Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-11-02
Southern War Claims.

win never rebel : threats of disunion at tn
South come only from a few irresponsibl
persons" Democratic speakers had said only
year before. So they say now, ''The Demo
cratic party will never pay Southern wa
claims. Only few reckless men propose
to please the mob; only ignorant men imagin'
! that it is possible. The Democratic part,
would never permit such thing" Yes, 4
Democratic President would resist Just a
Buchanan resisted secession Gov Tilden i
sagacious man. He knows that these South
ern demands are injuring his party. Why
does he not state that, if elected, he will veto
every bill for the payment of losses to mel
who cannot prove their loyalty? He does moi
dare. Such declaration would cost him the
support of the very men who are making tn.
South solid. Visit that section, and talk will
the Southern people. The feeling is universal
that Democratic victory will mean payment
OF Southern claims As nearly all active and
influential men are claimants, solid South il
easy. In this demand the South is incompar-
ably more united than it was in secession in
1861. Then several States were hurried into
the movement only by force or fraud. But
now the men of property, of action, and of
influence in every district in the South where
battles were fought, or Union armies marched
or encamped, or Union raiders penetrated,
have direct personal interest in the demand
that their losses in the war, like those of loyal
citizens, shall be paid by the Union. If any
man supposes that these people are not in dead
earnest, he is terribly mistaken, as those were
who dreamed of peace in 1861.
The election of a Democratic President
would mean Democratic House. But the
large majority, probably more than two
thirds of the Democratic members, would be
from the South. Mr.. Riddle of Tennessee
will call up his little bill, now pending, which
provides for the payment of all persons who
may prove their losses before a jury of the
vicinage, or establish them to the satisfaction
OF the Secretary of War. A jury in any neigh
borhood bust be largely composed of persons
who have other claims of their own to estab-
lish. A Secretary of War, if selected by a
President owing nearly all his electoral votes
to solid South, will not be likely to scruti-
nize too closely the demands of that section.
MIR. Riddles bill will be advocated thus.
1--WE at the South have lost and suffered terri
bly,, while you have grown rich and powerful.
Northern States have been repaid their losses,
and loyal men. But are not the States equal
now? Are we not all loyal now? Is it not
fair to pay us also ?" Half of the members
from the South will applaud, having claims of
their own. The other half dare not oppose.
because all their active and influential constitu-
ents have claims. IfNorthern Democrats OBJ
ject, Democratic caucus will be called. In
that caucus, the Southern members form
majority, and the bill will be declared party
measure. How many Democrats from the
North will then dare to make enemies in every
Southern State, implacable enemies in that
section which always controls the Democratic
party, by rebelling against the decision of
caucus?
The Senate, many hope, would prevent the
passage of such bill. We recently showed
that the Republican majority in that body
would be small; at least four members of that
enough to turn the scale, will be
from the South and in one section or the
other more than four can be found who are
capable of being corrupted by share in an
enormous job. When the bill has passed both
Houses, will Democratic President dare to
veto it Where is the man who will dare, in
such a matter, to affront the overwhelming
desire of his party? Presidents are human,
and have ambitions. A Democratic House
would have immense power to tie the hands
OF recalcitrant Democratic President. The
man who will dare to commence such strug
gle is not the man to get a Democratic nom-
ination in these degenerate days.
The bill becomes law. How much money
does it involve? Estimates range all the way
from $5O0,0OO,0OO to $4,000, 100000. Our
Washington correspondent reports that, upon
the best information there attainable, it is be-
lieved that these claims exceed 50, 400, ,0OO,-
900, and the amount does not seem too large
in view of the fact that during four years a
very large proportion of the South was ex-
posed to loss from the movement of armies,
and tried in vain to get its surplus products
through the Union blockade 1t is not un-
likely that the property destroyed in the pro-
gress of the war exceeded that sum, but the
actual value would by no means limit the
claims ''establshed' to the satisfaction of
jurors having other claims equally elastic. In
brief, the payment of these claims means a
doubling 'of the public debt. Nor can any
man give good reason for the hope that the
payment of them would not be ordered if the
Democratic party, controlled by solid South,
should gain the power.
The South is not anxious about the magni-
tude of the debt. Ever since the war it has
been favorite idea with Southern men to
make the debt so great that no one could ex-
pect it ever to be paid. To ''get their share
first ard then to repudate the whole would
be a fine revenge for those who were beaten |
in the war. Is it in accordance with human |
nature to suppose that Southern leaders would |
protect the credit of the Union against their |
o"h ihtoieSls, aSaihsS TIC paiSsiohale ueinduus |
of their followers, and in spite of smoldering |
resentments with even the best of them often |
betray? If this nation is so reckless as to |
take the risk, it will learn in due time the |
meaning of solid South.-[N. 7. Tri6aae.
Communicated
Mark Twain and the Civil Ser.
vice.