Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1812-01-24

Shall we not open the door to the righteous
claim of the revolutionary soldier for fear of
the intrusion of frauds and impositions9 l
hope, sir, our fears will not be SO influential
as faithful guardians of the public interest it
will be our business to stand as centinels at
the door and prevent the entrance of impes-
tors and intruders-I can readily imagine,
Mr.. Chairman, that notwithstanding all our
vigilenee, some impositions may possibly be
practised on the government, should this bar
rier be removed but, sir, that circumstance
has but little weight on my mind: for my part
1 had rather that ten, nay, that one hundred
unjust claims on the government should be
paid, than that one solitary war-worn soldier
of the revolution, should be compelled by his
wants in the bitterness of his suflerings, to ut
ter the reluctant exclamation, my country has
been unjust / do not like, MIR. Chairman,
that kina ofcold, calculating marble hearted
policy tnat woald reject the just claims of
any man or any set of men, much less the
claims OF those venerable heroes who split
their blood and ruined their estates in the es-
Enlistment OF that liberty under whose aus
pieces we are now here legislating for the ma
ton; the idea, sir, is painful to me, of man
being plunged into sea of misery and dis
tress, by his sufierings and losses in his coun-
try's service, and thereby disabled from com
ing forward within a limited time to demand
his Just and stipulated remuneration, if at any
time by struggling with the waves he should
be enabled to emerge and cali for help, that
his country should turn deaf ear to his cries,
should refuse to hold out her hand to his re-
lief, but cruelty suffer him to sink, to rise no
more.
Mr.. Chairman, if take this subject up
r I 81
to think we shall find our account in repeating
those statutes the maxim that honesty is the
best policy, will hold good, | believe, in all
situations and under all circumstances the
resolutions and bills which have lately been
brought before us, would seem to shew that
we are once more shortly to be engaged in
war, in which our country may stand in need
of all her energies-how, sir, are you to raise
your armies With what grace, would ask
you, will you invite to your standards the
sons of those unpaid revolutionary fathers,
who have cause to complain, not only of the
ingratitude, but of the injustice of their coun-
try. For my part, Mr.. Chairman, do not
believe there is much Cat least nowadays of
that kind pure disinterested patriotism, TN
connected with self, which will fight the bat
ties OF your country without fair prospect of
just remuneration ; if there be, it is no Or
binary occasion that will cali it forth it is
not war for commercial privileges, or grow
ing out OF aggressions ON commerce that will
do il this truth is recognized in the bill on
your table, else, wherefore is it that that bill
provides, that one hundred and sixty acres of
land shall be given as an additional bounty to
each soldier who may enlist. Mr.. Chairman.
am taught to believe by gentlemen better
acquainted with the original decision of those
laws than am, that they were never intended
to tie up the hands of the Legislature, but were
only intended to operate on the accounting
officers OF the government, and it would seem
strange indeed, were it otherwise / must
confess, sir, being new member of this
house, have been little surprised at some
OF the reports of your committee of claims, af.
ter investigating claim and reporting it to
be just, they state that it is barred by the acts
OF limitation, and therefore resolve, that the
prayer OF the petitioner ought not to be grant
ed but such it seems has been the construc-
ton given to those laws but supposing that
to be the true construction, it surely could on
ly have been intended by their passage to ex-
pedite the settlement of accounts, and not to
give them the immutable character of the
! laws of the Modes and Persians, and for one
will give my vote for redeeming my country,
by repeating those laws, from the sin of hav-
ing so long withheld from the revolutionary
claimants, their just demands Mr. Chair
man, ON the mere ground of economy, l be-
heve 1T would be better to pay at once the few
remaining revolutionary creditors, for al
though we may not be constitutionally bound
to do so, we are bound to do another thing,
to listen to their humble annual petitions, and
the money expended in this way would have
been, l expect, more than sufficient to have
paid them all, whose claims are founded in
justice. The celebrated case of Amy Darden,
who asks only pay for horse, which your
| committee ofcfaims reports to be just de-
mand has. have understaad rerulalrv for