The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-08-29
SOUTHERN WAR CLAIMS.
What We May Expect Should the Next
Congress be Democratic.
[From the Chicago Journal.

Ex-Gov. Hendricks, in his Indianap
oils speech, tried nard to convince his
hearers that the popular cry against the
Democratic party, on account of it's will.
ingness to admit and pay the rebel wal
claims, was entirely ill-founded; and, tc
further his end, quoted the fourth sec
ton of the Fourteenth amendment to the
constitution, which, he claimed, utterly
forbade such payments. But the latest
and fullest classified list of these claims,
as published in late issue of the New
York Tribune, reveals the fact that there
are about $3.50, 1000, 900 of them which
this constitutional amendment does not
touch. These are divided into seven
distinct classes, as follows: CD Claims
for the refunding of the tax upon
raw cotton, amounting to cents per
pound, levied and collected in 1866
and 1867, which aggregate the sum of
$50, 600, 900; (2) claims for the value of
cotton, sugar and tobacco seized and
sold by the United States under the
so-called Captured and Abandoned
Property acts of 1868 and 1864, amount
ing to $50, 1000, 900 more; (3) claims for
the value of cotton seized by agents of
the Government after June 80. 1866.
contrary to law and in violation of their
orders, as is alleged, estimated at $15,-
600, 900; (4) claims for stores or for sup
plies, including steamboats, and other
vessels taken for the military or naval
purposes of the United States, estimated
at the enormous sum of 100000, 900;
| - claims for rent of buildings, wharves,
and lands occupied by the United States
in the insurrectionary districts during
the war, amounting to 800, 900, 900; (6)
claims for property destroyed or dam
aged il a deliberate and orderly manner
| by competent authority as military
/ necessity ON the part of the United
States, amounting to 100000, 900; CD
claims for slaves enlisted into the Fed
eral army from the loyal border States,
and only partly settled when proceed
ings were suspended by an act of March
30, 1867, amounting to $6,000,000.
All Of these claims are now actually
in the hands of Congressional commit
tees Or hired claim agents, and only wait
for favorable opportunity of presenta-
ton to Congress. Is it any wonder,
then, that the Democratic party is try
ing to cover up these awful facts and
figures?
Nor is this all. The original acts OF
Congress granting payment to a certain
kind and quantity OF these claims, pro-
vided that, as q first requisite in each
case presented, the claimant should
prove that he had never given aid or
comfort to the enemies of the Govern
ment. Under these acts about $100,
100000 has already been paid to loyal
Southern sufferers by the war. Such
payment was advocated by the late Sen
ator Morton, by Secretary Sherman,
then in the Senate, and by other Repub-
lican leaders. But these cleims, be it
remembered, were presented by men
who were able to prove their loyalty to
the satisfaction of every one. In 1868
President Johnson issued a general am
nesty proclamation which, as the Su-
preme Court afterward decided, removed
the faint and disability of disloyalty
from every one who had supported the
rebellion; and, after this, claims
focked in by scores. Still, as
many Of these war claims were pend
ing before the treasury, the Quarter
master Generals, and the Commits
sary Generals Departments and the
Southern Claims Commission, and, as
the tribunals referred to are not courts
within the constitutional meaning of the
term, the limitations contained in the
acts of Congress giving them jurisdic-
ton are still operative, Notwithstanding
the amnesty. But at the last session of
Congress Senator Christiancy intro
duced bill, by request, "to reorganize
and extend the jurisdiction of the Court
of Claims. Ii this bill should pass, it
would destroy the last barrier against
the admission Of any and all claims
which Southern men might feel disposed
to present, and, as the New York Tr5b-
enae remarks, it would take hundreds
of millions from the treasury certainly,
while it's possibilities would only be
limited by the ability Of the Government
to pay. Is it not time, therefore, that
the country should thoroughly appre-
ciate the magnitude of these Southern
war claims?"
This whole subject is, indeed, almost
infinitely bewildering to any mind not
familiar with the workings of official rou-
tine or conversant with the details OF
Governmental transactions and legal
technicahties. In TACT, it is stated that
Senator Christianey himself, anxious only
to relieve Congress of burden which il
is untitled to bear, consented to intro.
duce the bill without mastering it's far.
reaching effects. Tt is not likely that he
will ever become the advocate of such 6
bill, and still less likely that it can ever
pass Republican Senate. But what il
both houses of the next Congress should
be Democratic then? It matters
not what Democratic orators may say
therefore let every Republican remem.
Der and proclaim that this dense, black
cloud of Southern war claims hangs low
ering in the political sky and only wants
the favorable conditions of Democratic
Congress and Democratic President tc
pour out it's hungry and grasp;ng fury
I7non orr national trnac7rrv fhorobx