The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-01-25

somewhat more than harmless, will not
surely object to giving 70 these aged wild
ows a small, yearly testimonial, that the
people OF tins generation yenerate that
patriotism and m0gnSnImIty which, halt a
century ago, could induce women to give
up their youthful Joys and hopes for the
safety and indepe endence OF their country,
This Bill may encounteg certain speci.
nc objections, First, because the miltis,
who fought IN the revolutionary war are
not placed within the provisions of IT,
They are not placed there, because the
United States never extended the princi.
pie of ans pension law to them because,
they never applied 10 Congress for relief.
Nor was Their case originally, or by the
recommitment, reieped to any Commiitee.
because the states to which they belong
have made no demand on the nation for
any relief for them - and because rs Il is~
believed, the states alone are 90 right en-
ultcd to make such demand, and receive
and To distribute s0ch relcf
Second. Neither SlX months men nor
eight months men, are placed within tho
provisions OF this bill They are omitted,
because such of them as re enlisted will
have served nine months, and are proyid-
ed for; and because, such as did not were
Immediately paid, ana suffered nothing by
delay, very little by depreciation, "a by
The various wants, privatlons and dlsas-
ers, which followed the army in almost
every subsequent potion of service.
Third. The children Of deceased off,
GERS and soldiers are not placed within the
provisions of this bill They were eXcIud-,
ed, because, it Is believed, that IN very
lew Instances, they could 5cnefcially TO
themselves, have been retained. For all
ihough II may be perfectly just to present
B hls bounty oi The nation to the oflicerW
nd soldiers themselves exempted irum
the claims of their creditors ; yet IL IS
much doubted, II any principle of Justio.e
would authorize Congress 10 pass il 10
thor children under this exemption.
Without this, II is believed few casey
exist, where, after paying the debts of
their fathers, tins bounty would ever reach
the children. Besides, this bestoW ment
~ for personal merit and therefore pc,
culIar and personal to- those officers and
soldiers themselves. We cannot bring
such children INTO this provision until wo
first adopt into our republican insttutiors
the principle, that tho merits OF the iotheg
DO, of right, descend TO the son. Then
may We, as the advocates OF this measure
require US now 10 DO render Offices, hon
ors aud emoluments, hereditary and by
cngrniting this thrifty scion OF aristocracy
upon our own sturdy, democratic stock, luz
sure In pnsierity an abundant crop Of that
kind of fruit which has SO blcst alncRi all
other nations OF the earth.
Fourth This Bill does not exclude
from It's provisions those who may have
purchased commutaton certificates. Ii
was not forgotten that this exclusion was
once adopted but, It was thought that,
upon reconsideration, this OpInion would
ho chang ed.--Cun II iulrly be expected
that men now far advanced in life, and
whose whole fortune, IN 1854, consisted il
this kind OF paper, can. at this late period,
distinctly recollect whether, during the
next then succeeding six years, they ever
purchased any amount Of the same kind Of
pupcr? Would not this be hard rulop
Would il not lay snare for the doubtipg2
Would it not exclude many of the honest?
Why, Sir, these officers are now oil old
men. The youngest of them told me last
autumn that he was sixty. eight. The ol-
dcst IL eighty. There is time, Sir, when
dimmcd by ape, ii not by infrmites, the
each particular action of youth,
ful life. This rule will exclude all such
men Their doubts v u be sacred. They
will not take the oath, but keep their pov,
erty and their peace of conscience.
Besides, when this paper was brought
10 such quantities into the market, tho
buying and selling oft became business
and was The only source Of subsistence Of
many of these men. All these must bo
excluded. In n country, where so much
IF the medium OF commerce Is paper pas
sing as they did. would 1t not be anomaq
Gus, # the mere act Of having purchased
my species OF II should ever be followed
By penalty. The United States intro
iuced IT into the market. They, by MAKE
ug II payable 10 bearer, mDde II circu-
atIng medium: and will they now punish
INV part Oi those gho received IT as such 2
This exclusion ~ placed on the presump-
ton that the buyer took advantage OF the
sellers necessity, and obtained bis pnpeP
below ~ value. il was not so The mar
get Of all the world was open 10 hlm, for
,nr country was then furnished with bro7
sors, both Jew and gentle. II was not
he necC sity ofthe holder, but the utter
insolvency of the maker, which, IN tho
market, brought down the price Of this pa.
,er Would II not be remarkable legis-
alton, Il the United 5 ltes should enact
ew. Furnishing particular description Of
ncn now, for what was the necessary eff
Get of thclr own financial arrangements
orty years ago? Besides, Sir, most Of
hose purchasers were neritorious. One
las. Of them, though they had no reliance
N the pledges of Government yet did
hey give something for what was coDsId-
red worth little or nothing. because tire,
ieycd tic nccessitics Of a suffering soldier,