The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-16
FROM HON. D. WYATT AIKEN.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 10.

MAJ. E. B. MURRAY-Dear Major:
You and I, and all other true lovers of
South Carolina, are always gratiied to
see the Press speak well of our public
men. Perhaps I, more than you, ain
jealous of any opinion of the Press that
is calculated to withhold from any meri-
torious public servant his just awards.
The editorial squib in last weeks INTEL
LIGENcER, relative to the effort of Gen.
Hunton, of Va, to secure payment to
his State from the United States for
money loaned, is to my mind one of that
class of publications that excitcs the
jealousy alluded to.
General Hunton has done just what
you say he has done, only in little
broader sense. He introduced Bill to
have similar debts settled with all other
States TO whom this money is due, South
Carolina among the number. His Bill
was referred to the committee on Military
Affairs, and by that body referred to Col.
Evins to examine and report upon, and
he some months ago submitted his report
to the Committee, who authorized him to
report it to the House as the unanimous
sentiment Of the Committee on Military
Affairs.
Except by unanimous consent no re-
port can be submitted from any commit
tee with one or two exceptions) until
the call of such committee comes in its
order. Whether the call for reports from
the Military Committee will be made
before the 4th of March, time alone can
tell. 1t may be made in week. 1t may
not be made at all. When it is made
Col. Evins will submit the report.
1 have thus written you myself, to
show that your "hope," in the editorial
alluded to, has been anticipated, and
that if the interests of South Carolina
are not watched here it is not because
this claims not looked after.
There is much historical interest con-
nected with this matter, and 1 therefore
think somewhat minute report of it
may not be uninteresting to your readers.
After the Revolution of 1776 the Gen
eral Government was barely able to pay
current expenses, and hesitated about
engaging in war with Great Britain be-
cause of the lack of money. AT once
the then independent and wealthy States
came forward and patrio!ically loaned
all the money the Government wanted.
Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Penn
sylvania, Maryland, City of Baltimore,
Delaware, Virginia and South Carolina
advanced all the needed money. A few
years after the War of 1912, Maryland
applied to Congress for the payment of
the money advanced. Abont 1920 Con-
gress authorized the payment of the
principal, but said nothing about inter-
est. In 1929 she again applied for the
interest, and Bill passed both Houses
of Congress ordering the interest of the
debt, together with the simple interest
that had accrued upon that interest, to
be paid.
President Jackson vetoed this Bill, be-
cause it was contrary to the usual method
of settling claims against the United
States, to wit: the United States usually
paid her debts then in installments, and
always applied the payment to the prin-
cipal, and after that was liquidated then
computed interest due herself for money
paid on the principal, deducted this
amount from the interest that had accu-
muatcd upon the principal, and paid
the balance, not allowing the interest
due the creditor to draw any interest at
all. Really this was novel method of
paying debts, but it was Jacksonian, I
suppose, and if adopted now in the set
tlement of State debts would-well, you
know the balance.
Maryland persisted, however, until she
finally got her money.
About 1856 an effort was made to settle
these accounts with the various States,
and the Comptroller General Of South
reported to the Governor of
South Carolina that the novel method of
computing interest and paying debts by
The Treasury of the United Statea would
deprive South Carolina Of S50, ,0a0, due