
= incurred for payment Of pensions aud bount
for services In suppressing insurrecton or rebt
Y lion, shall not be questioned. But neither Il
e. United States nor any State shall assume or pi
E. any debt or obligation incurred In aid Of insu
If rectlon or rebellion against the United States,
e any claim for the loss or emancipation n any Siar
!, but all such debts, obligations and claims shs
u be held illegal and void"
" Whatever may have been the liberal an
I - A.. IL. NJ
er Hampton Roads conference, when 1t was a
!, tempted to close the wsr by compromis
" the foregoing enactment, ratified by vi
ginla, effectually settles the question. 1t
cs useless to plead an evasion Of this prohibitlO
L., 81, ,,tI