Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-02-15
An Alexandria Claim in the House

John T. Armstrong, o ''lcya!' ctiz \ Ct this
civ. s. $40, for zen. Ct wharf during the var,
coming up,
Mr.. Copgcr opposed The bill, cap!etd!ng that
if the PRINCIPE r the bill vas correct o2e,
the troops that marched across Tbs Long Bridge
ought TO have BEEN preceded BY army wagons
loaded with specie, to meet the enemy and pay
the oWner5 CT the property "nlch was 70 DC
used to! war purposes what they demanded ter
their property.
Mr.. Shelley sid Ina. he bad no sympathy
generally EiIh these war claims. There were
20 Copfederates prcseuliog such claims, There
wero not, ia the whole State CT Alabama,
twenty war claims; aud he certainly would lot
vote fer any Alabama claim wherein loyalty
was set up.
Mr. Butler expressed his views OF var claims.
So long as suoh c!air we're prcs2nted flr dam
ages done duliug the War, or lor prop:rtY DC
cupied drrire tn, var, s long would ,hcre DC
misuud arsaudiog between The s:c.!ous D! TIC
Unioc. BJth sides desired that by genes
should be BY goacs," aGd that all ab5u, the
war should be forgottea.
There was onc thing, however. which cju:t
not be forgotten, eud that was the Vaior and
patriotism Of lhos, Tho fought tx the u LOO
ir The hour OF its di.cst peili. N1E would the
bravery, earaestntss, aud be mght 81; 10y
alty TO the cause wEiJh they csp0u-ad OF tio:2
who fought % the other side lie lo!g9.t2r-
The land wls dotted ell over with arsyss CT
soldiers, and co CLAIM WIS made ijr tito Land
thus used. Chamber5burg and mauc parts OF
Pcurs5lvonia had suffered damages through
the occupation Of Confederate troops, Just IS
| the begerent territory had baca cccu!l3d Is
| Federal troops, but DO compensation had been
allowed for that. He had y,ted ijr the VIII
liam and Mary College bill, and il he had bcea
| present be would have voted Tor thJ Iheoost
cal Seminary bill, because his !uc as COZ
| maader Of forces during the var had been cot
| to make War 90 religious, cGuc,tloaai, or e!ee'
| mosyuery Institutions. aud whenever Il became
| necessary to occupy !h9m 10 take care that tho
| leest po:sibl, damlgc WAS j0cc, SD geucraly
| to make Remuneration 90 the spot. As to Tue
cotton fupt. which had be:o SET apart IL: the
payment OF claims upoD i, DC would vote iJc
rcfcrriog all such cjlns 20 The CouTt oi Claim,
and to have them paid to he tX'ca!t Ihai
| fund.
L,yal men had been i.iIred 10 the South;
40 had they been 10 the North. Loyal men
had met losses ia the South; so they had ic the
| North to the amount OF uotcld Ei!ii1ns. Loyal
men and women had suffered hsldahips 10 Tie
South; 81 they had in the North; they had
beth incurred their GrSt bora dead. |! had
beep eliavOus for both sections. aad they both
ought to be coGtented, nov that they had cyTc
together as one cJuatTy aud COS uJVernIeh;
| But that bad blood should be stirred up, and
old memories revived, ard oh sores opcoed,
and old coateulions revived ia tits House ty-r
thi; class o. Claims tJr ma!,tr3 which Should b;
bygone on the one side as mu:h as toe grave
oil the soldier was bygoas on both sides seraTer,
be d.rrecatcd with evtry lhJnght Of patIlotIsm
and every hope oil coua!ry ti?s! !es!t I'd niihia
| bis heart. Why should that c,GsS OF ctalG's b.
pressed? Why should gcnticu!tu Oh he other
side press them? Ii WIS certainly m.g02"t'
| nous for them 10 d. So, bscaus, th:y ciG!e II
| and sold This man Vas ag2iCs: u; lbs uaa
vas not On cur side; Ills !usn 'gi= opposed 10
the prevailing, aye, to Hhst sgsWod a; t!A;
| ime thc unanimous sentiment Il tie ptcp1 Of
his vicinity aud his STATE, and Bis Seo.!2t; aoa
| We coma here acd ask lh's iJr HIN, although
| he vas agalost U.s..
BIZ. for every one ttare tia: la! bee! acu.g
,:yal 10 tie Ncrh, who clYe here with lis
c2s;u; there we're dez.ts. il GOT huld:Gd5, %b5
had not actually been loyal, bu. Hho :'ere Gb'1
| TO provo legally arising from in!ctio1 .: COW
| erdica. That was, they did nothing ioT the
Ssu.n, and therefore they were supposed 10 DC
! loyal to the Ncrh, II lie bal!37ai the cV.d!oce
| By which loyalty was nov proved, be wo2.d
have difficulty in imagining where AID boz? Tie
South had recruited lis armies. Those ARMIES
had been recruited by eli The abe bodied men
il the Sju.h, aud with m:u that were 40: ah!2'
b.di.t, ei,tcr on account c! sli age or yer.h.
| llag did /: EapGco nG~ ihaS eV2Ty h1dy nat
LOST dollar during the @.r 7aI loyal 10 Tie
Uaicn.
II. was wiling that The Sales Should b. pa!
upon the same ground that The !a!haii ot the
Republic had put til ,ul upon 10 tic wir .! tbs
Revouticn, BY assuming al! their debts ic:
raising aud recruiting troops; aud Alter bat LEI
20 CHIN arise cut of the var except toe c:alms
Of maimcd and disabled soldiers; AID #!;h that
determination On the part OF the c-u1t!y, b1ti
North and So1th, the llms would 80; bc isr
distant wheE the iec!lDg oil brotherhood wou!d
take toto the charge Of The Garcrament the
maimed aud disabled SELLERS o. the Southern
army, remembering their courage. their stead
fasuess, AID their CALAMITY. sad forgetting ,he
mistaken Judgment whi5h made the;n fight
upoo the side they DID. They 1olId be re
mctn bered rs Anerlcau s,liisr', ,fhc had given
great houGr aud praise 10 Amer:caa hrav,rY,
and it would be forgotteo lhss ,h:y Lad lou2h.
in mistaken cause.
Mr.. Aiken declared himself opposed 10 all
Southern war claims. He was glad 10 hear
that SONG members Of the Republican side were
liberal cough 10 vote compensaii2n lJr DAM
ages 10 religious, educational, asd c'comos5nary
institutions at the South. For himsalt, hi ia
dependence would not ALLOW hin to Go cyea
that. The Southern people Should 60 back to
FIRST principles, and so 10 work agd rebuild such
institutions themselves. They bad !!.ked
everything 10 the var. and had 10 (av2rs 10 ask
from those WHO had whipped them. Tncy
acknowledged that they were whipped. and
were nov willing to do their best lor the Union
He honesty believed that If the Southern States
had been represented 10 Conere5siu 1911 IL IS
as they were represented to day, there would be
no su,h c!y aa that's hundrcd millions Cad bsc0.
drawn from the Treasury to pay Stu.Gc7a wa7
claims. judging Of all Of them from taosG that
he knew be could say of those claimants that q
gfsuder set Of siIliaDS had never drawn q dollar
out OF the Treasury. His o8n little State bad
been represented 10 Congress BY men who ware
now, God only knew WHARF,. They had never