Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-14
$2.9S5,554.S27

N-'OOO'OOA;S-'
This is how they stand now, but they
will be increased UNNECESSARILY when the
time for grazing comes. Northern people
have been disposed to regard them as a
bugaboo, but they seriously mistake the
situation in doing so. 1t was only few
weeks ago, during the last days OF the late
session, that there was a warm debate
in the Senate over the pensioning of GER
tain ex-Confederate soldiers, and the ut
terance of the brigadiers on the subject
were ominous. 1t has been fondly hoped
that the fourteenth amendment ssstood in
the way, but, in accordance with its doc
trine of state sovereignty, the south does
not regard that amendment as consti-
tutional r. M. T. Hunter, of Virginia, In
letter on the subject expresses the con-
federate opinion in brief. He declares
that the prohibitory clause of the four
teenth amendment is nugatory because
the slaves were private property: that
when they were emancipated there was a
forcible seizure of private property over
which the owners alone had control,
and that, therefore, when the
amendment was ratified, the ratl-
fication was void and the owners, I'M
der the constitution, have a right to pre-
sent their claims for compensation. In
Missouri state commission was ap-
pointed to investigate these claims and
issue official certificates to claimants. In
Maryland the constitutional convention
adopted a section in which it assumed
that the claims of slaves would be paid
and authorized the legislature to receive
the money when paid by the United
States and disburse it to the ex-slaye hold
ers. The claims of the mail contractors
have already been presented to the treas
ury department, but Secretary Sherman
refused to consider them.
A vote, however, is always the best test.
In June, 1873, Mr.. Conger, of Michigan,
| presented the following joint resolution to
the House:
Noclaim shall ever hereafter be allowed or paid
by the United States, whether as damages or
otherwise, for any property, real or personal,
taken used, injured or destroyed by United
States troops, or by or through any officer, civil
or military acting under or by authority OF the
United States. or from any other cause whatever.
during the suppression of the late rebellion in
any of the states that were in rebellion against
the government of the United States or for any
property taken, used, injured or destroyed out
side of the said states so in rebellion, and which
belonged to persons residing in such rebellious
states unless the person or persons owning the
property so taken, used, injured or destroyed
were during all the time of such rebellion, loyal
to the government of the United States, and gave
neither aid nor encouragement to the enemy.
This was meant merely to secure de
claration from the democrats, and they
responded decidedly in the negative.
Sixty-one democrats, all from the south
voted against it, and forty-eight, mostly
from the north, and too cowardly to ex-
press themselves, refused to vote at all.
A better test of the temper of the south
could not have been obtained.
If Hancock is elected, these cormorants
will fill the roads leading to Washington
on their way to the treasury department.
The Democrats come before the coun-
try once more in suit of old clothes bor-
rowed from the republican wardrobe.