The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-26

one. And to show how paternal govenmer
holds the word of promise to the ear an
breaks it to the hope, l need only say that
the whole number of cases heard and decide
by those commissioners only five per cen
have been allowed
Another class of claims are those known q
cotton cases. 1t is unquestionably true tina
every bale Of cotton in the South that coul
be reached by the army or any government
officer during the war, no matter to whom
belonged, was seized and carried away as Law
full prize Congress has provided compensa
ton for most Of such seizures. But how
and on what condition? l. The claiman
must prove his loyalty-and we shall present
ly see what that means. 2. He must prov
that the proceeds of sale of the identical cot
ton went into the Treasury of the United
States; proof Of the exact quantity seized anl
carried away by a commissioned officer acting
under instructions will not do.
The impossibility of the owner Of cottol
tracing his property to the auction blocl
through military lines bristling with bayo
nets, and then following the money till hs
sees it safely lodged in the Treasury vaults a
Washington, is too clear for argument In :
few cases the proof exacted has been made
out by the merest accident, and the claimant
has received his money minus an extravagan
bill for charges. But the great m sss of claims
for cotton seized are rejected for want o.
proof which the government alone has the
power to produce.
There is a widow lady (Mrs. F. J, the head
Of large family, living near Port Hudson,
La. She had taken the oath of allegiance to
the Union, and when Gen. Banks army laid
siege to that place Mrs. F. had four hundred
bales Of cotton stored in her ginhouse Gen.
pLc caizo1 oouo hor a inf for he
same, and then sent the cotton to New Or
leans for governmental account. So far
she can trace her property, and why should
she be required to trace it further
The market price of cotton at that time
was one dollar per pound, gold, SO that the
government has at this time in its Golfers near
5000, 900, gold, belonging to q widow lady Of
irreproachable reputation, now poor and
needy-money which it has had the use Of for
ten years without interest, and yet refuses to
pay, even in its irredeemable rags, while you,
speaking for the governing power in the land,
declare that there is nothing you desire SO
much as to see the restoration of our PROS
perity." I have mentioned this case simply
because it falls within my knowledge. But it
will serve as an average sample Of q multi
tude.
Another class Of claims consists Of balances
uu6 W CUubIdCtUIb lOI mhll-lIduSpOElhtlOuS scr
vice in the seeding States prior to the year
1861. These balances are shown on the books
Of the Post Office Department. The amounts
are not in dispute. Of the same character
are the claims of parties who entered public
lands prior to 1861 and paid their money, but
have received no titles, their entries having
been Cancelled These cases, however, are
not numerous.
And now think I hear you ask what pos.
sible impediment there can be to the payment
Of these claims. | answer none, except ttat
essence OF diabolism, malignity
and hate known as the iron-clad oath. pre-
scribed by the joint resolution Of 1867. That
act authorizes payment on condition that the
claimant will forswear himself 1t will not
do to swear, and prove too, that he was
Union man and in heart opposed to the war,
and gave neither aid nor comfort to
The rebel cause. That is altogether INSULT
Gent proof Of loyalty. He must do much
more. He must swear, in addition, that he
openly denounced and opposed the act Of
swear to, verify it by the testimony of two
credible witnesses; and they, Of course. could
,nly be had by snbornation. The Court Of
Claims at Washinton, far more reasonable than
he malignant lawmakers Of 1867, refused to
,xact from suitors before them such excessive
demonstrations of loyalty, very properly re-
marking that no Union man within the rebel
ines during the heat of the war could so
nave conducted himself but at the sacrifice Of
lis life.
But have not exhibited the worst feature
# governmental action under the law of
867. Three or four years ago Il have no
ccess to law books and speak only from
nemory) the Supreme Court Of the United
tates, after mature deliberation and argu-
nent-Judge Chase delivering the opinion
eclared the act to be unconstitutional and
old. And now you would suppose that
,ould be the end of it, and that an immediate
escission of the orders and instructions
,sued by the executive departments for
nforcing the law would follow. Far from it.
10 official notice whatever was taken of the |
upreme Court decision. 1t was totally |
,nored, and those orders are still in force. |
he patient, suffering South has no friend at |
ourt to raise voice against the stern rigors |
the most wicked and cruel law on the |
even though pronounced uncon- |
And Gen. Grant permits his |
nperserviceable henchmen, the Commits
oners of Southern Claims, at this very time,
, exact from all claimants before them, as
roof of loyalty, this illegal iron-clad OATH
have thus pointed out some of the results /
the war at which you have not even hint
!, but which until their crushing effects are
smoved from the Southern people, will pre-
emit them from meeting their protesting
lends at Philadelphia for universal hand
make and good time generally. l speak
ow of the Southern men and women who
wn the country, and whose fortune, for veal
: woe, is bound up in it: not for the YAM
ire class, the carpet-baggers or their worse
,cessories, the scallawags; nor yet for the
official scribblers who, having axes to grind,
spresent the people Of the South as lonely
nd anxiously waiting the day when they can
ash into the open arms of their Northern
rethren at Philadelphia.
| have spoken. the truth in regard to the
mper and disposition Of our people on this
inject. And God knows / have said it more
sorrow than in anger They do wish to
in you at the Centennial, but it must be on
rms Of equality as members Of this Union
hat can not be while they know this govern
ent only by its expressions and the practical
enial of rights conceded to be due them
But am glad to know that it is not too
te to do them justice. The next Congress
they will, apply the remedy and set all can,
inps RIGHT If the Northern naopIa ORC |