Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-09-14

: the rebels, il once the door is opened t,
; them. Along the line of Sherman
march through Georgia and the Caro-
linas claims of this kind could be trump
ed up to the extent of hundreds O
millions. The Shenandoah Valley and
other war districts of Virginia could
produce hundred millions more, al
least. Kentucky neutrality would
come in and claim its reward to the
tune of fifty or hundred millions.
And so on.
Nor is this the only class of claims
that would be presented. The ex-
shareholders of the South have not yet
abandoned the hope of remuneration
their liberated human chattles. Far
from it. 1t is now nearly five centuries
since the MOOrs were expelled from
Spain, yet to this day they preserve
with religious care the plats and other
evidences of title to their ancient es.
tates in that country, still fondly hoping
that'the vicissitudes of fortune will re-
stone them to the possessions OF their
ancestors. Even so do the ex slave
holders hope for and expect reimburse
ment, to them or to their children, for
their losses by the Emancipation Proc
lamation. And should the Democrat
ic party secure the power il seeks, they
will get it. The election of Tilden
would be the impoverished Niger
drivers opportunity. His voice would
be heard again in the land, as it has
not been heard sine Bob Toombs
swore he would yet call the roll of his
slaves under the shadow of Bunker
Hill monument; or since Vallandigham
hQnnInnod hn fr>rf fHaT TIrx.4
hallOwed and damnable.
That emancipation was an unconsti-
tutional act, and therefore void, is
Democratic doctrine never yet renOunc-
ed. 1t is true the Fifteenth Amend
ment has ostensibly been accepted as a
final settlement of the slavery question,
so far as the revival of the peculiar in
StltutiOn of the South is concerned, but
that is not understood to imply that
Southern Democrats have not valid
claim for losses caused by so-called un-
constitutional legislation. If property
was illegally destroyed by the Emanci-
patton Proclamation, it logically fol-
lows that they who owned it are en-
titled to reimbursement. And this
would be Democratic reasoning were
the National Treasury to fall into Dem |
Ocratic possession. The slaves would |
either be paid for outright in bonds and |
greenbacks, or the claim for payment
would be fastened upon the Govern
ment and entailed upon future Con-
gress by legislation.
1t is true there are constitutional OBJ |
jectiOns to this, but the Democratic |
party has not been in the habit of per- |
mitting constitutional difficulties to |
stand in the way of party necessity. |
With the power in its hands to do so,
the party will take care of its friends,
cost what it may. A party that could |
hatch gigantic war for the disruption
of the Union and the overthrowing the |
Constitution, will not be harassed by
constitutional scruples when its ruling
element is clamOring for favors. A |
party whose President could not find |
power in the Constitution to coerce q /
rebellious State, will not itself be con-
strained by that document to deny that |
imperiOus demands of the States the |
rebelled. Let no one be deceived in
this matter. A Democratic victory in
November means the restoration OF the
lost cause to imperial sway in American
politics, and National Treasury bank
rupted to satisfy its unresisted exac-
tiOnS.