Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-10-04
a FoRErAsrE OF RrsEl pEMoc.
0AAv

RAcY.
Nathan Clifford, of Maine, is one
of the Supreme Judges Of the United
States who has come downto us from
the old Bourbon democracy of Tho
Drcd Scott decision times. He is al
appointec of James Buchanan, wa.
Attorney General under Polk, and
preceding that time was in Congress,
when, as now, the pro-slavcry Gle
emcnt of democracy controlled tina
party, and finally drew ii into tn,
rebellion. Now they expect to us,
tho same party to get possession O
the government they could not de
stroy. He has rendered recen
decision in the L. s. Circuit Court O
Maine, which is in keeping with hi
Bourbon sentiments. During the re
bcllion, Col. Neal Dow, was il
Louisiana in command of the l3tl
Maine regiment and while foragins
they took some sugar from planta
ton. The owner applied to Dow
for pay, and Dow replied eff you are
a loyal man, we will give you 6
receipt, and YOU will easily get You,
pay for it." The sugar was used
principally in hospitals. Tho mar
refused to establish his loyalty, and
after the war sued Dow in Louisiana
court and got Judgment. The case
was transferred to the L. S. Circuit
Court at Portland Maine, where it has
been pending FOR. several years. Some
ten days ago it was decided. Judge
Nathan Clifford, affirmed the
Judgment of the Louisiana Court
against Col. Dow, personally, for
sugar seized by foraging party OF
his regiment. The District Judge,
Clark, refused to assent to such a
judgment, and by so doing requires
the case to go to the Supreme Court
of the United States for final hear
ing.
This is the state of things as po,-
trayed by the Hon. James q. Blaine,
in a recent speech. According to
this decision it makes no difference
whether party was loyal or not as
to whether he should receive pay for
army supplies taken from him. This
is what the Confederate House did
last winter, and filed the clerk
desk torunning overwith claims oflate
rebels. According to this ruling of
this old fossil democrat, all the officers
Of the army who helped subsist our
army upon rebels, will be liable to be
swamped body and breeches, and this
will include quite number of dem
ocrats. But this is not what Clifford
and the democratic party are after.
1t is simply to get judicial decision
of the validity Of these claims and
thus make the government assume
the load to the tune of hundreds of
millions. Blaine says that Clifford
has carried this case on his docket for
eight years, and only ventures a de-
cision now, because of the boldness
and partial success of the democratic
party. The Chicago Tribune, speak
ing Of this matter concludes its arti-
Gle as follows: b..
| Thus the plot thickcns. Missouri
has issued certificates of Indebtedness
to those of her citizens who were Ell.
gagged in the rebellion for $S,OOO,OOC
for losses dnring the war, which Ger.
tificates the sovereign State of Mis-
souri is to present to Congress for
payment. The sovereign State of AL.
ALBANIA has SO far approved claims for
1850, 0OO, 600 by her rebel citizens fol-
losses during the war. and the State
is to demand payment thereof of Con.
gress. Georgia will claim 100000.
600; Louisiana, $3.50, 100000; Virgin.
ia, $500, OO0, 600, and the other States
in proportion. There were claims
filed before the last Congress by in,
dividuals amounting to 500, OON, eco
If Tilden be elected, and the. two
Houses of Congress and the Govern.
ment generally pass into, the hands OF
the democratic party ruled by q "Sol
i'd South" it will sequire but few
changes in the membership Of the Su
preme Court 70 have Judge Clifford'
decision, that the Union commander.
are all personally responsible fol
whatever losses may have been sus
tanned IN the Rebel States, confirmed
How are these claims to be paid
This was ,foreshadowed by the actor
Of the last House. The Solid Soutl
will insist upon the Issue at first o
500, 1000 additional greenbacks.-
Their universal cry last year was tn
extreme poverty of the people an,
the want of money. These green
backs arc to be paid out to thcs
claimants and money is to be mad
easy in the south. But the issue {
greenbacks must have limit. Whe
| they shall have dropped to 40 or
cents on the dollar, and specie re
sumption shall have been postpone
until the next century, then Mr.. Til
den's "wise finance" of which h
speaks SO hopefully in his letter O
acceptance, will provide that bond
be issued in payment of the remain
ing claims, and at the end of Mr.. Til
den's four years the national del
will be as much above four thousan
millions rs it is now above two thou
sand millions of dollars. From thi
the next step will be short one =
! General Reputation.