Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-01-23
The French spouatiOn ,Iaims.

/ tt'ih H.H 800 loplo moro llulllii OF
discussion at the drcside and upon
the hustinga than the Claims for
French Sp0iitt.On. These claims
date back about eighty years, and
arise from the seizure of American
vessels on the high seas. 1t was
during the wars Of Napoleon when
France and Great Britain were
struggling for universal dominion,
and each for the others destruction,
that the neutral rights of the United
States were insolently violated by
both the giant belligerents. Vir-
ginia was cOunseled with the agita-
ton of American wrongs and two
DAYS after the father of the late
Pre-, identTyler became Governor of
Virginia, in December, 1908, the
legislature adopted unanimously
these two resolutions among others !:
LIST. "That it is better for us to
cease to exist as a nation than %
exist under dishonoT and violated
rights, AMI
I'd. "That the aggressions of
Great Britain and France have ill.,
fringed upon our honor; have vic.
lated our rights; have usurped up
on our sovereignty as an independ-
ent nation.
These resolutions had the ring Of
the Revolutionary period IN them,
and they remind Nirginians to-day
of the traditions of the State as
even aiiording inspiration to polit-
ical independence in though. and
action. The old commonwealth was
rife for war with either England or
France or both. To war with Eng
land the country went during Mad
isOn administration, and with our
old ally Of the Revolution, France,
disputed questions were adjourned.
Within eighty years forty-One re-
ports have been made in Congress
upon the subject of these deferred
claims. All but three of these re.
ports recommended the payment of
an indemnity to the amount of five
millions of dollars. A bill to this
effect passed both houses Of Con
gress twice, and was twice vetoed
by the Exccutive-Once by Presl-
dent Polk, once again by President
Pierce, and on one of these Occa-
sions the bill came very near pass
ing by a two.thirds vote over the
Presidents veto. The history OF
the claims is a very intricate one,
but it may be briefly stated that in
the negotiations with France from
1900 to 1903 for a settlement of
them, France set up a series of
counter claims, and that finally the
controversy was adjusted by setting
off the French claims as an equiv
alent for the American claims, no
money passing on either side. The
ableSt and most exhaustive speech
on the subject was that made by
Mr.. Sumner in the Senate in Janu-
airy, 1870. In that speech he traced
the whole history Of these claims
from the date of the neutrality proc
lamatiOn of Washington in 1903 to
the acts Of spoliation committed by
French vessels on our commerce
between that date and 1900, the
subsequent demands for indemnity,
the claims and counter claims that
entered into the negotiations on
both sides, and finally the virtual
assumption by the United States Of
the claims of American citizens as
a set.Oif to the claims of France.
Eight hundred and / lety.eight
vessels were admitted by France TO
have been captured from American
citizens, whose right to indemnity
was conceded, but to whose owners
or their heirs no indemnity had been
given. The policyot setting off the
claims of the United States on the
one hand aud those of France on
the other against each other, being
adopted, the natural consequence
was the assumption by our govern
ment, according to Mr.. Sumner, of
the original obligations of France |
to American citizens, and the COM
plete substitution Of the United |
States for France as the RESPONSE |
ble debtor. Such was the view |
taken in the thirty.eight favorable !
reports made to Congress on these !
claims, running back to 1907, re-
peatedly affirmed up to and includ-
ing 1870, and now reaflirmed by the
action Of the Senate and House of
Representatives. How many Of
these claims are now in existence 1t
is at present impossible to say.
Mr.. Sumner estimated the losses
10y American citizens, for
which the United States became
responsible, at twelve million six
and seventy six thousand
dollars, but recommended COM
promise Tor Il round sum OF I'VE
of dollars. Secretary Ere.
inghuysen, while regarding Mr..
statement as most trust
worthy, reports that Of the claims
On file in the department MAORI
" put forward no losses, but
amounts are specified by oue.ffth
IF them aggrcgating two million
.wo hundred ana thirty-iive thou.
sand dollars, and covering four
hundred and fny-six vessels, or
lbout onc.half the number stated
BY Mr.. Sumner. {
UnQuestion bly, the passage of