The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-04-15
SOUTHERN WAR cLAInS.

/
Gen. Scott relative to the Mexican
war claims of the same nature as the
Southern War Gains, that they
should be paid. The question as to
legality simply should be, was the
property actually taken? This, alone,
should now be the test for paying
those claims, and not shield them
selves behind thing called loyalty
which is stereotyped on everything
that smacks of Southern claims. Gen.
Scott contended that it was small
and insignificant in SO great cOun-
try to steal provisions from the poor
Mexicans in order to carry on the
war against them. Would it not be
ennobling in our present administra-
tive power to emulate the sentiment
of Scott, and come to the conclusion
that it vase small and insignificant
to wage war on the non-combatants
of the South by taking horses, pro-
visions, etc., from them, under pleas
of promise to pay, in order to aid in
carrying on the recent war; and at
the close of it, wriggle out of it on
the pretext of loyalty. When horses
were taken in this section by the inn
pressing officers, the impression was
left that they would be paid for, as
the receipts given prove. Our idea
would be, pay all just and honest
claims, or repudiate all. The whole
people of the South are taxed alike,
and should at this late day be treat
ed alike. But here is what Mr..
Classic writes to Hon. w. B. Stokes
on the subject:
WASHINGTON. d. c., May 5, 1874,
Hon. VIM B. Stokes, Alexandria,
Tenn; Dear Sir IL have your fa-
vor of the 26th ult., enclosing a slip
cut from some newspaper on the
subject of claims now before me.
There has been and is now an effort
on foot originated by some of those
demagogues in Congress, foremost
among whom are Wheeler, Of New
York Lawrence, of Ohio, and that
stripe of men, to foist upon the stat
ute books a measure that will throw
the payment of the claims of our
people back five to ten years The
ultimate object of the move is, as |
app~ehended, to repudiate the debt
based on these Southern War Claims.
Your letter contains, as l view it.,
the correct position in this matter.
The printed slip sent me is a gafbled
statement gotten up by some design
ing person for his own ends; it
would be hard to tell the purpose in
view.
have been working my best the
past six weeks against the objection
able feature of the new bill. Gen.
eral Meigs, the Quartermaster Gen
eral, does not endorse the new bill !;
heard him make some very sensi-
BILE suggestions looking to an amend
ment of the faulty provisions, but
that is no unusual thing ror him; if
these allaoise .felIOeVs up there in the
''fog bank" or ''cave of the wind"
as Don Piatt calls Congress, would
sometimes consult such men, we
would have fewer mistakes and less
complaint from the people.
The Senate has made some amend
ments to the bill as it passed the
House, but not enough to relieve the
law of its odiousness. The propo-
sition by the Senate is to leave the
claims where they are, let the Quart
ermaster General, Commissary Gen.
eral and Third Auditor pass upon
and award the claims the Secretary
Of the Treasury to report them to
Congress. who retains the power to
pass them or not; if they pass Con-
gress, then an appropriation will be
made, If not, then they are finally
rejected.
You will oOserve, that after it has
been definitely ascertained that the
Government is a debtor they can
hold the money from one to two
years without interest, before they
pay it over-a most just law(0; a
wise Congress(0; the peoples
friends and safeguards(D.
It is an infamous outrage that the
people of the South should be treat
ed in this way by Congress. Their
rights are trampled upon on every
hand, in the language of Chief JUS
tice Taney. They have no right
that the Northern and Eastern Con-
gresham is bound to respect. Yet
it is partly their own fault. They will
not keep man in Congress long
enough to learn the ways of legisla-
tion or to gain influence they swap
off and on like sick man changing
doctors, the moment the old doctor
is learning what is the trouble they
take a new one, the moment our
Congressmen begin to learn some
thing the people send a new man,
and he has to learn the whole thing
over; in the meantime. about. eleven
old stagers, members from the East
and North shape legislation to suit
themselves and for the best interests
of their own people and local insti-
tutions. This mistake of our people
will account for the onesided laws
we have been having foisted upon US
the past decade.
The Eastern and Northern people
were paid in cash and at full value
for all the stores and supplies re-.
ceived by the government from them
during the war. They have had the
use of the money and have been
growing fat on it these ten years
past of course they cannot sympa-
thize with q people who have not
been paid, and they are bitterly op-
posed to paying the South one cent
for the stores received from them.
- A. .,,1..,,ar,A q claim fc paraaanfaH