The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-27
w HIN GTO n.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

WAR CLAIMS OF "LoYAL" CITTzENs-cAsE
OF WARREN MITCHELL NOW BEFORE THE
SENATE.
The war claims business, which was discussed for
day or two in the House last week amid great
element. will have its turn in the Senate this week.
where Senator Isham q. Harris. of Tennessee has
brought in bill to pay Warren Mitchell the COM
Portable sum of $l2S, G92 - for captured cotton.
The story of this claim is worth knowing. for it is
a sample of the kind of claims" which occupies
great deal of the time of Congress and which APP
parently never dies 1t first appeared in the Court
of Claims some years ago, and that court dismissed
it. 1t then appealed to the Supreme Court.
which also decided against it.. 1t then presented
to the first session Of the Forty-fourth 1.-THE last
Congress and was referred to the Senate
Claims Committee. which recommended, after
careful examination. that it ought not
to be paid. Undismayed by this thrcefold rejec-
ton by the Court of Claims. the Supreme Court and
the Senate. the ndefatigable Warren Mitchell pre-
scented himself and his claim to the second
session of the For.y-fourth Congress- and this time
on occasion when but five out of the nine mem
bers of the committee We're present. These five
agreed that the bill should be favorahy reported,
but the Senate ordered it recommtted, and once
more it fell. This happened on the I'd OF March, 1877,
and for most people this last failure would have
sufficed. But Warren Mitchell was not discouraged,
He determined to try the present Congress and
more ''the memorial of Warren Mitchell. of Louis
ville KY sent by patient Senate to patient
Committee on Claims. which, on March 6. 1875 once
more went over the whole history of the case and
once recommended that the Senate should
ject the claim. But now Senator Harris brought in
u bill, with minority report, recommending the
payment of the claim, and this there is likely to
be discussion this week, which makes the history
of Warren Mitchell of public interest.
Warren Mitchell in 1851, when the war broke
out, merchant in Louisville. and partner in two
firms doing business there. In July Of that year.
about the time Of the battle Of Bull Run, Mitchell on
the pretext that he wished to go South to collect
debts due him. got pass through the army lines and
he remained in the South and within the Confederate
lines until the latter part Of 1864. substantially,
during the whole While both sides were
fighting he trading, and he was so shrewd
business man that when Savannah captured by
General Sherman Mitchell managed to have lying
there cottou which was afterward sold for the sum
he now demands, ana to transport which cotton to
the seaboard it appears that he had the help of tho
Confederate agents Of transportation. He claims the
proceeds OF this cotton now as loyal citizen
although it is in evidence that in July.
1865, lie obtained from the President full
pardon and amnesty for all offences by him commit
ted arising from participation direct or implied Ill
the rebellion" And he had reason to desire this
pardon for is also in evidence that he had not been
very long within the Confederate lines when he be-
a sub-contractor to supply the rebel army with
pork and he himself admits that he '.for
about six weeks engaged in buying hogs and super
intending slaughter house for this purpose.
Senator Hoar the recital of this tale Of loyalty.
said:-
"A
turned ont unauthorized pass but that is not very
important, from u general commanding military
district to so South and collect debts ana thereupon
on that pass he went South remained three years,
travelling about in the OF the rebel armies, as
much at home within the rebel lines as the General
of the Confederate forces and dealt, buying at one
end of the Confederacy and selling ut the other
selling at end of the Confectionery and buying at
the other in cotton which was contraband OF war,
every one of those dealings being in violation of tho
law of and the law Ut nations and OF the law OF
the United States in such cases made and provided
Senator Harris appealed to the Senate not to reject
the claim ION a cold technicality, and in his view
Warren Mtchell's sympathies and influence were
from the beginning to the end of the struggle
tirely with the Union cause which is, perhaps the
reason why he fastened to get pardon and amnesty
when the war ceased.
Senator Edmunds urged full expression of opinion
on the matter. and Warren Mitchell. having occupied
the time and engaged the attention of the Court of
Claims the Supreme Court, two sessions OF the
Forty-fourth Congress and hour so Of the SEN
ates time last Thursday. to say nothing of several
committees claims, will come up. It is to be hoped.
for full and final discussion during the present week
THE NEW YORK OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF A
PROLONGED STRUGGLE.
1t now appears probable that the New York Custom
House nominations will not be decided for some
days and that there will be u prolonged struggle
them Among the friends of the administration.
it is asserted that considerable number of repub-
lican will vote to confirm the nominations,
and that there will be vigorous defence of the adj
ministration by prominent republicans. Both sides
to the dispute keep their own counsel very carefully,
and nothing is certainly known as to the result 1t
is evident. however. that the administration people
in earnest and do not mean to be beaten IL they
h.I.>