National Republican., 1878-05-11
FORTY.FIFTH CONGRESS.
[Conllnu1d (rom TYrsl Pnnf.

Richard Heater, executor of John Heater, de-
ceased, late of Loudoun County, Va, tho sum
Of $3,3G5 for stores and supplies taken by the
United States army.
The bill was reported by Mr. KErrER, from
the Committee on War Claims, who advocated
IL on the ground that John Heater was loyal
throughout the war.
Mr. BRAGG opposed all this class Of claims,
for they were doubtful During the war he
resided for some time in the State of Virginia,
and in the very region where this claimant
resided, and he found few who were loyal to
anything except Virginia and the Confcderacy.
Mr.. HUNrON said that he, too, had been
In that district during the war, and he said
that there were loyal men in Loudoun County
during the war. CandOr compelled him to
say that he regretted it, for they did not
think as he thought. He differed from these
people, but there was no doubt of their 10y
atty.
Mr.. FINLEY said that the other day q
claim Of loyal man was defeated because his
property was in Alexandria, and because, Us
one member said, Ellsworth was killed there
carly in the war for that reason il was said
that Alexandria was dislOyal.
He neither opposed nor favored tho pending
claim but he wanted 10 call attention 10 the
fact that the Republicans of the other side had
sent II broadcast all over tho country that the
Confederate Congress was depicting the Treas
ury by passing these war claims. He did not
propose to give his assent to Il bill which wOu Il
enable the Republican party to make more
party capital. He wanted the Republicans to
take the responsibility of this matter.
Mr.. THORNBuRG disputed Il point made
by Mr.. BRAGG that there were few, IL any,
loyal men in the South who had q right to de-
mand payment for claims. One of the troub-
les was that Federal officers in their march
through the South did not have u proper re-
gard for the property of loyal men. And he
NHaa Rn1 tl,at, all Ia,
claims OF the loyal men pending and il all the
claims that had been paid were added together
1t would not all amount tn Onc-tenth OF tho
amount Of the losses sustained by tho loyal
men IN the South
The Federal Government did not act as 1t
should in the payment of these claims. The
other day there was a bill for the payment of
Southern mail contractors, and it was discOv-
cred tlen that the Confrdency had passed a
Law to pay these contractors. In that very
law the Confederate Congress prohibited the
payment to any contractors who had remained
loyal to tho United States. The Republican
side Of the House had taken no action to have
the loyal contractors paid, and the other side
had not yet sufficiently recovered from their
rout to do in. To repudiate the claims of
loyal men of the South was as dishonorable as
to repudiate any portion Of the national debt
Mr.. MCMAHON was surprised to hear the
gentleman from Tennessee said that all the
claims of loyal men that had been paid did not
amount to Onc-tenth of what was due lie
would read from n speech which he had read
from the other day, delivered by Secretary
Sherman in 1876, in which he said that the
Government had literally given to tho South
ern claimants siuce the war the aggregate sum
Of $lOO,0Ol,OOoS Now, does the gentleman
(Mr. THoRNBuRGl claim that that is only one
tenth, and that - ,o0O,O00,000 of property was
taken from the loyal people of the South.
4 Hal
to the fraudulent claims that had been put into
this Democratic Congress, and which had been
paid.
Mr.. MCMAHON said the speech he quoted
from was delivered by Sherman at Marietta,
Ohio in 1876, and could have no reference to
claims pending; but could the gentleman
name n fraudulent claim for So that Demo-
cratic House had passed?
Mr.. THOMPSON suggested the Southern
mail contractors claims which were passed
last Congress and attempted in this.
MIR. REAGAN denied that those claims were
either fraudulent or were war claims.
Mr.. MCMAHON said those claims had not
passed this House. Norwcrc they war claims
but they were based on contract.
Mr.. THOMPSON then suggested the Will
lam and Mary College bill.
Mr.. MCMAHON inquired If that had passed.
MIR. THOMPSON replied no; but that it hal
been attempted.
Mr.. MCMAHON said that the Forty y-sCCOnd
Congress, which was Republican, did pass it,
Mr.. KEiFER denied it, and said that he
had the Record to show that it only received
80 votes.
Mr.. MCMAHON declined to yield to his col
league, who. he said, went through the State
Of Ohio with the hypOcritical cry about war
claims and rebel claims and then came in and
advocated this bill. He advocated it because
1t was u loyal claim, when the Secretary of the
gtlf1 thn lnI al
been depleted to the amount Of $lOO,0OOOOO
by that class of claims. Mr.. TmORNBURGu
had said these were fraudulent claims. If So
they had been paid by Republican officers, uu-
der law pissed by II Republican Congress
Mr.. HUMPHREY said the Republicans were
willing to pay claims Of loyal men us II matter
Of principle.
Mr.. MCMAHON said that after the war
they had paid what they called loyal men for
the purpose of building up u Republican party
in tho South. And now they raise the cry Of
rebel claims against the Democratic side. lie
was sorry the loyal men of the South were
not paid. But he wanted to put it on record
that 1t was a base slandcr upon the Union
army to say that they had destroyed one
Thousand million dollars worth of tho property
Of loyal men in the South MS they marched
through that section.
He would again read the extract from the
speech of Secretary sherman.
Mr.. TllORNBURG said the word "loyal 3"
did not occur in that speech.
Mr.. MCMAHON wanted to know If the gem
tlcman meant to imply that claims had been
paid to dislOyal men.
Mr.. THORNBURG inquired If the gentle.
Dan did not know that, after the war and after
Dcn had taken the oath of allegiance, they
put in claims for cotton and other property,
and that that was included in the payments
Mr., MCMAHON said stll the gentleman said
there WAS still mine hundred m lIinna Il N
the loyal people of the South.
Mr.. TilORNBURG suggested that the ray
mcnts for captured and abandoned prope rty
were included in the statements read.
Mr.. MCMAHON said he had only one thing
more to say as TO loyalty in tho South, and
that was that 1t was well known that only the
poorer classes were loyal. The rich generally
supported tho COnfcdcracy, and therefore
when 1t was said that the loyal people Of the
South had l0stsl ,OOO,OOu,OO of property. he de-
MED 1t and challenged the proof lie wanted
to sCe the loyal claimants paid ns much rs any
man, but he would vote against this and
kindred bills when tho whole purpose was,
after all, for the other side to make political
capital.
Mr.. KElFER said tho speeches Of his col
leagues Mcs'rS FlSLEy and MCMAHoN l.,
amounted t" this That they would not pay
the claims Of loyal men for the reason that the
claims Of the disoyal were not paid.
MIR. kEIFER then went On to deny that he
had ever proclaimed in Ohio thli he would
not pay these claims, and he accused Mr.. Mo
MAIIUS of making the surprh uf "A driuuunpur