Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-12-05
The Rebel Debt.
A Southern View of the Way
to Get it Paid.
How the South Feel About Pay
For Their Slaves.
A Quietus to Republican Buga-
b0oS.

IoUISvILI.E, Ky. Dec. 2.-Somebody
wrote froa New York to Henry Wat
terson of the Courier Journal. cxp,es
sing the fear that when the demacrAts
get into power they will load the
rebel debt nron the government, and
also pay for the slaves set free by
federal authority during the war. and
pensioa the rebel soldiers. To these
points the witty WatterSou makes
reply;
To tins we have to answer:
FlrSt-That the people of the south
will attempt 10 obtain payment for
their former slaves,
Let them attempt. Waving, for
the moment, the constitutional in
hibition, how are they going TO get it,
Where Is the money 10 come from2
Who is 10 vote it, Is Tiers man.
north or soath, with sense enough TO
carry bag of wheat 10 mill, capable
of believing that ten white voters and
three black voters are likely to tax
themselves TO pay the attorney of
dead slave owner for n doubtful
darkev who went to the worms dozen
years agol y man who stands in
dread of that deserves 10 have holes
bored IN the top of his skull to let the
darkness oat. The south may, indeed,
extract Slmbeams from oucumherS.
it may discover a short cut to lhe
moon by hand !asket express around
Cape Horn But as for ever reclaim
ing those slaves or getting pay for
them, that viii happen when Niagara
turns about and flows up stream. In
the language of Capt Simon SuggS
of the Tallapoosa Volunteers, the
South says simply, Them niggers is
gone from me and mine furever N
furever'
Second That the South will have
the rebel soldiers pensioncd and the
rebel war debts paid.
The pension list is already an exact
ing load. 1t approximates Sloo. 800,
900 annually. There is no thought in
the South of increasing it. The boys
who wore the gray took through
ticket and lost. They played fair,
open and manly game They have
never whined about it, and they do
not propose to foul it at this late day
They expect no pension and want
none. If ever q proposition to that
end is made, it will either come from
Northern Republicans seeking rebel
alliances, or from some irresponsible
Southern demagogue, who thinks TO
come ii over his constituents, but who
will be quickly ly sat down upon. Be
sure of that
AS for The payment of rebel debts, the constu
tion OF the United States article NV, says; Sec
top4 1. The validity of the public debt Of tn
nited States, authorized by law, including debts
incurred for payment OF pensions and bountieS
for services in suppresSing instruction or rebel
lion, shall not be questioned. But neither the
United States or any state, shall assume or pay
any debt or obligation incurred in MD of any in
or rehesn against the United States.
or any claim for the loss or emancipation Of any
slave, but all such debts, obligations and claims
shall he held Illegal and void
THIS is pretty strong language, isn't
it? 1t has a case-mated, iron clad
ring about it, hasn't it2 Ii is toler
ably numerous" too, covers "a
heap o ground, and looks like it
was made to last One woHld think
so when reading the fifth article Of
the constitution, he finds that ii can
only be set aside or amended, as fol
lows:
The congress, whenever two-thirds Of both
houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose
to this constitution or, on tho ap
plication of the legislatures of two thirds OF the
several stctes, shall call coqveution for propos
ing amendments, which, la either ease, shall be-
valid to all intents ana purposes, as parts Of this
constitution when ratified by the legislatures OF
three fourthS of the several states, or by conven
tons in three fourths thereof
This is also pretty tight ittlng old
sticking plaster, ISM it2
So here you have It. How do you
like it2 Do you think, if we wanted
to pension soldiers who are able and
willing to support themselves, To get
pay for niggers we never lost, and to
settle debt created for being licked -
Supposing us to be such "A set OF ever
lasting fools-do you really think
now we could make sure Of the vote
Of New York; How, for example,
would Vermont go2 Then, there are
the other eastern states, and the md
die states, and the northern states,
and the northwestern states, and the
Pacific states. is it the opinion OF
the credulous republicans who think
the south and free trade are coming
con wheels" with a car load of "Ium,
romanism and rebellion" TO blight
and wither loyal people, thai Ne can
obtain the requisite t~o-lhirds anu
three fourths vote III the congress and
the states to amend the
and give the mig
ger and the rebels, and the dogs
and the cats a whack al the treasury
If there are any such, let US know,
and we promise - see that President
Arthur sends the fool killer around
with hatchet and chrome before
he retiies from Office.
No, no, friend Nichols, the wind
acts not in that quarter. The people
Of tue south are just like the people
of the nort!a, no better and no worse.
We are not playing for dead horse.
We are n t, and we have not been
sitting like bump on log. 1t is
rue that we have had TO tug at the
hind teat long, long time. But we
have kept up devil of tuggIng,
and now that our pail Of milk is full,
l..