National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-02-15

Referred
Mr. soUrHARD stated that the committee on the
state of the law relating TO the election of President
had at the last session reported a constitutional
amendment in regard thereto. II was evident that
no action would be taken on II at this session, and
he asked leave for gentlemen to print any remarks
| they might desire to make In relation to that
| amendment SO ordered.
| The Speaker then proceeded 10 call committees
| for reports of q private nature.
| number of bills were reported from the Mill.
tary Committee and passed donating condemned
Mr. BRAGG, from the Committee on Military AZ
| AIRS. reported Dill authorizing the President to
appoint James Shields of Missouri, as brigadier
general on the retired list such appointment to be
In lien Of the pension which he now receives.
Mr. WHITE raised point Of order aud though,
| appealed 70 70 Withdraw his point by Mr. Bragg
Mr. Cox. of(N. W, Mr.. Franklin, and Mr. Butler
he refused to do So
A great deal of confusion was occasioned by Mr.
Franklin coming over TO the Republican side Of the
hall, and charging the Republicans with not hay
ing been In earnest last year In their efforts for the
appointment OF General Shields as Doorkecpcr. To
this Mr.. White replied that the Democrats were
welcome to make all the party capital they wanted
out of his action He was willing to take all the
| take for doing his duty.
The confusion was so great that Mr. Bridges was
led to inquire whether this was county town
| meeting or tho United States House of Represen-
tatives Finally the Speaker sustained the point of
order and the bill was referred to the Committee of
| The House then nj 1920 went into Committee of
the Whole (Mr. Mills in the chairj on the private
| calendar.
sion of private bill authorizing the Court of
Chains to reopen and review former decision of
that court IN favor of Albert Grant Of Washington
Finally Mr.. EDEN moved that the bill be reported
back with recommendation that II he laid on the
table. The motion was agreed to- 6S
| Another lengthy discussion took place on mn ad.
verse report of the Committee on Invalid Pensions
on bill granting pension To soldier In the Ken
lucky militia who was wounded while firing a 81.
| nm 40 nf
| The argument turned on whether the man was 50
far In the United States service to be entitled to
a pension Finally the adverse report was concur
A bill to pay $4,000 to Asa Weeks for his labor
and expenses In perecting torpedoes aud torpedo
| machinery was discussed and laid aside to be re-
ported favoraby TO the House.
Then came up one of the war claim bllls-a
oili 70 pay John IT, Armstrong, of Virginia, slSiO
| Tor the rent OF wharf In Alexandria during the
| war.
Mr. CoNGER opposed the bill. contendlng that If
| the principle of the bill was correct one, the
troops that marched across the Long Bridge ought
| to have been preceded by army wagons loaded with
specie, to meet the enemy aud pay the owners of
| the property which was to be used for war pur-
poses-what they demand for their property.
Mr.. SHELLEY said that he had no sympathy gen.
orally with these war claims. There were no Con.
| fcderates presenting such claims. There were not
IN the whole state of Alabama, twenty war claims
aud he certainly would not vote for any Alabama
| claim wherein loyalty was set up. -.
Mr.. BUTLER expressed his views on war claims.
So long as such claims presented for damages
done during the war, or for property occupied dur
ing between the sections of the Union. Both sides
desired that "by-gones should be by-gones," and
that all about tho war should be forgotten.
There was one thing. however. which could not
be forgotten, and that was the valor and patriotism
Of those who fought for the Union in the hour of
its direst peril. Nor would the bravery, earnest.
ness, aud The might say loyalty to the cause which
they esPoused of those who fought on the other
side be forgotten. The land was dotted all over
with graves of soldiers, and no claim was made for
the land thus used Chambersburg and many
parts of Pennsylvania had suffered damages
through the occupation of Confederate troops Just
as the belgerent territory had been occupied by
Federal troops, but no compensation had been al
lowed for that He had voted for the William and
Mary College bills If he had been present he
would have voted for the Theological Seminary
bill, because his rule as a commander OF forces
during the war had been not to make war on reli.
gious. educational or eleemosynary institutions
and whenever II became necessary to occupy them
to take care that the least possible damage was
done and generally to make remuneration on the
spot. As to the cotton fund which had been sci
apart for the payment Of claims upon 1t, he would
vote for referring all such claims to the Court OF
Claims and to have them paid to the extent oil
that fund.
