The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-09-14
w A S H I N G 7 @ N.
SATURDAY EVENING, SEPT. IA, 1874.
MR.. POLK AND THE REVOLUTIONARY
PENSIONERS.

NIX. POLK AND The REVOLUTIONARY
PENSIONERS.
The friends of Mr.. Polk have attempted, by an
array of some of his votes on propositions con-
nected with the pension laws, to prove that he
was their supporter, and an advocate for thus do
ing justice to the veterans of the Revolution.
Newspapers, friendly to his election, have even
paraded the millions for which he voted in the
form of appropriations to pay pensioners, during
his long service in Congress- as proof of his friend
ship for these old soldiers and his advocacy of the
pension laws. This is but part of the system
attic misrepresentation and fraud, by which bold
and INSCRIPTIONS faction are attempting to impose
him upon the confidence of the American people.
The first law which granted pensions to the
revolutionary soldiers, passed in the year 1918.
Upon its passage, the persons to whom it prom
ised pensions became entitled to them as matter
of right; and the Constitution, laws, and rules of
both Houses required Congress to appropriate an
nually the money to pay them. Just as the Pres
ident, the judges of the courts and the persons
composing the army and navy were, from year to
year, entitled to their salaries and pay, SO were
these soldiers of the Revolution to their pensions.
Congress was under the same obligation to ap-
propriate, and did precisely in the same form ap-
propriate, the money to pay them all. Members
Of Congress voted against the increase of the
army and the navy, but after the laws making the
increase had passed, as matter of duty and of
course, they voted the money to pay the persons
who had been enlisted under the authority of
those laws. In like manner, those who had re-
sisted the pension laws, had no right after their
passage to refuse the payment of the pensions
under them, but in the discharge of plain, COM
mon, and unquestoned duty, they always voted to
appropriate the necessary sums. Mr.. Polk, with
many other gentlemen, voted for these annual APP
preparation bills, whilst they were hostile to the
whole system of the pension laws. He never
spoke voted in favor Of the passage of any pen
sion law, and when he voted for an amendment,
it was to render the bill odous to the House, and
with the covert intent to defeat it. His career in
Congress presents an unbroken force of evidence
of his aversion to them all. This will be apparent
from short statement of his course upon the pen
sion bills which were passed whilst he was in the
House.
In 1928, bill allowing pensions for life to the
officers and such soldiers as had enlisted during
the war Of the Revolution, passed the Senate 1t
was thereupon reported to the House, and made its
way through that body also by vote of lis to
5s-Mr. Polk voting in the negative. [See Reg
Debates, vol. a, part 2, p. 267O]
The War Department had given very strin-
gent construction to the act of 1918. 1t had been
decided to allow pensions only to such old soldiers
as ,Oere unzble to support themselves, and they
were required not only to make oath TO that fact,
but also to prove it. This condition to the OBJ
tanment of pensions, was thought by many TO be
harsh and ignominious. Generous spirits revolt
ed at the spectacle Of these aged veterans, the
conquerors of Burgoyne and CORVALLIS, who had
come out Of the long and bloody struggle with
wasted property and constitutions, and worthless
continental money as their only pay, being re-
CURED by the Government which they had found
ed to bow their manly spirits and establish their
own pauperism before they were allowed to re-
ceive what was their right. To mitigate some
what this injustice and shame, in 1880, bill was
introduced into the House, requiring pensions to
be paid to those benefactors of their country and
Habkino, In All Cases where tneT property, ex-
elusive Of their dwelling house, building and cur
tilage, household furniture, wearing apparel, tools
of trade, and farming utensils, did not exceed the
value Of $1,000, and dispensing with the proof in
support of this point, &c. Mr.. Polk spoke
sometime against the passage of this bill :" he
also voted against it, but it passed the House not
withstanding by vote of l22 to So. [See Cong.
Debates. vol. g. part !, p. $751;
Bot rigorous regulations of the War Depart
ment by which many classes Of Revolutionary
soldiers were cut off from their pensions, still
continued; and the whole body Of these aged he