The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-02-20


Washington, At length Mr. Eden moved the bill
be reported back with the recommendation II 10
laid on the table Agreed to by vote of SOTO 63,
Another long discussion took place on the nd
verse report OF the Committee on Iuvalid Pensions
which was finally adopted, however, on the bill
granting pension TO q soldier In the Kentucky
militia, wounded while firing salute at the Unit.
ted States fort on the Fourth OF July, 1865 The
argument turned on whether the man was so far
IN the United States service as to be entitled to
pension.
A bill to pay forty thousand dollars to Asa
Weeks for his labor and expenses In perfecting
| torpedoes and torpedo machinery was laid aside
| to be reported faV0Tably to the House.
ANIMATED DEBATE ON A WAR CLAIM
Then came up the "War Claim" bills The first
| was the bill to pay John T. Armstrong OF Virginia
81 $40 for rent of wharf in AlexaBdria during the
war
Mr.. COnger opposed the bill, contendng that II
| the principle OF the bill was a correct one the
troops that marched across Long Bridge ought to
have been preceded by army wagons loaded with
| specie to meet the enemy and nay the owners Of
property, which was to be used for war purposes,
| what they demanded for their property.
| Mr., Shelly said he had no sympathy, generally,
| with war Gains There was no confederates pre-.
senting such claims, He certainly would not vote
| for any Alabama claim wherein loyalty was set
| up,
BUTLER FAv3Rs PENsIoNING CONFEDERATE SOL,
DIERs SOON.
Mr.. Butler said, so long as such claims were pre-.
| sented for damage done during the war, or for
| property occupied during the war, so long would
| there be misunderstanding between sections Of
| the Union. The land was dotted all over with
| graves Of soldiers, and no claim was made for
| land thus used. AS to the cotton fund which had
| been set apart for the payment Of claims upon It,,
he would vote for referring all such claims to the
Court of Claims and to have them paid to the ex
| tent of that fund II he believed the evidence by
| which loyalty was now proved he would have diff
| fCulty in imagining where and how the South
| had recruited It's armies. Those armies had been
recruited by all able.bOdied men in the South, and
| with men who were not able bodied either on &C..
| count OF old age or youth. How did 1t happen
| now that everybody that lost dollar during the
| war was loyal to the Union He was willing that
| the States should be put on the same ground that
the fathers of the republic had pat them upon in
the war of the revolution by assuming all their
debts for raising and recruiting troops, aud after
| that let no claim arise out of the war except
claims OF MANNED and disabled soldiers, and
with tina determination on the part Of the people
Of the country, both the North and the South, the
time would not be far distant when feeling Of
| brotherhood would take into the charge OF the
| Government manned and disabled soldiers of the
| Southern army, remembering their courage their
steajfastness and their gallantry, and forgetting
the mistaken judgment which made them fight
upon the side they did
Mr.. Aiken declared himself opposed 10 all
Southern war claims. He was glad to hear som
members on the Republican side were liberal
| enough to vote compensation for damages to re.
ngous,t educational and eleemosynary stitutionS
in the South. For himself his independence
| would not allow him TO do even that Southern
people should go back to first principles and go to
work and rebuild such institutions themselves
They bad risked everything In war, and had no
| fayOrs to ask from those who had whipped them
| Thau ankOnUln6onn thpU Whnnn6 and
were now willing to do their part for the Union
He honestly believed that If the Southern States
had been represented in Congress in 1871 3 as
they were represented today there would be No
such cry es that hundred millions had been
drawn from the Treasury to pay Southern war
claims. Judging all of them from those be knew,
he could say Of these claimants that grander
set OF villains had never drawn dollar out OF the
Treasury, His OWE little State had been repre-,
| sented in Congress by men who were nov, God
only knows where. They had never been South
Carolinians, and yet they had voted for claims oil
men who had not just title to dollar. He hon
estly believed the Treasury was saf9r In the hands
of men who defended the COnfederacy than in
the hand, of those who held 1t to-day. (AppausG
on the Democratic side) People Of South Caro-
lima (no matter what their rebellious prOcliviteS
had been heTetOfOre), were to day as strong and
united in the defence of the Government as the
people of any State in New England or the North
west Himself and those of his colleagues who
truly represented that State were here TO protect
the Treasury and the best way to protect 1t $50 faI
as these claims were cOncerned) was to drive
every one Of them from the halls Of Congress
Applause on the Democratic side)
Mr.. Kefer criticised Buffers speech, and citing
that part in relation to pensioning Confederate
soldiers asked whether he understood him COR
rectly,
BUTLER ON HAYEs's CABINET.
