National Republican., 1877-12-11

any money justly due him unless equiyo-
Gated and funded from the Government and
to this end they have prostituted them
selves and their employees Us shamelessly
as those who ply their trade in the slums
and alleys Of the city. This dispose
ton upon the part of these officials has
grown more and more patent, until 1t has
reached it's elimination under the present
Secretary of the Treasury, who has deliber-
atcly requested Congress TO ignore one part
of its Indebtedness while he pirates about
the "saoredness of the public faith" when
speaking of another, and who hos gone so
fhr rs to say to the representative Of the
claimant for moneys unlawfully withheld,
there shall never be q Southern claim
paid while am Secretary of the Treasury,
unless should get drunk or become crazy"
were not so many claims against the Gov
ssess - have necessarily grown up from
that abnormal condition, but even before
that time there were some startling cases of
injustice, to which VIC should make passing
allusion. Three-qusrter Of century ago
France paid to the United States sum Of
money to repay damages done by the agents
of that government to certain citizens Of
the United States, and the grandchildren
of the men for whom this money was
claimed and recovered from France, are
still suppliants asking that 1t be paid. The
treaty by which Florida was acquired
bound the Government to pay certain
sums to citizens of that territory, that are
yet unpaid, and are likely to remain so
Other instances of this kind could be
quoted, but we pass them by to treat of
those claims which were created by the re-
bellion.
These are of two classes-one Of them is
the bonded indebtedness of the United
States. The welfare Of the holders Of
these securities seems TO be the particular
province of the Secretary. For them every
thing must be done. In fact more than the
law or the bond requires SHYL6CK only
asked his pound Of hesh-only demanded
the fulfllment of his contract, but our
financial minister goes beyond sHYLocK in
his demands upon the people for the bond
holders He wants the pound of flesh
nearest the heart" as II was nominated in
the bond" and he wants the heart thrown
in rs good measure. We would not be un-
derstood as in the slightest degree adyocat-
ing any deviation from the public faith
and public honesty, so far as the bond
holders are concerned. They should be
paid to the uttermost farthing Every dol
lar of the principal and interest Of every
bond should be paid in full in just such
We are not repudiators.
But there is another class Of the indebt-
edness Of the Government that is just ~
sacred and should be as honestly and
promptly paid as the bonds. When the
Government was in the throes Of revolution
and extraordinary measures were needed to
preserve its life, citizens came forward and
offered not only themselves but their prop.
erty to aid in the struggle that finally re-
J suited in the overthrow of. treason and tn,
, re-establishmento of the Republic Thousandi
: of these citizens were impoverished by the
giving up of their money and property Il
this work, and they are now vainly be
} seeching the restitution that has been or
dered by the laws of the land but is refused
by the Secretary.
Again, hundreds and thousands Of loya
men in the South were deprived Of theil
property by the results of'the war, and they
vainly seek restitution. Still another clas'
of claims was created by the seizure Of prop
erty in the South after the close Of the war
the proceeds of the sale of which were placet
in the Treasury, and by IN act Of Congress
ordered to be paid by the Secretary to th'
owners of the property; and when any O.
these men endeavor to establish their right
they find the whole machinery of the Treas
ury Department used to foil their efforts
instead of being given to aid them in tn
establishment Of any honest demand, ant
: are finally told, "No Southern claim shal
Q be paid while am Secretary"
! Congress has legislated upon this subjec
. in vain If Mr.. Secretary SHERMAN is to b
o allowed to carry out such n policy. Law
: have been passed and courts established
I but these results are farcical II the fnancia
s officer of the Government is determined
prevent the results aimed at, and the pres
!. ent one declares he intends to do 20. 1t
!, true that the legislation is not as complet
rs it should be, and we hope to see thi
q Congress remedy the existing defects an
e provide means by which poor suitors ca
= easily, cheaply, and quickly recover an
= moneys honestly due them. On TIL
subject we cannot do better than quote froI
!, the decision of Justice Mort, of the Coui
of Claims, delivered in the case of BROW
, vs.. United States, and found on page 10
. volume six, of Court of Claims report
:, = This was peculiar case. The court ha
:, given judgment in favor Of BROWN for
certain sum and the then Secretary Of IL
:. Treasury revised The judgment Of the eou
: and paid only a part Of the sum decree
BROWN brought suit upon the judmei
for the unpaid portion, and in delivering IL
N opinion Mr.. Justice NoTT used the follow
C ing language: an the great arrogance
q great ignorance our popular orators an
n writer's have impressed upon the publ