Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-10-02
A WING.
For the Free Press.
"a per month for tIC SOId;CT-$2i 10 for
the Congressman.

Mr., EDITOR: perceive by the "Pcayune' of
the 18Th uIt., which was handed me a few days
since by a friend, that DR.. GEORGE FRIES has eau
sed 10 be published a long letter, explaining, or
rather defending his course during the late ses.
sion of Congress, in regard to the pay of voun-
tcers. Believing that this is a question in which
the people of this district feel deep interest,
have taken the trouble of giving this letter a thor
ough examination; comparing II with other doc
uments in my possession; andnow,l ask the priv
ilcgc, through your columns, of placing this mat
ter in its true light, before the people Of the l7lh
Congressional District.
On the 1lth day Of May last, bill was intro.
duced into the House Of representatives declaring
that "a state Of war exists between the Govern.
mont of the United States and that of the Repub-
lie Of Mexico" While this bill was under con-
sderaton, an amendment was offered, increasing
the pay Of volunteers from eight (the compensa-
ton provided in the bill) to oteadoors per month.
DR.. Fries, acknowledges that he voted against
, this amendment; hence proof is unnecessarily
In order that the doctor may have the full benefit
Of his 0tcn version Of this matter, make the fol-
lowing extract from his letter:
"Well, when the bill authorizing the President
to receive the services of fifty thousand voun-
teers, &C., &C., came up in the House, propo-
stion was made to strike out eight and insert ten
dollars, as the wages--not Of all our soldiers, but
only the volunteer portion of them-and against
this proposition voted. lvotedagainst itbecause
to have increased the wages of volunteers with.
out also increasing the pay of our regulars would
have been a most gross and unwarantabe act OF
injustice to the brave regulars who achieved the
glorious victories at Palo Alto and Resaca dc Ia
Palmo, who are always placed in the most dam
garous service, and who, by the bye, have done
all the fighting thus far against Merico."
The reason here alleged for voting against in.
crcosing the pay of soldiers is, that it would have
been wrong to pay the volunteers more than the
regulars. So it would. Did DR.. Fries move to
have the pay of regulars incroasodl and did the
House refuse TO accede to that proposition! II
so, then he may have some excuse for voting a.
gainst a "half way measure" But no such mo.
, ton was made. The House made no decision on
the question. The doctor sat an indifferent spec.
tator in tho matter; suffering the question to be ia.
ken without suggesting an amendment which he
deemed Of vital imporance; and the absence ol
which he now adduces as q reason for voting a,
gainst increasing the soldiers payl What friv'
oous pretence Pellow-citizens, what think you
Of the man who will sit with his arms folded, re-
fusing to make motion himself ndthen voting a
gainsI the measure because the motion WdS not made!
What think yolfof she man who permits evil tc
be done (which he might prevent) because he
fears that he cannut accomplish all the good he
desiresl The excusgispertcctly ridiculous. II
is heaping insult upon injury. The doctor never
was in favor Of increasing the soldiers pay, anc
it is the sheerest hypocrisy to say that he was,
But DR.. Fries Processes 10 have changed his
views upon this matter, and assures US, in staring
capitals, thatwhenever tho proposition Ngain cam(
up, he "uniformly voted in tapor Of IT," Is this
true! We shall see. In looking over the pro
ceedings of Congress, as published in the Nation
al lntclligoncer, find that on the 20th of May
Mr.. Stewart asked that the rules be suspended Il
enable him to offer the following resolution;
/ "Resolred, That the Committee on Military
, Affairs be instructed to report bill incrcasin.
'hepay Of volunteers from seven to ten dollarspe
month aud granting to those who serve to th'
end Of The war, or die in the service, one hun
= dred and sixty acres of land"
| Mr.. Stewart demanded ayes and noes upon hi,
r motion, which were ordered, and the motion fail
= ed by the following vote:
YEAs.-Messrs. Abbott, J. @. Adams, Ashmun
D Baringer, Bell, Blanchard, Bowin, NJ. Brown
1 w. G. Brown, J. II. Campbell, Carroll, Cath
Q cart, J. G.. Chapman, R. Chapman, Chase, Cooke
D Collamer, Crozier, Culom, Darragh, q. Davis
4 Dixon, Edsall, J. II. Ewing, Foot, Gentry, Giles
a Graham, Grider, Grinnell, Harper, Hilliard, E
0 b. Holmes, J. w. Houston, s. d. Hubbard, W
s Hunt, J. X. Ingersoll, q. w. Jones, D. P. King
T. B. King, Lewis, Maclay, McClelland, Nc
= Henry Mcilvaine, B. Martin, Miller, Morse
d Moseley, Parish, Payne, Refe, J. Rockwell,
e A Rockwell. Root Runk, Schenck, Seaman, 7
!. Smith, A. Smith, Il. Smith, Stephens, Stewar