Mr.. Buter-I repeat that whenever the question
- oF hu tuor nla irnt
ia over think that the pity the humanity Of thu
North will take care Of the manned men of the
war, and Qf you wish to know IL see no more
reason why Confederate soldier, MANNED anC
crippled in the honest discharge OF what he be
lieved to be his duty should not be pensioned
than why Confederate General who honestly
believed he was doing his duty should be put int
a Republican Cabinet. General applause anC
clapping of hands on the Democratic side,)
Mr.. Keifer remarked fair inference from wha
Mr.. Butler had said was that he was In favor o
putting COnfederates into the Cabinet.
Mr. Butler-I have not said was in favor of 1t
nor do think the country has yet come up to it
but when we have withdrawn all causes of diff
ference, nobody from the North will object to
Confederate being in the Cabinet any more thar
from humanity to pension Confederate soldiers,
Mr.. Keifer-Then the gentleman undertakes t,
say lat least that is fair nference) that the pres
ent administration is only step In apvance o
him. He has not yet come to the time when he 1
in favor of putting Confederate Generals in thu
Cabinet or Of pensioning Confederate soldiers.
Mr. Butler-Neither one or the other,
Mr. Keifer-Not yet, but the gentleman think
he Is nearly there. He is almost persuaded"
Mr.. Keller justified his opposition to the bill TO
the relief of the William and Mary College on tn
ground that Secession doctrines had been tAugh
In the seminary.
Mr., Aiken reminded that the leading men o
the Confederate army were graduates Of Wes
Point and that the same objections therefor
lie against that academy
Mr. Blackburn said that II the ghost OF the re
cent struggle would not down." and If there wa
no pabuum on which certain stRlWart patriot
could feed except that restless shade, he wante,
the gentleman from Ohio tKeifer) TO state wha
he meant in the shape of Southern claims b.
which he was accustomed to alright the country
precedent for them had been established by tn
Republican party. Who had ever asked Congress
to pay dollar on any Southern claim that wa
not for the benefit Of one who had las condition
precedenOproven his loyalty to the Union and hi
dsloyalty to the Coniederacy? Who had eve
asked for the pensioning of Confederate soldier
DECIDEDLY PERSONAL.
Mr.. Kelfer-The gentleman from Massachusetts
! Blackburn, the gentleman from MsSsschusett
(CIavng your paTdOn) did no such thing VIII
has ever undertaken to elevate a COME derate go
der to the Cabinet2 Not the South not tn
Democracy. 1t Is a hybrid administration tbs
has developed this tactic.
Mr Foster-Who is trying to elevate the Confet
crate (meaning Blackburn HIMSELF 10 the speal
ership Of the House.
Mr.. Blackburn-I hope the gentleman himse
will show that good taste. [Laughter.l Passing o
to the question of alleged dislOyalty of Southern
: seminarleS, he asked who had shed lustre o.
: American arms before the war broke out who ha
: not been graduate Of West Point, and had M
i there learned, from Rawle's Commentaries on th
Constitution, everything he ever knew of the lin
. itatiOns Of the Constitution. That "HOrn book
. the Nation" was certainly the most advanced aC
: vocate Of the right Of secession He entered HI
4 protest against injustice done the South in impl
ting to 1t any responsibility for these war claim
: The South did not ask for the pensiOnin
of any of her crippled soldiers She had stake
. her all on her convictions and lost She had NJ
[ complained and would never in the future con
: plain. She bore her losses aud simply proteste
/ 1t was neither generous, nor kind nor mauly, NJ
mereiful to drag her Into this question and mah