The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-04-17


Camp, for the purpose OF consulting
with the Commander IN Chief on such ar
rangements as the means they possessed
mIs M enable the to make, and the present
state oil the army might requi e.--Ihey thus
represented the condition OF the troops-
That the army was unpaid tor five months !;
that il seldom had more than six days pro-
vision In advance, and was OH se crai Occa-
sions, tor several successive days, without
meat that the army Was destitute OF forage {;
that the medical de epai,ment mad neither SUI
gar, tea, Chocolate, wine oil spilnuous liquors
St any kinds that every department oil the
army WAS withou, money, and hAd not even
the shadow OF credit lett .hal the harnHce
Of the soldiers, borne down by the pressure of
complicated sufferinss, was Oh the point OF
being exhausted"
With this picture before their eyes, filth
fully drawn by committee oi their own body,
Congress felt the necessity OF providing some
means 10 relieve the immediate dlstrcsses OF
the army, and to quiet IN ir reasonable COM
tiaints reianve TO the dearecialion. Acror-
dinghy, on the 10th day OF April, 1880,
resolution was passed, from which the Iol-
lowing extract is made. The writer would
insert the whole resolution, but its length
as enough is given to shew the intention oi
Congress.
Resotved, That, when Congress shall be
furnished with proper documents to liquida'e
the depreciation OF the Continental bills of
credit, they will, as soon thereafter the
state of the pubick finances will admit,make
good to the hne Of the army the efficiency OF
their original nay occasioned by such dehreci-
Gnon"
Thus, if nothing more had been said on
the subject, the resolution expressly limits
this allowance of dthreeiation 10 the hne of
The army-But<hat no doubt might exist, and
that no quibbe should afterwards be raised,
there is this explicit proviso in the same re-
solution-yiz.
" PROVIDED, That no person shall have any
benefit of this resolution, except such
were engaged during the mar, or for three
gears and are nozv in seruice, or shall here9f-
ter engage during the zpar."
by .nls proviso all persons who had enga-
ged for d less term than three years, and VINO
were nor then in serUice, are intentionally and
pointedy excluded from the allowance OF de-
preciatien-e.nd there Was sound reason tor
this--because they had not shared In the dis
tresses of the line, nor had tney suffered by
dspreciatioE--they served under short e0lisi-
menls, and mad the opportunity ot making
aezo bargain for nesv bounty, and tney also
received great 7vageS under every enlistment.
- But the poor fellows VINO had engaged dur
ing he zvar or for three yearS,where ucd down
by the bargain which they made " towards
the close OF the Campaign OF l77o, and
were unable 10 apply remedy lot the evil
which they suhered.-Ine consequence Was,
a general murmur ran through the Camp,
and that murT T,ur was succeeded by an actual
mutlny--and hence it was that Congress pas
sed the resolution for their relief, and not for
the benefit of troops who had been faid cE'
and discharged six months before.
However, after the war had ceased, some
spectators, supposing the three State regi-
ments TO be embraced by the resolution of
Congress, and full of the idea of cheating
the poor privates who had served in them,
commenced their speculaticns amongst them,
and after decrying the publick credit and u
sing such other means as spectators " are
-vont to do," they purchased up at ls-la6-
2s and $50 on the pound, what they called,
+" the balances due for depreciation" This
was truly "the bitter bitten," but there was
I" the finger of providence" in that. If any
thing had been due, the purchasers intended
to have defrauded the men who might be en-
titled to it, but as nothing was due, the effect
of the fraud which they supposed they were
playing off on others, has recoiied upon
themselves, and they now have the hardihood
to come forward in the names of those very
men, and to demand out Of the pubiick trea-
sury tzventy shilings on she hourd, beside TIC
interesl-But, fellow citizens, is this money
due 81 say certainly not.--Did these State
troops enlist during tie zvar ?--No.-Did
they enlist for three years ?-No-Where
they in service when that resolution was pas
SCI MO mot one Of the requisites pre-
scribed in the resolution pertalned to those
troops.-What claim, then, have those spec
ulators on your property to he amount OF
SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLS