New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-26
Pertls Of the Future


that may, and surely will. result from the
possession of the several branches of the
government by the Democratic party. Ex-
Guiding from view altogether ali thought or
suspicion of q renewal of the struggle to
dissolve the Union, and assuming that the
people at the South are now as devoted to
the Union as any others of their country.
men. there are other perils equally as
alarming and more easily made certainties,
and which are all involved In the restora.
ton of the Democratic party to power. We
have already pointed out the revival of the
old fundamental issue, whether the United
States constitute nation, endowed with all
the attributes of national sovereignty, or
whether it is mere confederation of SOY.
ereign States. the general government act.
| ing as the mere agent and creature Of its
principals, the several States. On that
question the Democratic party is now as
undivided as it was before the war, and
insists with as great tenacity as ever upon
! its old theories of Estate rights" That
doctrine can not be abandoned by the Dem.
| ocratic party without adisbandment Of the
party itself.
Now. let US ask what is the Democratic
party to do when it obtains control Of the
executive, legislative and judicial branches
of the government It will enter office up.
on the fundamental principle that this is q
confederacy; that the general government
is the agent of the ''sOvereign States" and
that this doctrine, though ignored in the
administration Of the government by the
Republicans. is now and has always been
the true doctrine; and, to make any change
in the administration Of affairs. this princi-
sented to them for action. At the very be.
ginning of their administration they will be
met with a series of matters demanding
legislative action which have been rejected
by the Republicans. Among these are: The
refunding of the war tax imposed on
cotton, which. with interest, now amounts
to slOO.OO0,OOO. The payment to all
persons living within the Confeder.
ate States OF all losses and damages
sustained by them during the war. This
includes compensation for horses, mules,
cattle, grain Of all kinds, and fences; for
fire-wood, cotton destroyed and carried off:
for buildings occupied and buildings dc.
stroyed or Injured; for damages resulting
from all these and other acts, whereby
these people have suffered in person and
property. 1t is not possible to estimate the
amount of these claims. The war was
actively prosecuted in Virginia during four
years, and from that State alone there will
be claims enough to amount, with interest,
to two hundred millions Of dollars In the
cotton States the losses were greater, and
Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Missis.
sippi can furnish authenticated claims for
five to ten hundred millions of dollars.
Then come the claims Of all the railroad
and other transportation companies. and
the owners Of steamboats,. seeking COM
pensation for their damages. These people,
all being citizens of their respective States,
and owing, according to the Democratic
doctrine, their first allegiance" 60 their
"sovereign States,' can not be held respon-
sible Tor any acts committed by authority
of their States; any invasion or occupation
of their premises. or any capture or use Of
their property by the general government,
was wantOn trespasS upon innocent per-
eons who were in insursection by command
of their lawful sovereigns, the several
States. Personally. according to the Demo
cratic doctrine, these men were never in
rebellion against the United States; they
were but Obeyi their eovereign, che State
government. The general and universal
law ie, that in time of war. all persons re-
sidinS within the territory Of the opposing
authority are enemies and as such have no
legal or equitable claim for any compensa-
tioa for any loss or damage they may aus
tain, and this includes aliens ~ we'll as
the native citizen inhabitants. This rule
is as absolute and as universal in cases
of civil war, rebellion, and usur-
patton as in cases Of war with foreign cOun.
tries. According to the Democratic doc
trine. This law can not be applied 20 the
people Of the South, because they could not
BE- in rebellion against the mere agent Of
the States when commanded to bear arms
by tho States themselves; and therefore the.
Southern people. as whole and Individual
ly. stand like the people Of the North, emit.
tied to the benefit Of that part of the consti
tuition Of the United States which provides
that private property should not be taken
or Used without just compensation. In any
Democratic administration. tho Southern
States must OF necessity furnish . majority
OF the party representation in both Houses
OF Congress; it will in like mar ner be dom.
iuant in the Cabinet, and in all the courts.
Is it always was before the rebellion.
Nor is this all. 1t is claimed that the
Republican party, while administering the
national government, uncOnstitutiOnally
and arbitrarily passed certain acts by
which certain State governments were
forced upon those States; that these fraud
ulent State goyernments have contracted
debts to enormous amounts without the
consent OF the people; that these alleged !
usurpations were in fact usurpations by the
people; that these debts were contracted
by the national government and not by the I
States, and should be paid by the general |
government. Each of these States. more. |
over. during the war contracted large debts |
for the protection of its people from the !
I
and payment of these debts has been pro |
hibited by the Republicans, under their |
usurped authority to dictate 20 sovereign |
States; the Republicans having deprived |
the States OF the means with which to pay ]
these trebel wary debts, the debts them. |
selves became proper charge upon the |
United States, according to the Democratic |
theory of the rights of the States.
All these claims and demands are founded !
upon the sole distinguishing principle Of
the Democratic party. that the States are !
sovereignties, and the general government
no more than their appointed agent. acting |
under limited written powers delegated to
it by the States. From the payment of all
these claims there is no escape, 1t the DEM
ocratic theory of the government is correct;
and their validity can not be Justly disputed
or denied except upon the fundamental
principle. held by the Republicans, that the
United States are a nation with all the in.
herent attributes Of sovereignty. free Of any
responsibility or dependence upon the
States in any form or manner.
we know that some persons in the Re.
pu5 5lican party. and cohspicuously Senator
Howe. of Wisconsin. have sought to break
down the Iega! and polite barriers by
which all these claims have been excluded.
and have urged the payment of damages
tor private losses in the rebel States in par
sicuiar cases. upon the ground that great
and powerful government can afford to act
I0erally to people that suffered and lost
20 much in a rebellion when they believed |
hey were right. We know also that the
payment Of these claims. amounting in all
20 perhaps several thousands Of millions OF
iollars, will be sought indirectly. especially
)y enlargement of the Jurisdiction and
powers OF the Court Of Claims. The pow.