The National tribune., 1884-03-13
WHERE WILL THIS END7
The Latest Thing in Southern Claims-An Absurd
Demand.

The Latest Thing in Southern Claims-An Absurd
Demand.
It appears to be tie determination of South
ern Members of Congress TO gradually obtain
from the United States Treasury remuneration
for the losses sustained by the Southern States
while in rebellion against the General Govern
ment. Bills have recently been introduced in
the House of Representatives by members
from Georgia, North Carolina, and South Caro-
lima, asking that the annual appropriation for
arms for the several States of the Union,
which the seeded States could not avail
themselves of while in rebellion against the
United States, shall be distributed among those
States By q law of 1915 this money was COW
cred into the United States Treasury. The
object Of the bill, presented by Hon. Alfred NJ.
Scales, of North Carolina, is to repeal this act.
IL provides that q out OF any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated the Sec
rotary of the Treasury is hereby directed TO
pay 10 those States respectively the amounts of
the balances due them which remained IN
drawn in consequence Of said proviso IN the
appropriation bill of 1872 The exceeding
modesty of this request viii be more appar-
ent upon glance at the records of the rebel
lion, showing the number Of arms taken from
URited States arsenals IN 1861.
AT the outbreak OF the rebellion there were
IN the arsenals and armories OF the United
States faccolling to the report of Colonel III. K.
Craig, Chief of Ordnance TO the Secretary of
War 81. 800 serviceable muskets and rifles. OF
this number 90, 575 were seized by the States of
South Carolina, Alabama, and Louisiana; 200
more were taken by the State of Georgia from
the arsenal at Augusta, and 1862 from the
arsenal 81 Fayetteville, n. G.
The transfer of arms TO Southern arsenals
began by order of John b. Floyd as early as
/ 1888, IN pursuance of the folloing order:
WAR DEPARTMENT, Dec %, 1859
The colonel OF ordnance viii give the requisite
orders lor supplying the afsenais at fayetteyliIe
n. C.; Chs<leston, - c.; Augusta, Ga; Mt Yer
1 non Ala, anu Baton Rouge La. with the follow
ing IN addition those hand at those arse
mails, VIZ: IS 0O0 percussion nUskets lcalbeT 69,
and 1908 altered TO percussion tciiiber co. from
Springfield Mass a-mory. also 600 percussion
rifles lcalber 81 from AateFtown Mass arsenal
and LOO percussion rifies caliber 81 from Water
yllet q. u arsenal. These orders viii be given
from time to time az may be most suitable for
economy and convenience of transportation. The
distribution the i've fiTst-named arseuals will be
IN proportion to their respective means of proper
storage JoHN b. FLOYD.
Secretary of War
The exigencies Of the case required no hurry
as there was no probability OF the arms being
| required until alter the Presidential election
| in November 1850. The issue of arms under
| this order was commenced on the Both of Jan
| uary, 1850, By Colonel Craig, and on the 18th
OF January, ISL, he reported to Hon. JOSEPH
| Holt, Secretary Of War, that the entire mum
DrA VI 4AAeSSD IAshCt5 dDu Ilutc 1iau D6eL
transferred from Northern TO Southern arse
mails by order Of John Il. Floyd, who had alsC
directed the shipment Of forty-two and 10
inch eolumbiads, and four 32-pounders to ShiE
Island, Mississippi, and seyenty-one s and TO
/ inch colnmbiads, and seven 32-pcanders II
Galveston, Texas The shipment OF the artil
/ lery was stopped by order OF Secretary Holt
While, therefore, Georgia is thus asking
through her representatives in Congress, fol
4 payment for State arms captured while EN-
ployed against the authority of the United
States, and South Carolina is clamoring for al
adjustment of her accounts on the same basis
it may be web 10 make some account of til,
arms Illegally ssized by those States from tn,
United States arsenals located within thei
borders There are other items Of credit I.
which the United States Government is en-
/ tifled-such as forts and armories, sub-treas
uries and quartermaster's warehouses seized
not by the Confederate government, but by tn
Southern State authorities but as the bill
mentioned refer only TO arms, these items ma,
be reserved 10 Offset the bills that will doubt
less yet be presented for the rent of battle
fields and prison-pens, or for the liquidation O
the Confederate Collar bondsi"