Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-01

and fairest newspaper representative at
Washington, DIR. Redfeld, of the Cincinnati
| Commercials may perhaps serve to
show the falsity of the charge,
as far as 1t concerns the last Democratic
House Of Representatives. In recent let
ter to that paper, he says:
Summed up, the Southern claims legisla-
ton OF the last Congress amounts to this:
About S10,00O.U00 in claims of all sorts were
! introduced. most of which were for the two
| items of cotton captured and public buildings,
churches, ETC., used and destroyed. None of
| these passed, and should never pass, for there
won be no end to that sort of thing. But
claims for provisions and material taken from
Union people should be paid to the last dol
lar Of the whole aggregate of about $4,000,
QUO introduced less than So, 900 got through.
and these of a nature which should certainly
tai Q them out of ne category of rebel claims.
An appropriation of about 100000 was made
to pay claims awarded two years ago by the
Southern claims commission, but for which
the last Congress made no appropriation.
These claims arc mostly for small amounts, the
average being but few hundred dollars. and
go to Union claimants scattered about IN near
ly all the Southern States.
Thus, from good Republican authorit y,we
find that the sallowance of Southern rebel
claims by the last Democratic House has
vanished into thin air. Less than $4,000
were allowed, and that amount only on the
most positive proof of the loyalty of the
claimants. The sum of 100000 was APP
propriated for the payment of Southern
claims, alloaoed by the Republican, COM
mission. How utterly groundless the charge
formulated and how Indignantly unfair and
regardless of the truth the authors of the
charge are, is clearly proven by the state
ment quoted above. No comment can do
justice to the mendacious scoundrels who
would thus falsify the record; no denuncia-
ton can be too severe in characterizine
them.
In addition to being false, the accusation
against the Democrats in Congress is foolish.
Even if they were disposed to allow rebel
claims. they are effectually barred from
doing so by the fourteenth amendment to
the constitution, which provides that s:neith-
er the United States nor any State shall as
sumo or pay any debt o, obligation incurred
in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the
United States, or any claim for the
loss or emancipation of any slave
but all such debts, obligations and claims
shall be held illegal and void.'' Thus it will
be seen that no party can allow any such
claims, and the accusation that sshundreds
of millions of disputed war claims of dis
loyal men, would be allowed is preposter-
ously idiotic. Instead of showing DISPOSE.
ton to allow such claims, the Democratic
party in Congress have taken the contrary
course, for in June last the House passed an
act which is designed to effect the purpose OF
statute OF limitations as to these claims-a
measure that had been neglected entirely by
the Republican party. The act in question
provides that Congress shall not consider
any such claims until they have been passed
upon and approved by the court of claims
and that call claims not prosecuted within
six years from the passage of the act. shall
be barred" This does not look like a de-
termination to deplete the treasury by the
allowance of rebel claims. 1t is rather q
much-needed protection against their allow
ance-a guard that the Republicans ought tc
have placed upon the treasury twelve years
ago.
Here, then, are three incontestible proofs
of the falsity, the absurdity of the charge
that the Democratic party approves of the
payment Of Southern rebel claims. con-
stitutional provision prohibits, and is an eff
fectual bar to their payment even if the dis.
position existed; an act was passed by the
Democrats themselves limiting the time fol
the prosecution and guarding against the al
lowance of claims; and the record of Con.
gress shows that not single dollar of such
claims were allowed. If, in the face of these
facts, any one is foolish enough to believe
the charge. he is too far gone in imbecility
to admit Of the hope of redemption.