The National tribune., 1883-01-11
of its sympathies. The Grand Army should
make woman its help-meet.
The Republic rs q RepudIator.

funded debt Of the United States should be
paid to the last dollar, but that all otherobG-
cations involving the honor of the Govern
ment should be discharged to the uttermost
penny. 1t must be confessed, however, that,
except in the matter Of the public debt,
Congress has displayed singular lack of
concern for the honor of the Republic and
by failing to make provision for the pay
ment Of equitable claims has more than
once placed it in the attitude Of a repudiator.
Our ex-soldiers are not the only victims of
Its impr0vidence, nor is this generation the
only one which has suffered from it's neglect.
In one instance, at least, claim against the
United States has been pending in Congress
for more than half century, and although
bill providing for its payment has been
twice passed by the Senate and once by
the House and its equity been repeatedly
affirmed by the highest authorities, it re-
mains to this day unsettled. The claim to
which we refer is that Of Margaret c.. Meade,
administrative Of Richard W. Meade, and its
history is briefly as follows:
Richard W. Meade, Philadelphia mer-
chant, in 1904 removed to Cadiz, Ep2in,
where he engaged in large commercial
transactions, and in the course Of his busi-
ness furnished provisions to the Spanish
government during a foreign war in which
it had engaged. On pressing his demand
for payment, in 1916, he was arrested and
imprisoned, but at the instance Of the United
States Government was finally released. He
then applied to the Spanish government for
the settlement of his claim, and the latter
proposed to indemnify him by cedipg to
him certain lands in Florida, at that time
part of the Spanish possessions. 4 treaty,
however, was pending between Spain and
this Republic for the cession Of Florida to
the latter, and Mr.. Meade was advised by the
President that the proposed grant to him
would not be recognized by this Govern
ment. The treaty bound the United States
to pay all claims of American citizens on
Spain to the extent OF $5,9Q0,000 but it
failed Of ratification, and subsequently Mr..
Meade's claim was adjudicated by d Spanish
| junta, and he was awarded certificate of
Indebtedness, approved by the King himself,
to the amount of $373, ,87988. The State
| Department at Washington was duly n0ti-
fed of this award and Mr. Meade was Off
cially congratulated On the result. The
| question then came up as to the manner
Of payment, and the Spanish Cortes notified
the American Minister st Madrid that it
would Tatify the still-pending Florida treaty
! only On the condition that this claim should
| be specifically included among those which
this Government engaged TO become re-
! spOnsible for. To this condition the Ameci-
can Minister assented and the treaty was
accordingly ratified. Congress shortly after
! appointed commission. to pass upon the
claims, and AIr. Meade duly laid his papers,
including certified copy of the Spanish
| junta'5 award, before it. Six months later.
however, it demanded the original vouch-
ers, still in the possession of the Spanish
government, and Mr.. Meade, by virtue OF q
| provision in the treaty obligating Spain to
| furnish such evidence on demand, made ap-
! plication, through the State Department, for
the papers. Owing to the temporary ina
bility or neglect Of the Spanish government
to comply with this demand, the vouchers
were not forthcoming before the life of the
| commission expired, and on the ground that
sufficient evidence had not been furnished
| it disallowed the claim and adjourned,
! thereby cutting off Mr.. Meade from all
! benefit by the treaty, Notwithstanding that
the payment of his claim by the United
! States Government had been made the sole
condition of the ratification of the treaty
| by the Spanish COrtes, and that it was
through no dereliction of duty on his part
that the evidence unnecessarily demanded
| by the commission was not submitted prior
to the conclusion of its sitting.
A moro glaring piece of injustice than
this it would be difficult to find in the history
of the Republic, and it is almost incredible
that such stain should have so long been
permitted to remain upon the national honor
Yet, as we have said, Congress after Congress
has shirked the responsibility for its pay
ment, and it is to-day still pending in the
National Legislature. Mr. Meade, the orig
inal claimant, who was one of the most
illustrious Americans OF his day, died fifty
years ago, and his heirs, Of whom the late
General Meade-whO added fresh Iustre to
the family name by his gallantry in the war
of the rebelliOn-was one, have been COM
PEELED to battle single handed for that
recognition by the Government which it
should long ago have granted of its own
free will.
Is it not shameful-is it not monstrous-
that great and rich government such as
ours should be condemned by the inaction