The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-09-14

roes, who had served only in the militia, were LETT
unprovided for, and many of them were sinking
in want TO the grave 1t was burning shame
that the entire remnant of this race of heroes,
then rapidly passing away, had not received even
Justice from generation which had shared not
their tolls and their dangers, and for which they
had won the richest heritage ever bequeated to
mankind The heart of the nation and of Con-
gress was touched, not only with sympathy and
gratitude, but also with shame and remorse, as
these gallant old fellows fell around thep like
the leaves of the autumn, with their last breath re-
preaching their country for its injustice. The
moment was seized, before it should be forever
too late, to give them, not bounty, but their right,
SO long withheld from them by their countrymen.
A bill was introduced into the House, to restore
to the pension roll those war-worn veterans of
the regular service, who had been unjusty dropped
or excluded from it, and also to grant pensions
to the militia of the Revolutionary war Mr..
Speight moved an amendment, providing that the
provisions of the act should only extend to those
who are now, and may be hereafter, reduced to
The necessity Of applying TO their country for sup
port"
Mr.. Polk said he should vote for the amend
ment. The original pension law of 1918 con-
tanned a similar provision, as also did that of
1925" But this hearless amendment was re-
jected, Mr.. Polk and only thirty three others vot
ing for it; and the bill passed the House by vote
of l26 to 43. [See Reg. Debates, vol 8, p. 1901
1t failed at that session in the Senate; but the
nation, with little exception, clamored for its pas
sage, and at the next session it became the law,
passing the House by vote of l26 to as, Mr..
Polk again opposing and voting against it.
The great mass Of the American people felt
joy and pride in the ennobling impulses which
have at length accorded justice to all classes of
these veterans, the companions in arms of Wash
ington, and Green, and Wayne, and assured to
them comfortable support in their old age. But
the cold and bleak soul of James X. Polk was a
stranger to these emotions His stern voice to
the Revolutionary pensioners was, the War De-
partment may impose arbitrary, vexatious, and
unjust regulations, which defeat your applications
yet they shall not be corrected or abolished by
my vote. You mitiamen of the Revolution may
have served, and suffered, and bled through years
of that great struggle-you may be wounded and
manned, and poor and in want, and have received
nothing from your country but continental rags,
but speak and vote against granting you any
pensions. You, soldiers Of '76, whether you be
regulars militiamen, in your applications for
pensions, must submit to The gnominy of swear
ing that you are paupers-ay, of proving it too,
and even when you have complied with condi-
ton SO CALLING to an old soldiers pride, you still
shall not have your pension if l can defeat it.
God save the veterans of the Revolution from the
friendship of Jenny X. Polk Whether his
grandfather was tory or not-whether he be
prejudced against those old soldiers because they
wanted to hang bis tory grandfather or not--whe.
ther he himself removed from Rutherford to Mau-
ry county during the last war to avoid draft or
not it is certain he has always maintained stern
and relentless opposition to pensioning the old
soldiers Of the Revolution.