Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-09-25

1t has been charged against this favorite son
of the Democracy of "old Columbiana," that
when the bill, providing for the prosecution of
the 'existing war;" was before the House, he, in
common with certain other democrats good and
true, voted against the proposition to increase
the pay of Volunteers. Unable to sit quietly un-
der the food of indignation which this unjust and
pernicious act has brought upon him. he has un-
dertaken its explanation in a somewhat lengthy
letter which appears in the last Patriot After
the exordium, in which he classes the soldiers on
the march to Mexico as "Federalists" and "Vol-
unteers," acknowledges his obligations to the
Democracy of Columbiana, announces his con-
vction that all his "acts will be approved by
them," md makes a dash at Messrs. Giddings,
Adams, Webster, and others, he comes to the
subject of his infamous vote. As there is no
loop hole through which to escape, with bold
ness that we know his friends will blush at, he
not only admits that when the proposition was
made to strike out eight and insert ten dollars per
month as the wages Of volunteers, he voted
against it, but takes up nearly half a column of
the Patriot in justifying the act. He says, 81
voted against it because to have increased the
wages of volunteers, without also increasing the
pay of our regulars, would have been most
gross and unwarrantable act of injustice, to the
brave regulars, &c. who achieved the glorious
victories of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma,
who are always placed in the most dangerous
service and who by the by haze done all the
fighting thus far against Merico."
twill certainly be gratifying to those brave
fellows toiling under burning sun, and endur-
ing the hardships of a soldiers life among the
swamps and chapperals of an inhosptable cline,
that their Representatives in Congress, loungng
Onsofas e. languishing on beds of case, paying
themselves the comfortable sum of EIGHT DOL
LARS DAY, were actuated by SENSE OF JUSTICE
IN refusing TO increase the soldiers pay to the pi-
ttM sum of TEN DOLLARS A MONTH. 1t will
cause the hearts of those who sympathise with
the volunteers and who voted for DIR. Fries, to
throb high with pride, to know, that the con-
science of their Representative approves this
shameful deed. And to the brave regulars who
achieved the battles of Palo Alto and Rasaca de
la Palma, how grateful must have been the in
telligence that, the volunteers were not only to
share with them the toll of the battle field, but
the same miserable compensation-that q CRATE
full country had allowed to volunteers, at once,
the glory and the shame of regular soldiers!
But the Doctor says, 81 then believed and still
believe that regulars are as justly entitled to an
increase ofpay as volunteers" No doubt of it.
He had an opportunity, however, of shelving by
his vote what increase of pay he believed volun-
teers were entitled to; and his recorded vote, ac-
knowedged in his letter, shews that he believed
they were not entitled to an increase of TWO
dollars a mOnth-and by his own statement re-
gulars would be entitled to no more. Generous
man! how worthy the appreciation of justice-lov-
ing constituency!
1t will be remembered that on the Oregon
question then pending, the Doctor, together with
such chivalric spirits as Allen and Hannegan
stood up valiantly for "54 40 or fight" Had
they succeeded in holding the President to their
which would have run the treasury so hard, that
it was doubtful whether they could pay soldiers
any thing at all. These considerations furnish
ed him with another reason for his vote. He
says 81 voted against it INCREASING the pay) be-
cause of the then danger of t0o wars instead of
one, being well convinced that in case we became
involved in those two wars at the same time, the
taxpayers of the nation would find their purses
so literally drained before we got out of them,
that they at least would not be very clamorous
for an increase of wages, so long as eighty
thousand offered their services for every fifty
thousand needed" Great Financier! how great
ly he has endeared himself to his friends by his
strict adherence to this more than Jewish econo-
my. The only objection to this economy is that
it operates upon those alreads impoverished by
parsimonious legislation, upon those who fight
our battles, instead of those who fatten on the
spos. He perhaps fatters himself that he was
wise in his own behalf, in neglecting the soldier
out Of regard for the taxpayer. His constituents
in Columbiana are tar payers, not soldiers. And
without doubt they will find that to pay the cost
of one war, willnot only drain "their purses" but
exhaust their patience, and entirely satisfy them,
withthe glory of Locofocoism. But since war
was determined upon, and since we are now in.
volved in it, we very much mistake the hearts
of the tax payers of Ohio, if they would grudge
the soldier his miserable pittance Of ten dollars
month.
In conclusion, this patriotic democrat says, 81
cannot allow the occasion to pass without repel-
ling the idea that consideration of dollars and
cents induced the brave men from this state to
IL Il