The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-08-08

troyed by one or the other Of the con.
tending armies. This fact is we'll known
by those who are loudest in their clamor
on the subject of rebel claims. They
know that every one of them is barred
by the plainest and most powerful terms
OF the Constitution. And l am told that
this provision of the Constitution is in
danger of being annulled; that another
amendment is likely to take it's place
providing for the payment ofsuch claims.
Let US see what would have to be done
to accomplish an undertaking of that
character. In article 9th, the Constitution
provides for its own amendments in the
following terms:
The Congress, whenever two.thirds
of both Houses shall deem it necessary,
shall propose amendments to this Con-
stitutlon, or, on the application of the
Legislatures of two.thirds of the several
States, shall call a Convention for pro.
posing amendments, which, in either
case, shall be valid, to all intents and pur.
poses as q part of this Constitution, when
ratified by the Legislatures of three
fourths of the several States, or by Con-
ventions of three-fourths thereof, as one
or other mode Of ratification may be pro-
posed by Congress-"
Here it will be seen that before an
amendment can be proposed to this sa-
cred instrumenttwo. thirds ofboth houses
of Congress, or the Legislatures of two
thirds Of the States shall agree in the
movement; and when such amendment
has been thus proposed it can only be.
come a part of the Constitution by the
concurrence of the Legislatures or Con-
ventions of three.fourths of the States.
Do you fear such popular enthusiasm
and upheaval of popular sentiment in ia.
vor of paying rebel war claims, ar claims
for emanCipated SLAYER, as will carry
States of the thirty. eight in
favor of ratifying an amendment to that
effect? Do you think there is a high
probability of obtaining two-thirds of
both branches of Congress for such a
If there is man in Indiana
who sincerely entertains fears on this
subject he is fit subject for pity and
Commiseraton.
But it is urged that even admitting
such claims can not be allowed, yet mem.
bers Of Congress from the South have in.
troduced claims for the payment of them
in enormous amounts. AS the readiest
answer to this charge l will read what
DR.. Redheld, the well-known Republi.
can correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial, wrote few days ago on
that subject:
Summed up, the Southern claims leg
islation of the last Congress amount to
this About $10,000,000 in claims of all
sorts we're introduced, most of which
were for the two items of cotton captured,
and public buildings, churches, &c, used
and destroyed. None of these passed,
and should never pass, for there would
be no end of that sort of thing. But
claims for provisions and material taken
from Union people should be paid to the
last dollar. Of the whole aggregate of
about $l0,000,000 introduced, less than
$4,000 got through, and these of a nature
which should certainly take them out of
the category of rebel claims An ap.
preparation 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 appro.
priaLion. These claims are mostly for
small amounts, the average being but a
few hundred dollars, and go to Union
claimants scattered about in nearly all
the Southern States."
But the spirit and temper of the Dem.
oCratic House of Representatives on this
whole question is best illustrated by the
following act. which passed that BODY
June II, 1878:
can act providing for the judicial as.
Certainment of claims against the United
States.
"Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
That any person who may have claim
against the United States of which the
Court of Claims would not now have ju.
risdiction, but founded upon justice and
equity, and not bound by any statute Of
limitations provided by any law of the
United States, may file his bill in the
Court of Claims of the United States,
setting out the grounds of claim and the
relief desired by him; and the Attor-
ney General of the United States shall
appear and plead thereto as provided in
other cases.
"SECTIoN 2. Any issue of fact Joined
upon such bill may be tried by the Court
as now provided for cases Of which it has
jurisdiction.
"SEC. 3. The Court shall find the facts
appearing from the testimony before
them in each case, and shall report their
findings to Congress, with their opinion
as to the determination which should be
made of such claim.
"SEC. 4. Congress shall not consider, nor
allow, nor authorize the payment of any
private claim not payable under existing
laws until the same has been heard and
reported to Congress by said Court of
Claims as herein provided.
"SEC. 5. All claims against the United
States provided for by this act not prose.
Cuted within six years from the passage
of this act, or from the time when they
severally accrued, shall be barred, ex-
cept that when the claimants are under
legal disability to sue, the action must be
brought within six years, or within three
years after such disability shall cease"
The purpose of this act is, as it declares,
the judicial asCertainment of claims
against the United States, and it applies
to all claims of every description not
barred by q statute of limitation, or pro.
hibited by the Constitution. If it should
become law by the action of the SEN
ate, it will virtually take the whole sub.
ject of claims out of Congress and place
them in the Courts for investigation and
decision. If the Democratic majority in
the House had intended to plunder the
Treasury under the guise of war claims,
or any other kind of claims, no measure
of this kind would have been permitted
to pass that body. On the contrary, they
would have retained entire control of the
whole matter for future operations.
SOLDIERS PENSIONS.
But in addition to the other accuse.
tions, Democratic members Of Congr ess,