The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-07-01
THE CONFEDERATE DEBT.
Judge FullertOn's Ingenious Argu.
ment In Favor of its Payment.

memt In Favor OF its Payment.
WASHINGTON, July 2l.-After Judge Fuller
ton, the famous New York Republican lawyer,
delivered his argument before the House Com
mittee on War Claims in favor Of the payment of
the Confederate debt by the United States gov
eminent he was requested to submit his remark
to the committee in printed form. A bundle of
these cheerful pamphlets was dumped on the
committee table at Its meeting Friday morning
The argument is BRIEF covering only six pages,
but ii is interesting reading as a marvel of Legal
and literary ingenuity. The members Of the
committee will digest it at their leisure Judge
Fullerton says:
In discussing the liability of the Confederate
States to pay the Confederate debt it is proper to
say that they never refused to recognize their OBJ
legation to meet it, nor did they request any
action on the part of the United States to relieve
them from it. As between the holders of the
Confederate debt and the States creating il there
existed binding obligation with which no third
party could properly interfere, much less dis
charge Notwithstanding this the United States
government, unnecessarily and unsolicited, and
in the exercise of u superior and arbitrary power,
stepped between the Confederate States and their
creditors, and by amending their organic law
provided that neither the United States nor any
State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation
incurred in aid Of instruction rebellion
against the United States,
but all such debts, obligations and claims shall
be illegal and void But in declaring at the
same time that the Confederate States, who had
created it, should not pay their just and ac-
knowledged liability, the government not only
acted unwisey but committed stupendous
blunder. 1t not only relieved the guilty party
from just liability, but it was a wanton de-
structon of debt it did not own, and with
which il had no righttul concern. In doing so
il assumed a fearful responsibility.
"The United States should, therefore, have
stood aloof and left the contracting parties to
adjust their own affairs, without interference on
their part, as best they might. 1t follows, if
these views are correct, that the effect of this
amendment to the constitution was: First to
extinguish the Confederate debt, and secondly,
as a consequence to create new liability for
damages against the United States, measured by
the value of the property so wrOnglully de.
stroyed. This act OF the United States was UNI
doubtedly intended to punish those who it was
supposed had aided the States in rebellion by
the purchase Of their bonds, and it only adds
another mott q instance to history where an at
tempt to injure has resulted in Il benefit.
Before l conclude will answer a question
which was asked by member of the committee,
VIZ: What is the amount of the Confederate
debt? My answer is that do not know, nor
have sought to know. deal only with the IL
ability to pay that debt and not with the ex tent
of it. 1t was also said here that it amounts to
billions Even so; it does not affect the ques-
ton here presented. The United States cannot
afford to deny an honest liability because ii is
large one, or ask to be relieved from it on that
account. The amount OF it should have been
ascertained and the liability measured before the
dangerous responsibility was assumed of blolting
il ont "