Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-05-16
WEST yIRGINIA,s CLAIM.

III the SENATE on wednesday,
Hon. III. G.. Davis called up his
bill to reimburse the State of West
Virginia for losses incurred during
the late war, and addressed that
body upon the same
Mr. Davis commenced by sketch
ing briefly the circumstances at
tending the organis lii the
State Government Vir
ginia and the part taken hy her
during the war. He said that as
q State it had been loyal TO the
government from the very begin
ming. From her peculiar geo
graphical situation she was forced
to bear the part of hard knocks
and cruel blows from both the con-
tending armies. She was the bull
wark, the fortress interposed be-
tween the loyal States ofthe North
and West, and the opponents of
the government, and her people
were compelled To undergo num-
berless hardships and sacrifices.
He argued at some length the
question of the obligation of the
government to pay its loyal eiti-
zens for losses sustained at the
hands ofthe federal troops, quo3ing
in support Of the affirmative posi-
ton which no took, Vattel, Gro
cius, Whiting, fancy and WilnDot.
He held that the essence Of the
opinions and decisions were con-
tanned in the plain proposition of
law that the government is bound
to compensate its loyal citizens for
all property taken from them by
its agents or destroyed by federal
troops As to the damages in
flicted by the confederates, or those
resulting from the accidental con-
sequences Of war, he said that
West Virginia claimed no COM
pensation, though in strict justice
she might be entitled to 1t. AS to
the rights Of citizens in insurr.c =
tionary States, he held that los
al citizen of Virginia, Louisiana or
any other insurrectionary, was as
much entitled to protection of life
and property and to compensation
for his property taken or appropri-
ated by the government, as citi-
zen of New York, Massachusetts
or any other northern State. But
West Virginia did not come under
the head OF an insurrecti0nary
State, as her loyalty was frequent
ly recognized by the government
from the commencement OF the
war to it's close, by the proclana-
lions of President Lincoln, a1d Of
the generals of the army We
as by the action o. ,ng -. H.
maintainedthat tl.s { aiw yhich
he now presente, on h hail OF
West Virginia was nett her a large
nor an extraordinary one, and
cited large numt or Of preeedents,
dating back to the revolutionary
war and running down to the pres
ent term Of Congress. In regard to
the fears which have been express
ed as to the drain which the
allowances of war claims would
cause upon the treasury, he said
that they were largely overesti-
mated. He exhibited official
figures and estimates from which
he summed up AS follows: that the
amount of claims now pen6inG
and probably to be presented, woafd
make total OF $40, $780, 900 Ofthe
claims heretofore acted on, about
one fifth had been allowed APP
plying this proportiopto the above
amount, he estimated that the
probable sum the government
would be liable for would not ex-
coed $15, aQ0, 900. TO pay this there
is nowh "a, the treasury resulting
from the sale ofcaptured and aban-
doned property in the South some
$15, 100000. He then argued that
the government was not only le-
gally but in duty bound to reim-
burse the people OF West yir-
ginia, who had stood up for ii III
its extremity, and at the time whefs
it cost something to be true to the
government. He concluded with
strong appeal to the Senators to
do justice TO this claim and to the
people Of the border and southern
| States