The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-02
IN DEFENCE OF THE SOUTH.
SOME NOTEWORTHY SPEECHES IN CON-
GRESs rESTERDIK
Messrs. Chalmers, Hooker, Mills. and Single
ton Warming Up In Debate-Tbe south
Not Getting Its Fingers into the Treasury.

W ASHlNGIONs ItD. line HOUSE TcSuIneu
consideration Of the bill for the relief Of Mag
lie Barron. Mr. Chalmers Dem. Miss.) snld
Ito cared nothing for the payment Of loyal
Southern claims. because loyalty to the Union
| in the war meant dsloynlty to everything that
he held dear. That many men in tho South
had BEEN loyal to the Union was nevertheless
true and he did not envy tho cheap political
capital that Union soldier could mako by
telling such men that hc had no more conf
dcnce in their honesty than n mouse had in a
stuffed cnt skin. Tho gentleman from Wiscon-
Sin Mr. Bragg. Dcml. taking advantage OF tho
wcll-known opposition. everywhere sought to
| blend war claims with claims for Southern Inn
provcmen,s. and cndcavorcd to throw the odor
Of his dead cnt over them. That gentleman an
nounccd in advance that he was unwilling to
! trust the honesty Of either the claimants or the
court Such readiness 10 suspect corruption in
| others sometimes indicates an innate tendency
| 10 corruption IN ones self and he should there
| iorc not charge corruption on any one. The
issues Of the war were certainly dead with him.
lie had but one political faith. to preserve nvio-
/ late local self-governmcnt; hut one political
| hope. to build IN tho waste places in the South
destroyed by tho war.
| When tho Yves, was in its infancy II was ios-
tered by the South. Mississippi Democrats had
/ stood side by side with those from Michigan in
the work OF Western improvements. He had
warned Northern Democrats last session that
refusal to recognize the lust demands Of tho
South might result In the dcfent of Southern
/ Democrats and the sending Of other Repre-
/ sentativcs who would form alliances with other
parties. Thernpid growth Of independent can
didatcs In the South had already sustained his
declaration. He had nothing to take back-not
/ line. not syllable. He repeated whit no had
/ th"n saii., lie hoped that the solid south
/ might ttlll De- solid Tor tho Democratic
patty hut for TINT part 81 Il that had the courage
and uiliness to treat the people Of the South
/ as edgnls. and not rs interiors in the Union.
] He Mr.. Bragg had assumed TO speak in the
/ name ~ the Northern Democrats and even IL
/ he had Ind authority thus TO speak. 1t was the
/ first time anybody had ever heard of a minority
/ Undertaking 10 turn out the majority OF a party.
/ hut this grent leader from the solid Dcmocrutic
! State OF Wisconsin proposed to show him TO the
/ door ~ the Democratic party. and when the
! South asked Tor n small proportion OF Govern
! mpnt aid he trented her like n mrndirnnt mud
said 10 her. like Van nersman told Rip Van
/ Wrinkle. Give hcr u cold potato and let her go"
/ As representative OF ihc Northern Democrats
they would not : u out body md soul. 20 South
/ eru members. and had ntimated that they could
! do better hv getting recruits from the North
without solid South thun with. He would Ike
/ TO know WHO hnI alEoln'rd ihui renteWnn
/ many Northern u norrnis could he deliver.
/ oven II he iuundH purchasers Tint gentleman
/ reminded HIM OF the cowboys and " skin.
ners ~ the R"vo'ut Orary war. who belonged
! t. neither party. but robbed unfortunately
/ from both. and feel IN terror when danger APP
proachcd. The gentleman struck first ON one
I side and then on the other. md whenever q
/ and mnnhood he -ushri i'm frantic terror intothe
/ Republican ranks 20 shelter his political head.
/ II such men were Democrats. upon what prin-
/ ciule Of Democracy did they stand2 The prin-
war hud been pence and restOrat on-thnt tho
/ dead past might bury lis dead and thnt the
/ bloody shirt should wave alone from the flag
I pole ~ Republican banners But the gcnte-
man from Wisconsin had found hoodier
shirt than had ever waved IRON the battlements
/ his legs III u irnntic effort 10 climb NJ to the
Republican platform and rob 1t Of it, last brn-
ner H." had rrminiel the south of tho war
/ debt and OF the blood ~ Union soldiers. or
/ which the South was responsible. Hc tMr.
