Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-06-05
REVOLUTIONARY OFFICERS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, Arn,l IS, 1926

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ArniL 20 1870
The House being in Committee oil the " mole
ON the State Of the Union, on the Dill making
provision for the surviving Officers oil 'he Kew
olution:- ,,u
MIR. EVERETT, of Massachusetts,, address
ed the Committee as follows: :.
Mr. CHA,RMAN: III consulted only my inch-
nation. | should certainly leave the cause oil the
Revolutionary Officers in the powerful and elo-
,uent advocacy of nv honorable friend Mr.
SpRaeuE,l who has just taken his seat should
be DESTROYS of avoiding the appearance OF at
tempting TO say over again, what he has so nap
ply and SO forcibly urged in their behalf, II IS,
however, subject on which my sense OF duty
will not allow me to give silent vote; and
must, therefore, ask the indulgence OF the com
mittee while endeavor, very cursorily, 10 an
swer some Of the objections which have been
urged TO the passage Of the bill, and while
briefly state some of the reasons for which !
shall vote for the bill, and for the amendment OF
INV honorable colleague (Mr. REED.)
II has been objec, ted, sir, 10 the claim OF the
Revolutionary Officers, that IL is one, not otJas-
lice, but of gratitude. This description OF the
claim does not, confess, carry very distinct
idea 10 my mind. understand whatwould be
meant, BY saying that it is claim, not on our
;pstice. but our generosity. This might be
said Of claim founded on services not entitled
TO compensation, but presenting fair occasion
for the exercise Of lberality. But claim on
our gratitude must surely be founded on real
imnortant services. These services must, Of
course, create a claim also on our justice, which
can only be discharged by full and ample com
pensation. That, certainly, has never been done
in the case of the Re, olutonary officers; and 1t
their claim is, therefore, as is admitted, claim
on our gratitude, il is, for the same reason,
claim on our justice.
The respecled gentleman from North Carroll
ma, (Mr.ALLsToN,) said that he was one those
who, when an account had been pal d, wished
TO have ii closed, and have no more about It.
So am !, sir, bu, not I'll it has been paid. am
one of those who will not agree 10 an account
being closed ill it is paid, whether l stand IN
the relation OF creditor or debtor. Ii l am
The debtor, it shall not be closed till have paid
the ut,ermost iarthing; which noihing out IN
evitable necessity shall prevent my aoln9. IL l
am the creditor it shall not be closed till II Is
Maid, unless my debtor be unable 20 discharge
il; and then, if he is poorer than /, VIII Tor
give the debt.
Sir; how was this account paidswhch the
gentleman wishes 10 consider as closed! 1t was
paid after total bankruptcy ofthe country. l
do not reproach her necessities: God forbid.
But say that when the country settled with the
army of the Revolution, she was insolvent, she
was bankrupt: she made paltry dividend, 2s.
6d in the pound. Now we have grown rich;
we are rolling in wealth; our old CREDITOR in the
extremity of age, and often in want, comes and
asks for little relief out OF our abundance. We
tell him we paid him forty years ago: that we
have his discharge in our pocket, and bid him
beeone. The gentleman said when an account
was settled and paid, he wished TO hear no more
about il. Sir, want to hear one thing more
about it; that it was fully paid and fairly set
tied.
Mr.. Chairman, it is objected 10 the passage
of this bill, that some of those for whom 1t pro-
yides, relief, remained in possession OF their
certificates Of final settlement, until they rose to
their par value, or even above il. If / thought
that any considerable number OF the surviving
officers Of the revolution were in this situation,
I do no, know that should be unwilling TO in
troduce such provisos and limitations into the
bill, as would exclude such persons from parti-
cipating in its benefits.
But, sir, do not suppose that any gentleman
who hears me, believes t.at the number of the
officers of the revolution who were thus able TO
reserve their certificates, and fund them at par
can be so considerable as to make it important
to take their case into special consideration. BE
they few or many, am not prepared 10 allow,
that even they ought, as matter OF justice, to
be shut out from the provisions OF the bill
They were entitled TO money or available secu-
rites. You gave them no money, and securi
ties worth but an eighth of their nominal value
They had, perhaps, pi,tance which enabled
them to live from day to day, without sacrifc-
ing their certificates at the market value. These
they reserved, not knowing that they would E.
yentually be worth the paper on which they
were printed. They speculated In their own
funds, not voluntarily, but by compulsion: and |
cannot think that their having done so, unique s.
tionably in very few cases, of which it does
not appear that any one is among those now
presented to our consideration, ought to form
a reason for excluding them, far less all the
other surviving officers, from the benefits con-
templated by this Bill.
II has been made an objection to this bill, that
it tends to enlarge the pension system OF the
United States. Ser, nothing is more decidedly
in opposition to republican policy, not mere