Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-08

commissioners was Jerry Gordon, who
claimed to be ninety-three, and from his
recollection of Gen. Washington's war;
as well as his greater familiarity with the
war of 1872, at which date he declared
himself to have been man Of mature
years, he could not have been far wrong
In his reckoning. He was of a dark yellow
or brown color, showing that he was not
more than three parts African, was hale
and hearty, and was valued by Mr.. Camp
bell, on the scale OF prices which ruled be-
fore the war, at $3.50. We awarded his
owner, George Washington Young, ESQ.,,
$65. 10 for him. / may remark in this con-
nection that Mr.. Young was the largest
slave owner in the District. his schedule
embracing sixty-nine. for which he was
awarded and received S17,771.S5. The next
largest slave holder was Mrs. Margaret G.
Barber. who claimed and was paid for
thirty-four slaves the sum of 0,S51 30.
THE highest compensation awarded Tor
any slave was $7SS; the lowest, 5000.
though many claims were thrown out as
Of no value. One of the claims. involving
the 'woman's rights question to some ex-
tent was a source of embarrassment 10
the commissioners. Mrs. Throckmorton
put in a claim for six slaves. The title was
in her husband, who had gone to Virginia
since hostilities commenced. But she re-
manned loyal and her only son was gal
liant Union officer. The commissioners
were bound to reject her claim, the title
to her slaves being in her husband. But
in the spring of 1860 the husband had given
a deed Of trust on five of the slaves 70
secure a debt for the sum OF S44O, ana TINS
trust Mrs. Throckmorton had paid or II
was determined, therefore, to indemnify
her to the extent of this payment out or
the declared value of the slaves, and her
claim was further recommended to the ia
vorable consideration of Congress. There
were other claims similar to that or Mrs:
Throckmorton. in which the husbands had
gone south, but without the exceptional
and extenuating facts mentioned in her
case, and no compensation was allowed
Among the slaves emancipated under the
supplemental act OF July IL was one Ihat
had been owned by General Robert e. Lee.
and one gave the name of Hon. Jesse ID.
Bright of Indiana as his owner.
Feeling of the Citizens.
TT is said that the effect of compensated
emancipation in the District was highly
favorable to the business interests of the
community. 1t came at a time when
slaves had ceased to have any salable
value and to be paid in ready money for
species Of property that had become
drug on the market was a great relief. 1t
enabled hundreds of people to pay up their
old debts, by which shopkeepers and mer-
chants and all creditors were made easy,
and it may be doubted whether any citi-
Zen of Washington was SO stupid-after
emancipation was an accomplished fact
and the slave owners were paid for their
utterly unstable property-as to regret
1t. / remember hearing Wendell Phillips,
in lecture in the Smithsonian Institution
about the time when this act and the
kindred measures for the states were under
discussion In Congress, say, apostrophizing
the slave holders: Gentlemen, now is your
time to sellv 1t was well for the people
of the District Of Columbia that they had
no voice In the matter, for they, that is
to say, the slave holders, would have been
as prompt to reject compensated emancipa-
ton as were those of Maryland, Kentucky
and Missouri, and instead of receiving $780,
600 for their 5000 slaves, they would have
received nothing.
THE report of the commissioners, as
printed, is designated Executive document
No. A. Thirty-eighth Congress- 1t bears
date January IA, 1863 The Secretary, Mr.
Chase, was absent at the time, and the
commissioners, with their clerk, Mr.. Wood
WARD, by way of signalling the close of
their long and arduous labor, made a for
NAL call on President Lincoln. He re-
ceived us as he did every one, with the
frankness and cordially of the honest and
true-hearted man he was. When we in
formed him that We had finished our work
he replied that he vas glad to know that
somebody had finished something and that
he ished his work was done. After some
pleasant conversation our commission re-
tired, and adjourned sine die