The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-30
THE UNION.

Mr. CASS remarked that he deeply regretted that this
bill was delayed by the everrenewng discussions upon
its details The objections OF the honorable senator from
Missouri to immediate action upon the amendment of
the senator from Ohio seem 10 resolve themselves into
three points First, the granting of bounty land to the
ainst fraud and imposition Third thai Ibis propos
ton for bounty lands annexed to the military bill
With respect to the first objection (Mr C. sad) he
sldered II unnecessary 10 discuss it, The necessity and
proprety of the measure had been settled by the almost
unanimous vote of both houses of Congress If he
derstood the senator from Missouri, he was willing to
grant the land, not in consequence of military ser
vices but to distribute II among those who were
willing to occupy il. To this he did not object
under proper circumstances, though he said he could
be paid for land than the lives, and blood and services,
OF the defenders of their country. The principle of
these rewards had been sanctioned in two wars, and for
himself, he was prepared to distribute them freely TO
those who bearing the standard of their country
aoft in the fields of Mexico AS to the patriotism and
courage, and suffering and disease, and DEATH by which
these rewards purchased it needs not that they
should be spread before the Senate. Every American
feels and appreciates their value, No lofty patriot
ism displayed in the better days OF the ancient
publcs than has marked the progress of the present
The whole country spontaneously rushed to arms and
the consumption TO which the government resorted
not the conscrphon which fills the immense standing
armies of Europe 1t was CONSUMPTION to keep out,
and not bring in; to reject but not to choose; deter
mine who should remain at home, and not who should
| be allowed the privilege of dying for their country
Such has rarely been displayed in the world, and
he willing to mark his OF IT by the most liberal
rewards And well has performance followed these
promises of devotion The battles that have been fought
have added lustre to the American name, and they will
take their place in future history upon the same page
with the hardest fought battle Fields where we have
the security necessary to be provided IN the
law to preserve the grantees of this land from fraud
and imposition, Mr. C. remarked he had already said all
he deemed necessary. He would not renew the subject
but would merely remark that he was willing to adopt
the principle heretofore established in the laws on this
subec-that OF inserting reasonable provisions to secure
| Tho rrht nE thn AIl
should issue. After that, he would abandon all legal
guardianship over the matter The amendment OF the
years from the disposition of the soldier after the
issuing OF the patent Mr. Z. SAID he would consent TO
no such clause of limitation What sort of value would
the property be to vast portion oil grantees, If they
could not sell it for seven years Such Legislative
pervision would be to assume that our fellow citizens
now in arms in Mexico unfit to manage their own
property, that the mprovdent far exceed the proy
dent number that the rights OF the latter must be sac
rifced to the former Mr. c. said he would agree to no
act which would have the appearance Of stufyng his
of the soldier, il should be free him to do with it he
peases This is the very cardinal principle OF our nstl-
tuons What right has Congress to tie up this land or
years. after the right of the soldier is perfect
Why assume seven years as the period OF this Inn
itahon The legislature may well assume sew
enty seven hundred, and thus establish an entire
species of property the country, depending IN one
OF its most essential attributes that OF the power OF dis
position, not upon the State laws, which propery be-
Of he United s stae q VI out this principle Of
guardianship? If the soldier serves for five years, he
will have earned six hundred dollars in monthly pay
Why not lay your hand also this and say he is inca
pabe of expanding for his own advantage and there,
fore will impose such checks upon its receipt will
keep him not only from the abuse but in fact from the
of it, Mr. c. said, he did not doubt there would be
fraud in the purchase OF this land No could regret
it more than he did But it is state OF things incident to
human nature and from extreme Congress should not
into another Because frauds may be committed up
therefore none shall enjoy their property But
at the end of the years. if guarded till then what is
to prevent the same system OF fraud' The Limitation
stops there, and spectators can then TO work No. r
c. sad) it is better to provide all the securities is proper
to provide to guard the soldier before he is put in posses
sion of his property But after that, Congress should
abandon its guardianship over him. and leave him
free to do he pleases Mr.. c. said, that with re-
spec to the union of this bounty land amendment with
the military BILL he had opposed it from the commence
ment. The ground which the senator from Missouri
took when this proposition Of union first made, was
the correct one, and the result has proved it. That sena-
tor had then said that this effort to unite the two subjects
would procrastnate the military BILL and lead to delay IN
the adoption of vital measure 1t has done so, (Nlr C.
sad) though not to the extent now charged upon by
this bill cannot all be fairly charged to this conjunc-
ton All who have spoken, and himself among the rest
hst f 6a h saep part 1 ns prob
bly, than required He presumed the OPINION OF every
senator had been made up some time snce ana 1t Is 10 be
regretted that vote could not have been taken days
ago. and still more % be regretted that appearances
indicate still further procrastnaton. Mr. T. sad 1t
was but Justice to remark however, that proposition
neither improper in itself unprecedented In our legs,
lation. When law passed for raising an additional
force, quite natural that the inducements to enter
the public service should be all contained IN the law.
Bounty pay, land, pensions, &c. And in fact this was
the course pursued in 1913, when the army increased
to meet the exgenccs of the war The same law which
provided for this increase provided also that bounty
land should be granted to the soldiers: That law, how
ever wisely avoided the details OF this 1t merely pro-
vided that 100 should be granted to each soldier
and made void any conveyance before the land was located
leaving subsequent legislation all the other arrangements
(Mr c. said0 he had proposed at the commencement OF
this debate, and he thought if it had been adopted we
should have been spared much unnecessary discussion
and delay But the Senate, by decisive vote had re-
corded its determination to unite these two bills Inc
battle had been fought and lost He considered 1t the
part of true wisdom when such decision made to sub
nit 1t is res adjudicata If there is time Tor all
things time contend, there is also time to give up
Mr. c. should, therefore, vote against any further at
tempt to separate these bills He believed if attempted
it would be Intellectual and would lead to still further
Demonstration For himself, he thought the expressed
been fully not to say unnecessarily discussed Nothhg'
therefore, would be gained by any further attempt 10 sep
arate them. The Senate well prepared Tor a de-
cison now as it be and to continue discus
sion upon this subject OF separation would be to occupy
Its time with question of but little Importance while
where known and felt and the public voice IS calling Tor
the most decisive measures. The administration mas
done and is doing its duty Now let Congress do theirs;
and the sooner is done, the better it will be done Mr.
c. said he approved of the amendment proposed by the
senator from Texas. He was prepared to vote
| But he would suggest to that honorable senator
whether it would not be more advisable to make his
amendment in the alternative. TO allow the soldier or
volunteer 10 receive his money land at his option