Year: 1878

The rebel claims now before Con-
gress aggregate about 100000, 900.
These are of a character not barred by
| the Constitutional amendments, and
are subject to the action of Congress,
without appeal to any other tribunal
| The Inter- Ocean ventures the predic-
tion that the advent of Democratic
majority in both houses of Congress
will signalize the opening of legislation
which will result in the payment of
these claims. And when once the gate
is opened the amount named will prove
but the beginning of the Hood. Then
will come the aggregation for the pay
ment of slaves. the pensioning of rebel
soldiers, ETC., etc, until our own debt
will be lost sight of in the magnitude
of this raid upon the public treasury.


Do our readers appreciate the dan
gers of this movement 1t is not Sc
cret by any means, though frank avow-
ais of the design are suppressed by the
leaders of the Democratic party Us far
as possible. They cannot prevent the
less discreet members of their party
from speaking out, however, and so we
nave from numerous Southern sources
the open confession that this is to be
the object of their political ascendency,
and that conciliation can only come
through the recognition of their claims
by the North"


We do not believe, by any means,
that every Democratic member of Con-
gress will support such raid. Neither
are we sure that every Republican will
stand firm in the midst of temptation
in opposition to such claims. But, as
a rule, we can depend upon the latter
to vote steadily and persistently against
the scheme, while, unfortunately, the
former, owing to party association and
the necessity of " harmony" cannot be
counted on to resist the majority of
their own party associates. The opening
will be Insignificant, some minor claim
will be denOminated just, the claimant
loyal, and the amount demanded will
be small. This successful, the preced-
ent established, and the work will be-
gin in earnest And it is not alone
from party discipline that we may fear
danger. Think of the 100000, 900
claims before Congress, and the oppor-
tunities given for corruption in the
handling of such stupendous sunni
1t is scheme to be watched and
guarded against on every side. We ad-
wise the people of every Congressional
district to put the question of support
ing or opposing such claims squarely to
all of their candidates, and exact the
most positive pledges from them on
this point:


Do you promise to act and vote
throughout your term against the pay
ment of any Southern claim growing
out of the war now barred by the
lawsPn


This question, or its substance, should
be addressed to every candidate of
whatever party, and positive answer
required.


The South has everything to fight
for in this Congressional contest. Sue
cess means, at least, the temporary
realization of her peculiar notions about
State sovereignty; her triumph over
the colored race, and the substantial
abrogation of the Constitutional amend
ments; and, finally, her enrichment at
the expense of the North whom she
plots to divide by other issues that she
may the more easily exact the tribute
she seeks. The North, confident, easy,
prone to independent thought, and,
consequently, only united by imme-
diate and apparent danger, goes idly
on, seeing, yet seemingly indifferent to,
this SCENE of sectional aggrandize-
ment.


The Inter Ocean warns Republicans,
and Northern Democrats as well,
against united South; and whether,
in the mad craze over other issues,
this danger shall be overlooked or not,
we shall have done our duty when we
have pointed it out and sounded the
alarm. - Chicago Inter Ocean.