The Opelousas courier., 1893-06-10
Special Correspondence.

AS q rule, the sentiment of Amer
can business men and American pee
pie generally is strongly in favor of th
payment of debts, but the last Con
gress has flown squaGely in the face {
This honorable senseS Of moral duty i
repudiating obligations of the Govern
ment which are of even higher weigh
and sanction than it's bounded debt.
Under the act of Congress of Jannar,
20, 1885, the French spolition claim
were referred to the Court of Claims II
order to determine whether or not tn
Government "a responsible for thei
payment. After the fullest argumen
and reargument by the solicitor genera
the court decided that certain of these
claims were released to France by tn
treaty of 1900 in settlement of the de
mands of France upon the Government
of the United States for its failure t.
keep the treaty of l778, under which
France secured to us our independ
ence that the release of these claims
which were always acknowledged by
France, was a use of private property
for public purposes, and that under the
provision of the Constitution giving
just compensation for private property
tried and allowed are valid obligations
of the United States.
For a number of years, especially
when the Government was derelict in
furnishing supplies as stipulated under
treaties, the Indians committed depre-
dations on the settlers in the West and
South. Year after year, as the neglect
of the Government to keep its treaties
with them continued, the savages plum
dered and murdered these frontiersmen
who stood between them and "civiliza.
tion." Afterward a statute was passed
empowering the Interior Department
to examine each case and report it to
Congress with recommendations as to
the amount due. At great expense
these sufferers then filed the evidence
to establish their losses, and as a rule,
the department recommended payment
Of about one-half the actual loss sus
tanned. Finally these claims were re.
ferred to the Court of Claims by the act
Of March 3, 1891, which declares that
they shall be a charge upon the Treasu,
~, and shall be paid out of the funds
due under the treaties to the tribes
which committed the d~epredations.
Additional evidence was taken at
heagSg expense the cases were regular
ly tried before the court, and decisions
have been rendered that a few hundred
thousand dollars are due on these
claims. But thesufferers obtained their
judgement only to have them repudat
ed by Congress. r.
Under d~ifferent,ects of Congress the
claims of loyal citizens in the South for
stores and supplies taken and used by
the Union forces for their subsistence
have been referred to the Court of
Claims, and upon lTull trial, will, the
question of loyalty as ajurisdictionaI is
sue, the court has judicially determir
ed that they are valid obligations of
the United States to the extent of some
hundred thousands of dollars.
All of these obligations were repu
dated by the last House. which refus
ed to appropriate the necessary funds to
pay them.
In addition two judgments of the
Supreme Court of the United States
were repudated with unblushiDg eff
frontery.
Now, the grave question comes home
to every patriotic and thoughtful citi-
zen as to where the line is to be drawn
between the judgement of a Federal
court, under jurisdiction by act of Con
gress, that a claim is a valid obligation
of the United States and the bonded
debt of the country. Is not the loyal
in the South whose subsistence
was used by our army thirty years ago,
when ascertained by the court and
without n cent of interest, as much
to his money as the bondhold-
err who has been getting his semi-an-
nual interest in gold during that period?
Is not the adjudiciated claim of the
American shipper and insurer, which
was acknowledged by France aud used
by u Government to pay the price of
American independence, the use of
which has been enjoyed without inter
est for ninety three years, just as sa-
cred an obligation as gold bonds bought
with greenbacks when gold was at a
premium of over 100 per centum !
The United States made treaties with
Indian tribes, but failed to furnish
'he supplies, and the savages, by way
reprisal, deprecated on the citizens.
the act of Congress some of these
saims have been tried and allowed by
9 court. Are not these legal rights
II the suffers on the frontier to be held
70 obligatory on the Congress repre-
the people as those of the CAPT
alist9
1t is about time that those Wanted
economists and statesmen, Messrs. Hol-
nan, of Indiana Dockery, of Missouri;
md Sayers, of Texas, who as rulers of
he Committee on Appropriations DOM
nate the House, should see where they
re drifting. Is it reputation and
.narchy, or is it law and the protection
f the sacred obligation of private
"Speak or die"
JOHN WEDDERBURN.