Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-25
The French SpOIiations.

The revival of the French sDOliatiOn
claims by the passage of the Senate bill.
which permits the holders of these claims
to establish them before the Court of
Claims, offers some fresh hope that there
may be coming an end to this old blot on
the honor of the United States. The bill
that is now on the Speakers desk i'm the
House passed the Senate with only one
dissenting voice, probably that of Mr..
Sherman, whose only excuse for opposing
it was the very poor one that he had
always opposed French spOliatiOn bills.
This bill differs essentially from all its
predecessors in that it apprOpriates no
money to the claimants. 1t merely gives
them that ordinary standing in the Court
of Claims which is their undOubted right
leaving to that court to adjudicate the in
dividual claims and to a future Congress
to pay or to repudiate them as the ma
tional conscience may then dictate.
The history of these ancient claims is
very little understood by the present gen
GRAFTON. Their foundation runs backs to
1892, when France became involved in
war with England and other European
powers. The United States were under
treaty obligations to help France i'm anv
future war. Washington's Cabinet was
divided in opinion as to whether the treaty
included an aggressive war such as
France inaugurated, and the Presi.
dent issued a neutrality proclama-
ton, which virtually violated the terms
OF the treaty, English and French
cruisers at once swept the seas of orr
merchantmen, both needing the cargoes
which they carried. England paid for the
cargOes, but France did not. At the close
OF the war in 1900, the United States de-
manded restitution for her plundered citi-
zens, and France retorted bv demand
that the United States should observe her
treaty obligations, offering to pay if the
treaty were renewed and obeyed. This
the American Government was unwilling
to do, and, after much bitter feeling and
long diplomacy, it was agreed that the
United States should release France
from her debt to American citizens.
and that France should, in considera
ton therefor, release the United States
from her treaty obligations. This bargain
was solemnly ratified, and the United
States Government bought its freedom
from France with the goods of her private
citizens. And as it is a fundamental
principle of the American Constitution
that the government cannot take private
property for public uses without paving
for it, these French spOliation claims resi-
upon foundation Of law. Justice. honor
and constitutional right that admits of no
honest dispute.
The fact that these are old claims is the
paltriest of all excuses for not paving
them, The original claimants have zone
to their graves, many Of them in poverty
and priyation, leaving poverty and priya-
tion as their legacies to their children in
very many cases. But whether the claim
ants are rich or poor has nothing to do
with the sacredness of the obligation as
sumed by the government for its own ben
eft. And when they come to Congress.
merely asking that the Court of Claims
shall consider their case and report upcn its
merits, there is no room left for argument
against them.
These claims have been again and again
passed Hpdn by the greatest minds among
american lawyers and stateamen. Chief
Justice Marshall, Madison CLAY. Living
ston, Webster, Everett, Gushing, CLAYTON,
Crlttepden, Sumner and many others de-
clared their validity and insisted on their
payment. Congress twice passed bills
for their payment, but Polk vetoed one.
on the poor pPeteXt of the approaching
Mexican war and the empty Treas
ury, and Pierce vetoed the other on the
still more frivolous ground that to be
honest and just, then, would be q refiec-
ton upon the honesty and justice of the
forefathers! For nearly sixty years there
has not been an adverse Congressional re-
port ON these claims, while they have re-
peatedly been affirmed by the successive
committees that have considered them.
There has been a constant acknowledge
ment of the obvious duty of the govern
ment in the premises, but there the mat
ter has stopped.
The crumbs that fan from the Treasury
table, now swept by the bold hand of Con-
gressional appropriation, would far more
than satisfy the French spoliation claims.
The government can no longer plead nov
erty, and It cannot deny the righteous
ness OF the claims. There are Congressman
to whom the idea of the national honor
is stlll a we'll defined and potent
quantity, 1hey have row on their own
calender the House bill 1886. tayorablv re-
ported at the last session, and on their
Speakers desk, the Senate bill 1865. both 1
for hearing ANA report of these
spohatIon claims. And short and
crowded as the present session is, one or
the other OF these bills ought to be taken \
up ana passed, as an act of simple justice /
10 private citizens, and as. a proof of a |
sincere desire to do away with an old dis.
grace that hangs like an ugly hlotch on /
the national escutcheOn.
A NEAT swINp4B,-0ne of those neat.
lv contrived swindles by which the better
feelings of human nature arc PLAYED Tnon
by the vicious was perpetrated ON the fer
ry-bOat Arizona, Of the williamsburg line.
on Wednesday night. During one Of the
trips scantfly-clOthed girl entered the
ladies' cabin and told pitiful story of q /
dead father and sick mother. The feel
ings Of the passengers were touched, and
when handsomely dressed lady rose and
placed silver dollar IN the hand of the
girl, at the same time making allusion to 1
the fact that most of those present were l
going to pleasant homes, there was a i
shower Of silver coins bestowed on the |
poor child. When the collection had been |
made the lady placed the money in her |
snowy handkerchief and gave If Ia tke |
gtrl. When the boat reached WiliiamS-
burg both the woman apd the girl left the |