Loyal men had been injured in the South SC
had they been in the North. Loyal men had mel
losses in the south SO they had IN the North, to
the amount of untold millions. Loyal men and
women had suffered hardships In the South SC
they had in the North; they had both mourned
their first born dead. 1t had been grievous fol
both sections, and they both ought to be contented
now that they had come together as one country
and one Government But that bad blood should
be stirred up, and old memories revived. and old
scores opened, and old contentious revived in this
House over this class OF claims for matters which
should be bygone on the one side as much as the
grave of the soldier was bygone on both sides for
ever, he deprecated with every thought Of patriot
ism and every hope of country that resided within
; his heart. Why should that class of claims be
pressed? Why should gentlemen on'the other side
press them2 1t was certainly magnanimous for
them to do So because they game in and said
This man was against us; this man was not on
our side; this man was opposed to the prevailing
aye, to what seemed ut that time the unanimous
sentiment ofthe people ofhis vicinity and his State
and his section and we come here and ask this
| for him, although he was against us
But for every one there that had been actually
l. loyal to the North who came here with his claim
! there were dozens, If not hundreds, who had moi
] loyalty arising from inaction or cowardicc Thai
: was they did nothing for the South, and there
fore they were supposed to be loyal to the North
now proved, he would have difficulty In imagln
ing where and how the South had recruited 1t,
armies. Those armies had been recruited by al
the able.bodied men In the South, and with mcr
, that were not abe-bodied either account Of old
, age or youth. How did II happen now that every
body that lost dollar during the war was loyal Il
. He was willing that the States should be put upor
the same ground that the fathers of the Republic
had put them upon in the war of the Revolution
by assuming all their debts for raising and recruit
ing troops and after that let no claim arise ont o
, the war except the claims of MANNED and disabled
, soldiers; and with that determination on the par
of the country, both North and South, the tint
would not be far distant when the feeling of brother
. hood would take into the charge of the Govern
ment the manned and disabled soldiers of thu
Southern army, remembering their courage, the
steadastness, and their galiantry, aud forgetting
the mistaken Judgment which made them hgh
( upon the side they@did, They would be remem
| bered MS American soldiers, who had given grea
honor and praise TO American bravery and II WoulC
, be forgotten that they had fought IN mistaken
cause. -
Mr.. AIKEN declared himself opposed to al
, Southern war claims. He was glad to hear tina
some members of the Republican side were liberia
, enough to vote compensation for damages to re
, ligions, educational and eleemosynary nstit Il
lions at the South. For himself his independents,
would not allow him to do even that The South
ern people should go back to first principles, ant
go TO work and rebuild such institutions themselves
They had rlsked everything In the war and haC
no iavors to ask from, those who had whipped
them They acknowledged that they Weri
whipped, and were now willing 10 do their hes
for the Union. He honestly believed that If The
Southern States had been represented In Congress
in lS7l-72-73 as they were represented TO day
there would be no such cry MS that hundred mil
lions had been drawn from the Treasury to pay
, those that he knew he could say of those claim
ants that grander set of Williams had never drawn
q dollar out of the Treasury, His own little STATE
had been represented in Congress by men whC
} were now God only knew where, They had neve
, been South Carolinans and yet they had voted
the claims OF men who had not Just title TO
dollar. lie honestly believed that the Tre0sur,
was safer in the hands of men who defended thu
Coniederacy than In the hands OF those who hole
) II today Applause on the Democratic sde,l
/ The people Of South Carolina no matter wha