The Litchfield County post., 1827-02-23

When has it been paid How has it been
paid
But look a moment at the circumstances
of the country, when this promise was
made. The cause of Liberty was thieaten-
ed with immediate ruin. Gen. Lincoln
had been captured at Charleston Gates
defeated at Camden; and the Southern
States overrun by the enemy. ; The" Brit
| ish had been strongly reinforced in New
York; Arnold's detection had recently ia
ken place; and Gen. Washington had
scarcely five thousand alarmed. unpaid.
unfed, and ill-cfethed troops, under his
command. Continental money! at the
same time, had completely run down; the
Government was destitute of resources:
and, the literal truth is, the whole Army
was on the point of dissolution. To keep
the Army together-to uphold, yet longer,
the fainting cause o. the country-to sup
ply by promises, for the future, that which
! there were no means to FURNISHES neral
Washington recommended to Congress. to
make to the officers promise of half paw
for life. Never was public faith pledged
more solemnly, nor for better cause. We
could, not now, FOR any purpose, obligate
ourselves in more binding contract /; and
never can we make one for a more meri-
torlouS,l had almost said for more sacred,
consideration. The Offices risked all up-
on the issue of the contest Even this
half pay, which their country promised
them, they were to earn by their swords.
II the Colonial subjugation were re-estab-
lished, it was not compensation or reward
that they looked for, but flight, or exile,
or at the best, an undisturbed and hopeless
poverty and obscurity. Twill not rehearse
their sufferings or services, but I will say,
that never Army in the civilized state, SER
we'd better, or suffered more.
But what happened at the approach of
peace? Why, Sir,when the danger from a
foreign foe seemed over, in a country
naturally jealous of military power, and at
moment when there were no established
Governments to check or control that pow
err, if it should take direction unfav oura-
BILE to liberty, some degree of dissat:sfac-
ION sprang up at the idea of half pay to
the officers of the army for life. And they
were accordingly asked to give up what
was their clear light, half pay for life, and
take in exchange full pay for five years.
| say that they were asked to do this; in
truth, their consent was but 'nominaly as
ked: really, they had no option. And
when these Communication certificates were
offered to them, the question was, whether
they should take them, or get nothing?
Let it be remembered, at this time, that
the officers had been long time without
pay; that they had clothed themselves, and
armed themselves, and mounted them
selves, at their own expense. That they
not only yielded. their own services, and
hazardcd their own lives in the public
cause, but expended their own property,
and bore heavily on the resources of their
friends. Yet five years. full pay was no
adequate compensation for giving up the
half pay for life. The annuity was clear
ly worth more-much more. No gentle-
man has ventured to deny this--and gen.
tlemen will refrain from denying it; for it
is capable of clear and unanswerable truth.
1t was hard bargain on the part of the
officers; they gave up more than they re-
celved. The parties did not deal on equal
terms. The officers had no power to re-
sist any terms which were proposed, except
that power ofthe sword which no sense of
Justice could induce them to use, but
against the enemies of their country. Here.
S"JS 'hoHS 10 a Hoiu udISdIIl, Unequal III
its terms; its acceptance forced upon one
party by the necessity of its condition, and
it is bargain, therefore, which any Court
of Equity, lift had jurisdiction, would re-
form and rectify. In this respect, then, 1
say, the officers have a clear claim in eaui-
ty and in justice. ..-,
But again when the Communication GER
tificates were given to the officers, what
did they purport? They promised the abb
solute payment of the whole sum due,with
interest of six per cent. Were these GER
tifcates paid Were funds provided for
their payment? Was the interest paid or
provided for? We know that neither the
one or the other was done. Did they
maintain their par value as securities? We
know they fell SO low that one is ashamed
now to mention the point of depression to
which the public credit sank. Here again,
was an entire failure to comply with what
had been promised; and eight or nine
years were suffered to expire without pay
ment of half pay, and without payment of
Communication certificates. Here again, was
case in regard to which the judicial tri-
bunalS would decide that the demands of