The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-04-16
TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL le.

Virginia and possibly South Carolina alone can liye
Laughter and applausel. Just think of them in
that blue empyrean, surrounded by Washington and
jefferson and dead heroes and Milton and Sir Harry
Fane and Sir Chi topher Wren and the whole of
our English literature, and my friend from Massa-
cuuset's here below emblazoning At all in gorgeous
ianguagel ask you how you could meet that.
Mr.. Townsend, of New York-You must not forget
that only small plrt of Massachusetts, favors this
bill.
MIR. Reed-I beg pardon of gentlemen from Mass
chusetts. know that and am glad to give them full
credit for it.
Now let us see what our Southern friends and
some of our Northern ones think of these claims,
have taken the trouble to look over the matter .
aided by the exploration made BY the very intelli-
gent correspondent Of the Cincinnati commercial
Sand should not feel it was right to speak of this
without giving him due acknowledgement, and 1
nave ound notwithstanding the fact there had been
an unprecedented number of bills introduced in this
Oongressi notwithstanding the fact every man here
mad presented at least two bills for the coinage of the
silver dollar of 412i grains laughter and that every
man had presented bill for the restoration of the
finances or to lend men going out West Ooe and to
issue i0O,o00,0Oo of currency or some such thing
iaushterl; notwithstanding the great pressure Of
puohc business on the House here; Notwithstanding
the TACT there have been thirty-fve hundred bills
presented up to March of this session against
twenty-three hundred and sixty in the Forty-thrd
congress, found over 10 per cent. of the bills pre-
scented to be passed upon by this House were South
ern claims arising from incidental damage during
tne war-damage to private property by the Federal
armies.
Ihiee hundred and ninety-eght of those bills are
pending before Congress to-day and they amount in
the aggregate to the sum of 81, 800 900.
y0u Eaau
trife compared with what is behind You all of yon
know that the law offices of the South, Republican
and Democratic are stuffed with these things. 1t is
matter which you talk aboutsnow by the hundreds Of
thousands; by and by you will talk about it by the
millions and perhaps by the hundreds of millions
NOW these things are here in spite of the adverse
decisions Of Congress- They here in spite of the
general sentiment of the American people. And the
worst thing find about it is that some of our Repub
can members of Congress in the past Congresses If
not in the present have been somewhat disposed to
vote for them. And why? It reveals to me a worse
state of things than the presentation of these
bills, because it shows that there exists in the South
persistent southern element which not only justi-
mes but urges on men to present these claims. You
see they nave every motive not to present them
They have Congressional election before them.
They want peace, quietness, harmony, Cancellation
have often. heard spoken Of in this House. They
want everything quiet and peaceful, And yet the
public sentiment is such that onetenth of the public
business presented for the consideration of this
House consists of such claims.
Now, just here, it seems to me that we have got
one plain path of duty before us ii we wish to pro-
tect the Treasury and the people of the United
States. do not speak now of these large claims.
do not talk OF the claims of S830OO,OOO for the
cotton tax. 1 do not talk about the $7,OOo,OoO
year for the Mexican veterans presented by the
very men who are demanding economy and who are
seeking to cut off few thousand dollars from the
pay clerks here in Washington.
Mr.. Luttrell-Will the gentleman allow me-
Mr.. Reed-I decline to be interrupted.
Mr.. Luttrell-Then will have another opp,rtu-
nifty.
Mr. Reed-I have no doubt you will. Your world
isvery WIDE am pursuing a certain line of argu-
ment, my time is very limited, and if yield to the
gentleman from California shall have no time for
myself.
Neither do speak of the Texas Pacific Railroad
nor the claims for the Mississippi levees The people
of the South have right to demand some of those
things if they choose and take their chance of get
ting them. But do speak of these small claims
which are presented so insidiously If this bill once
passes, the precedent it establishes you will find
The gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Goodel says this
will be no precedent tor anyhing and then himself
In the very next paragraph insist that the payment
to the Kentucky University, which was under con-
tract for rent and which expressly excluded payment
Tor burned buildings, is precedent for this claim.
That incident in his speech will illustrate how in
nocent cases once got through Congress can be
twisted into precedents.
In other words, people may coax you into this
thing by all sorts of argument. But when they
once get itthrough you find it is the decision they
look to, and not the argument. The arguments will
be all printed. They viii make part of that great
monumental pile of eloquence which Congress is
rearing at the rate of ten volumes every year; but
nobody will read them; while the decisions will be
sought for by every claim agent who loved the lost
cause and good many that did not.
Now want to say one word about this whole SUBJ
5ect. know that it Is unknd to make any illusions
TO anything connected with the last war. listened
with great deal of interest to the very eloquent re-
marks that were made by the gentleman from Ken
lucky (Mr. Blackburn the other day, and to some
parts oil them gave my very hearty approval. do
believe that after the magnificent contest which
shook this entire continent, after millions Of men
had been in the field and fought each other face to
lace, it would have been ptiful and miserable close
TO have had halt dozen struggling wretches kicking
out their lives on the gallows. 1 had strong SYM
pathy with what the gentleman said as to that But
the rest Of his remarks protest against He said we
on this side were always bringing up this question of
Confederate claims and of Confederates. Now, so
far as mere words are concerned that NAV be SO.
But the docket of this House is not full of provo
cations to this kind Of discussion placed there by
Southern men, do not know such things when see
them.
Here is the William and Mary College bill. How
can you discuss it without mentioning the Confedera-
cyY Then there is the bill in reference TO soldiers Of
ez with Its clause rendering it unnecessary to prove
loyalty. In all probability that clause did not help
hundred men, and yet it was pushed in here and
Obliged to be made the subject of discussion or of the
gag law OF suspension of the rules And 1 say that
The list OF bills read today is fnll of provocation to
this identical discussion. Now ask gentlemen on
The other side if under all the circumstances it is too
unreasonable to expect them to cease this constant,
persistent attack the United States Treasury and
on the laws which grew out of the war. They want
peace. Then why do fhey not cease to provoke con-
troversy?
Now are not all the losses and destruction that may
have happened, under the laws of war and of good
SENSE fariy resting where they ought to rest? When
man undertakes to enter rebellion it may be well
enough to say that his goodness depends upon his
convictions fright and when he comes to the day of
Judgment have no doubt that he will be judged On
maj basis but no nation can afford to judge on any
such principles. The gentlemen opposite did not do
1t themselves When they came to report the bill in
relation to payments for postal services rendered in
1.-The South prior to the war; they put in that bill an
sion of those who had not been loyal to the
Aderacy, and they did rightly enough, and we
are c.oing rightly enough now.
i'ou gentlemen on the other eide began war
wh ich resulted in the destruction of fifty thousand
killed on the field OF battle side and as many
more upon yours; and hundreds of thousands of
Others are now dragging out miserable existence
from the effects of that war,
Now, whatever may be the question of right or
wrong for any individual, the only justification of
rebellion is success. The consequences are too fear
1ul for men to be allowed to make it the escape of
their passions. 1t involves death to men and de.
struction to property. You do not need to be told
It's miseries for you have suffered Them ANY set of
men who propose to plunge their people into these
horrors are bound to be successful or take the conse
1uences. You were beaten and yet you want us to