/ Chnlmers) would remind that gentleman that
/ the war debt was not yet paid and that the co.,
] son and tobacco States were now paying iHr more
{ ~ that debt than the State OF WISCONSIN
When that gentleman pleaded the blood Of
Union soldiers n set on against the payment
/ OF money duo the south. and uulawiully taken
t-rrst Republican had not yet descended to. He
OR. Chalmersl would reply to that gcntlemau's
dismissal OF certain supposed class OF South
rfh D"no'r"t~' llW u mere were any sore
heads or disappointed Republicans in the North
ting on the lions skins OF the Democracy. they
should bee very careful not 10 open their mouths
to1 widr when they g9i there lLanehterl
hi-iopf oi The establishment Of the southern
Claims Commission, Showing that the law
creating that tribunal WINS passed by Repu2-
+ lean Congress and approved by hepub.lcun
President Tho gentleman from Wisconsin
Mr. Bragg had taken NJ the role abandoned
hy the lb"ral-hrarted men oi the Republican
Marty Tho gentleman from OHIO tMr. Gar
Heidi had wei. predicted. not long since that
any man WHO attempted 10 appeal again L. Soc
] tonal jealousy ana sectional uuimusltirs ON tho
floor OF the House would appeal IN vain. He
hoped that such appeal would be as pOwcress
10 cne't rs object coming from one side ot
the chamber as cum.ag from the other
southern i"prrsrntnuVct nnd voted for "A bill
sions. the regular Pension Appropriation bill Of
thirty millions. tho i've aud one-halt millions to
pay Tor me Canadian fisheries, anu lnnumcra-
hle claims OF That SORT and had never asked the
question ~ 20 where the money would 20. But
now thHt II WINS proposed TO refer some South
ern claim 10 the proper tribunal. II WIS said
that that would not 10. Tint the tribunal might
drc,d" tue claim o. be u Just one, and that il MAS
too large 10 be paid. 4 large part of tue claims
now standing ON The culrndAr had been pre-
s-n'rd years ago-lonG before there was u SIN
e.e Democrat m the House from southern
state. III" denied the right OF any map to
Charge the Democracy Of the south with pre-
srnung any iHlse or fraudulent claims against
thr 1Nerhm"hi II" Thought ne could state for
the Democracy 90 the North. ~ well as Tor that
OF IN" South. that they were united for the
maiLtenance OF the CONSTITUTION ana OF good
Government. and not hy any sucr tin ms that
aliuded 70 hy tne gentleman from Wisconsin.
Mr.. Minis lb"in IeNusl expressed hls belief
mat not ndoNnr o. the money paid for war
claims had gon" toa man whose heart mad
hratrn in svmpathv with the Confederate cause.
Who're had loyalty" lccn found IN the SOUTH
era Slatcs dur,n. tho war 1t had been found
anon: the suffers and ,!ral beat. and skulkrrs
tside the Federal armies. lie had always
voted against such claims and he was in favor
Of q constitutional amendment excluding such
clniM~ forever
MIR. Singleton Dem. Mss said that tho GER
lenHn from Wisconsin Mr. Bragg hud made q
charge against the > lutn which ho Mr.. Single
toni declared g. ho "a most untoundcd and I'M
Just slandcr. He tNr. SinEictuul referred TO
the creation 81 the Southern Claims Commits
sion as republican measure, and 10 tho trlhu-
nal itself Us composed OF Union men
inclined to detect and defeat any at
tempt at fraud or imposition. Why should
tuoi" he opposition 10 a hill which simply
allowed claim 10 b" referred 10 that trihunul?
The South bad lost in money value by the war
more tnHn the North had. tut they did not COM
plain, Tor they nad goul into the war with their
eyes open. lnrg" part OF thr Federal debt
hhd been incurred nN inc payment Of bounties
md 10y hiring substitutes while every southern
household wt- IN mourning for a father. "a son.
or a brother siuin in the war. A. to reading
the southern Drm9'ras out Of the Democratic
uNrty. he cited the fact that the South had given
% the country. before the WAR. seven Of lis
lrcsidruls-N Wash lngtOn, Jctiers N, Madison
Monroe, Jackson. Polk, and Taylor; that out Of
l36 Cabinet officers. the South had furnished 81.
ana mat no SUI h President had occupied MS seat
against I'll" VIII q, the people. and no such Cub
met officer had been charged with corruption.
llrr name of Floyd Wns here suggested by Mr.
Townsend OF NOW lorb). Every battle tuat had
l"rn fought ll"iuro tue ate war; had been
fought under southern lenders both Presidents