Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1880 — THEN WHAT? [ARTICLE]

THEN WHAT?

Suppose Gen. Hancock Should be Elected, What Would Follow? New York Tribune. Wbat doe* the South want to do— what could It do—ls it should get control of the government! Some think It could get back vrjt sums of real or pretended losses during the war. Bills already presented make clAims for many hundred millions on Recount of property taken or destroyed by Union forces. Is that all! These claims are enough, if allowed, to bankrupt any government, as has been fully shown, what a Democratic Congress would do with them, baring a President to sign its bills, we know from the names of members who offer such bills. Bnt is that ail! Suppose General Hancock elected; what next! A little bill to increase the number of Judges of the Supreme Court. At present the court i* overloaded with work. Instead of nine Justices, patriotic Democrats will say, let u* have nineteen, so that the work can be divided more conveniently, an<P the Democratic decision of the people maybe respected by the Judiciary. Excuses in abundance will be found, The bill will pass, and a Democratic President will sign it. and ten Bourbon Democrats will be appointed Justices of the Supreme Court. Then what! It is not worth while to dwell upon minor matters. General Sherman can be sued for every rail tojn up on his march ro the sea, General Sheridan for every pig confiscated to feed hungry boys In blue on their marches after a flying foe. But something greater is behind. The following is a sample of documents filed in many counties in the Southern States. It is copied from the official records of Chatham county, Georgia: [Book 2,222, page 203.1 State of Georgia, l Chatham County, j Before me personally came Isaac M. Harsh, a resident of Savannah, Georgia, who, being duly sworn, depcsetb and saith he was tn possession and the lawful owner of the following-named slaves at the time they were emancipated and made free by the United States government, towit: 1 woman, Sarah, age 15..... . 1 1 woman, Ellen, age 35, and four children from Bto 12 age .1.... 5 1 woman, Ann. age 40, and tpur children from 8 to 14 age..................... L..„ 5 1 man, Charles, age about 40 1 1 woman. Ellen, hi* wife, age about 60........ 1 1 woman, Isabella, age about 18 1 1 woman, Rhino, age about 50 1 1 man, Jim, age about 60 1 Total .....16 Isaac M. Marsh. |l.*. | Sworn to and subscribed before I me this July 20,1874. J Levi 8. Hast, Notary Public and ex-of-flcio Justice of th* Peeoe, Chatham county, Georgia. f nr _ ; ' Recorded July 20,1874. Ismc M. Marsh, it seems, has taken the pains to file legal proof, according to the laws of Georgia, that be was in “possession rad the lawful owner** of certain Slaves, to number sixteen, when “they were emancipated rad made free by the United States gtrrernment.” Why has he pot himself to that expense and pains! Of course he never expect* to get any pay for slaves emancipated—so long as there is a BeSbHcan President and Supreme Court. But if ire should ever be a Democratic President and Supreme Court! Then the little Mil of Mr. Marsh, for compensation on account of “property* taken from him by net of the United States government, would undoubtedly be presented. What would a Democratic court have to eay about it* . " Democratic lawyers have constantly claimed that the constitutional amendments adopted when ths Southern States were in duress were not lawfully or constitutionally adopted. There wonid be u* difficulty in finding ten Democratic jurists who would decide, aa Justices es the Supreme Court, that emancipation without payment for slaves set free was nnconstitujlonal. and that no amendment prohibiting payment for slaves set free was ever lawfully adopted. A Democratic Congress would then be asked to appropriate money to par for slave* taken from Mr. Marsh and others. How can a Democrat resist the claim! Mr. Marsh is not alone in filing proof of his Malm. All over the South, other such claim* have been placed on record. The Northern, or loysfl man. Who trie* to search the reeords to ascertain how many such claims there are, will And in four-fifths of the counties of the South local officials, “elected” by fraud and devoted to the Democratic party, who will take rare that there cun be no trae transcript hMder es slaves at the time of emancipation •»>«»* <,ooo,OUOilaveß, vMuewra about *SOO eacK Aa expeadltoro greater thaa tbe entire Na-

tienal debt at tbe United undoubtedly allow. - “** lo P®* re «® pd thei*|Bkrtin - r °*TZpen*ation until tbe Democratic ha* gained control of the government, nertbly they are shrewder than those wbe bewe made haste to file tbeir proof. But no one wbe understands the temper of the South wifi denM. that it i* the deliberate purpose to press these claims to collection, if a favorable court, OeegroM art Executive can once be secured. Bar. haps the people of the Northern Btatae see ready to double the National debt to pay hr staves Mnanctoated by the war. If ae, reey sen rationally rote for tbe election of Gamart Hancock.