The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-28
CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, January %.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, January 27.
SENATE.
The credentials Of Senator Shields, OF
Missouri, were presented. Mr.. Shields
then took the oath OF office.
A number OF bills were referred, in.
cluding one by Mr.. Ferry, to reorpanize
and discipline the militia OF the United
States.
A bill was reported from the Committee
on Naval Affairs on Thursday last, 10
abolish the volunteer navy in the United
States. Passed.
Mr.. Edmunds, from the Judiciary Com.
mittee, reported back House joint resolu.
tion proposing an amendment to the con.
stttution prohibiting the payment OF
claims ot disloyal persons for property in.
jured or destroyed in the war Of the re.
bellion, with an amendment, in thenature
ol substitute: Placed on the calander.
Mr.. Edmunds said the Judiciary Com.
mittee thought the resolution, as Il passed
the House, was totally inadequate for the
purpose indicated by the title. He gave
notice that he would call the bill up for
consideration at an early day.
After disposing OF the morning business
and passing several bills on the calendar,
the bill to pay Warren Mitchell, for cot.
ton taken during the war, was taken up.
and long discussion followed. "
Mr.. Edmunds moved that 1t be indeli.
nitely postponed. Reiected-yeas q,
nays q.
Mr., Hill, in opposing the bill, said he
would vote against 1t because 1t was a war
claim. He was opposed to the payment
Of all war claims whether they be from
loyal or disloyal persons. He might prob.
ably accept few religious and educa-
tional institutions whose property was dc.
stroyed, To pay these war claims would
bankrupt the government, and as we
could not pay all it would be an unjust
discrimination to undertake to pay, some
Senator'S on the Republican side said TINT
Warren Mitchell was disloyal and should
not be paid, while the Senators on the
Democratic side said he was LOYAL and
should be paid. -.... -
What was meant by the word loyalty
ltdid not mean man devoted TO the States
under the Constitution. 1t was an easy
matter for man in Maine or in New
York to proclaim his devotion to the
Union during the war, but further down,
where the sun is warmer, itrequired cour.
age for a man to say he was devoted to
the Union. He (HilD knew thousands
and tens Of thousands ofmeni in the South
who stood up and proclaimed their fidelity
to the Union to the very last. There
were many who fought secession
until It became a fixed fact and
submitted to secession as they sub.
mitted to the death Of q father or son,
When secession came the only thing they
could do was to go with their people.
This question Of loyalty had not received
the proper definition. He knew thous-
ands Of men in the South who would any
time during the war; have terminated Il
on q basis Of honest reunion, He be.
lieved the greatest possible calamity
which could happen this country would
DO ono section exercising the powers Of a
Conqueror over another. Since he had
been in Congress he had heard men de.
nounce Southern people as disloyal
thirteen years after the war, and he
believed in his heart that Ii these
men had been South they would
have rivalled VIM. L. Yancey In their de.
votion to secession, because they were men
OF the same temperament. The people OF
this country ought to wake up TO the con.
giction that the late war was an honest
war, fought on account OF conviction that
they were right, This perpetual talk about
rebels and fidelity To the Union did not
come from q magnapimous spirit. The
war Is oyOr, the Union Is restored, and Il
was time We should leave the passions OF
the war behind. The Southern soldier
would never ask Congress for pension
his widOwand orphan would never ask for
II. They accepted their losses as q penal,
ty for failure, as brave men should do, The
sooner the people OF the South were taught
to repair their losses by work, tfusatty
and industry, better II would be for them
aud the country to let the losses OF the
war 20, and II the people desire 10 avoid
such losses In the future they must avoid
war. Mr., Hill continued and said he was
the humblest man in the Democratic
party, and that party was now about
10 return TO power, because the people
were satisfied that the Republican marty
was no longer competent To remain Ia
power. There were four things which
The Democratic party ought TO proclaim
| w wv m0fN = NANA ltAAAtelG VI Luetll
with fidelity, Plrstl he would moi
pay any war claims whether the
parties were loyal or disloyal
SECOND he would vote no more paElIl
money or lands TO build up railroad cor.
porations. Third, he would in good
faith pay every dollar Of the public, debt,
principal and interest, In good money and
standard silver. Fourth; he would restore
IEhs Consultation VI 81 tl.a country, and
things and in his judgment the child wa:
not Born who would witness the termina
IAon 81 Democratic rule in this country,
Mr. Heck, In FaRlY, defended the claiG
OF Mitchell, and raaA 0fittend 8 resolu,
ton, adopted July, 1851, TO show that III.
war was not Yaged for conquest hut K
sE SSSR ais|S.t 45sss s Ess,
men here now making affidavit OF loyalty
men whom they had, as Union officers
arrested during the war for disloyalty, art
they make atiiaaYits now s,rAhlY kssaas,
they vera 70 set . share ot ths claims.
Mr., Cohstihg moved for An executive
Mr.. Harris inquired 4 tbssspstssk
\ 90 lqtq E$eeptgse ssSSi Cd 5 Whether Iii
a Mitchell 6ill would ibe the hnfini6khl