Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-01-22


some cases be admissible To provide a
temporary aid for the, children of those who
die III the field hui the idea that the nation
j. n"snd IL support the widums. children, and
q, hers, III all whn de IN lis service, is CHI
ih.' zeal Indeed. Ard yet il comes I" this. -
FIf, ii thr mothers cf ihusc who die In the
= y are 10 be maintained, nhy uut ,fthuse
VINO die in the army Ii HE mothers oi uni-
GERS of high rank, Why not 0f snbak.rn ill
Ger. Nay, why not III the common soldier
li' risks his life for Tire country as much, if
mt more than has cnnimander 50 that, u, en
80 the Sfon:id of feeling, the r,,snns for the
bal eutrciy iaii. SNali we not feel us much
inr the poor nan as the rich For the hum
hi. but patriotic soldier, as Tor his more ele-
lated Companion in arms !? Mr.. G. said he
was IN Congress hen The nil! for the support
ui the wife and children uf Commodore Per-
!, passed the Inuse. IL was known Ia all
Who were in the House at that time, that that
L,ii had hern advocated by two of the most
Gi-lipguished men that ever sat in Congress
"hc of whom Nr. Luwudes) now sluinbcred
ni The gra,e-tlle other WIS yet Il member of
i'.e House. Ii WAS To the bursts al resisirss
''!''qu-nce winch broke from the lips now
sl'if IN death, that the passage of that hill WAS
chieily to be attributed il MAS passed i'm a
iInment oil enthusiasm the news Of the death
'l Comnindore Perry had just reached the
Ins could con,rul. But this body ough, not
{" be under the government of mere fecling :
W hen about 10 lres!ate, il must bride its pas
sions, and give reason opportunity tu be heard.
s1pine uniform rule ought to be established.
:sU"ady the pension list Of this young country
Vas sw eiled Ia more than two millions. La
f1y years, asked Mr.. G.. if we proceed as we
bay" done, what will ii be ? He was seriously
IL cied by the precedent il was now propns-
cd 10 set. Mrs. Perry might he much dis
iressed, and it was not disputed that her son
i,,d covered his country with glory. His
'aerit was undisputed ; and lie would say,
)! was unsurpassed. too, b, ANY officer Of his
Own grade. But what then He could go
over long list of wuiil,ies, for whose fami-
lies no provision had been made There
were, al this h"r, hundreds Of parents, TO
whom The country owed much, who were in
the same circumstances with Mrs. Perry. One
Instance had recently been quoted on that
ilDor: The of Mrs. Denny. The thing
was unavuidthle |, was one nf the fruits The
iamrniah!e, but necessary, fruits of war; in all
ages and countries.
NJ. McDUFrIk OF S. Carolina. next took
The floor. H.. commenced his observations
ny saying, that hr should feed deep regret it,,
IN the discharge of his public duty, as mem-
hrr OF this House, he should ever find the die
tales of policy incompatible with the senti-
ineuts Of gratitude aud the maxims of moral
,tsiicr. But ne was gr,tifird 10 believe, that
t'al which the heart of every upright and
ionorahle man would prompt him TO do, was
That which might he sustained, AS the true poll
cy OF government, on the cool principles Of
reason, and by an appeal To the soundest die
tates OF practical wisdom. The present mea-
sure vas an appeal In gratitude, founded on
the principles ofexpediency. Did he not be-
lieve that this bill was founded on considera-
tons OF the most enlarged expediency, he
would AT once abandon the bill as indefens-
bic. What, he asked, is the great object of :,
government, in relation To The military and ma
val servre, on which the honor and even the
safety otthe country so muc.i depend With
out brewery, military rcnown, heroism, wha.
IS a nation A multitude of individuals tale
better than rabblr. Without national char
acter, what are we 4? Can too high induce
'ncnis be presented for the achievements ol
Vaior which serve tn elevate and even cnnsti-
rife that character A.? Can such achievements
he estimated by money They cannot. il
was therefore, he argued, the dictate of sound
nrhcy, In pursue such course as would foster
the feelings and deeds upon which the honor
and safety OF the country depend. Agans,
these sound and seif-eI idpnt views of rational
policy, views that were founded in the nature
at mat, what were the arguments urged The
danger of the precedent If we pass this bill
II Is said, we must, in justice, allow all similar
claims and where will it stop To this argyll
ment, Mr.. McDuffie said, he had short an
swer. Let all claims of equal force with this
claim be allowed, in their fullest extent. That
country, said Mr.. McDuIie, cannot he poor,
which has many such claims TO satisfy rich
indeed Is that nation whose treasury is in dan
g"r OF impoyershment by claims like this
the gentleman from Georgia has said that il
'7e extend aid to the aged parents of our Off
GERS, we are also bound TO do The same for
our common soldiers. do not, said MIR. Nc
Du!fe, admit that position. This claim rests
not simply On the fact sf Mrs Perry being the
mother of Commodore Perry, but ON the I'D
ditional idea that she stood to him, when Iiy-
ing, in the relation Of u d"pendent on ham for
support his bounty fed her. When he died
another son assumed the pious task of his
fate nOne Of us is ignorant I; he magnanimous-
ly sacrificed his life in an effort TO save his
comradr and with his life her support was cut
oil. Replying tn another part of Mr. CObb's
argument, Mr.. McDuiic went on TO say, there
IS broad distinction between the case Of a
nigh spirited and distinguished officer and that
of coum0n soldier. The latter has dutirs
Sf far inferior kind. and is induced, in most
Gases 20 enter on their performance from
inercenary mOiives-hc enters the service for
his daily bread. Not so The officer. He
chooses the profession for its own sake, and is
tempted to the choice by love offame. The
duties Of a common soldier are performed If
be fights bratcly, sfands at his post and ubrys
0rdeTs ; whilst the duties Of the officer Of
the most arduOus character and Of Inc highest
national Importance. And when nation has
in is service high minded and chiyaIrous off
ccer+7 II IS her soundest policy to set them E. e.