The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-05

iuhe-not OF honor for glory encircled his brow and
hohof was al once meeting him IN his pathway. He
oeeamr poor and destitute He OF that desperate
struggle with nothing but reputation PATRIOTISM and the
consciousness that he had served his country faithfully
les SIR, that IS the way he CAME OF that struggle,
| ine government was poor, and unable 10 pay him II
did NOT pay him. but left him TO struggle with misfortune
ana 10 SINK almost beneath the weight Of that adver-
slty which overwhelmed or threatened TO oyerwhem
him Many OF those poor men, in circumstances like
hese, aeung upon The great principle which Influences
an men seeking some one TO care for them IN their old
age, LOOK TO their bosoms 10 solace them when the
world tseif might cease 10 teguile and to sympathize
WIN them. And are we 10 be told that this object OF
heir affections and partner OF their msforlunes not 10
be paid tor the services which they rendered defence
OF the country' If is right TO pay for The services
al all to the widow Of the deceased soldier is just
fght 10 pay 10 one widow TO another IL is just as
proper 10 pay 10 one as 10 another. And why not II
= because The claim mertorous one that you pay IT.
IL IS because the gratitude OF the country is due TO those
who nave defended the country. Nations may erect
monuments to those who have fought the battles of
! the country 10 sustain its Liberties, who have de-
Tended their country against lis enemies They have
erected monuments to great men, but they cannot
erect monuments TO all the soldiers of the revou
hon. Bu, we can a, least their widows from
starvation. And whenever such present them
selves to this Senate as long at least as shall be mem
ber shall feel myself at all times bound to contribute
what little influence may have TO sustaining the widows
OIL those noble who fought for the independence and
The liberty OF which now boast. Ii the widow is
titled at all IN consequence OF the services OF her hus-
band, one widow is just as much entitled as another Ii
wts be difficult for my colleague 10 show that one
II Wow lS entitled, ana anOtner IL not
For my part, have no scruples about this matter
When consult my heart my judgment is pretty general
/ ly right When consult the dictates OF my con-
science and the overfowngs of my own heart, my udg
menl is generally correct 1t is only when forget these
things, and fall back from those principles based upon
them, that feel that am not exactly right in my action
Why, sir, we are rich. We have oveTfowng treas
ury, understand that have about twenty millions
oil dollars, shall have this next year. and above
what Will be necessary for the expenditures OF the gov
eminent. And yet we talk about The extravagances of
these widows OF the officers soldiers the
revolution. make these remarks, MIR. President, be-
cause feel responsible Tor the vote which am about TO
give, and because am compelled to differ from my col
league, in whose judgment have the greatest confidence
agree with the senator from Massachusetts that there
s no man. here or else where who is conscientious
than he or who feels deeply for the interest OF his
country. But when case like this appeals to my judg-
men, and stll more strongly to the feelings OF my heart
cannot see why the widows OF the officers and soldiers
OF the revolution should not be sustained BY the bounty
OF The government.
| Mr. UNDERWOOD When had acknowledge the
unpopulary OF my course; when had stated that sup
posed that the remarks which had would receive
bat little support from others and when had deprecated
] opening my mouth again upon this subject, really
hoped that should have been questioned by my col
league, MD Dixon or any other ind yidual ia such
way 10 make necessary Tor me 10 say another word
rise not 10 deian The Senate long, but merely to
answer the question put 10 me by my honorable col
league. He wants to know how ! can make difference
between the widow OF soldier who lived together dur
ing the revolutionary war, and the widow OF soldier
who married subsequent 10 the year 1900 In answer, |
have say that make the difference in this way The
widow OF the soldier OF the revolution, who passed
through the war with him, as may say-who. while he
IN the battlefield lighting the battles OF his country,
at home attending their children II they had any.
and II they had none, then attending to their domestic
duties, furnishing him with his supplies OF clothing.
and doing thousand other things which made his SER
vices in the eld efficient 10 accomplish the objects OF the
evoluonis certainly entitled 10 than the widow
who marned subsequent 10 the year lSoo aud whe did
OF those things, and who felt OF those burdens
imposed upon the widow who labored during the revela-
ouary aud helped the soldier in the field. There is,
therefore, papabe difference between the two cases
as there Is between Struggling want and priyaton on the
side IN the midst OF and prouson and plenty
the other side in the midst OF peace. That is the differ
ence between the two cases.
| And gentlemen who have argued my colleague has
upon tins occasion, and who always argue like thaifor
have felt their lances heretoiofe-a.ways 90 upon the
idea, when an extension OF pension is proposed 10 the
widow, that is necessary because the soldier OF the
revolution and his widow poor aud abect and have
nothing live upon. Now. have said and again,
ii that be his condition, do him jas,ice-pay him what
you promised him. pay the debt Of gratitude which you
owe TO his whole family on his account and pay II TO
the whole family and not pay IT 10 the widow alone,
and ia that will 90 with you have said that time
and again, and have said again here to-day that you
take Tor granted what IN some cases Is not true These
soldiers not all pooare not all abect and decrepd
they are not all incapable Of obtaining subsistence
many of them know and from my knowledge |
can say that they ndependent-periecly so. But
yet al they independent, does that make difference
In the duty and obligations which you under and
must yoa mele Justice them less spangy because
they happen to be rich ? You would thus be making a
distinction between the rich and the poor According 10
the argu oil gentlemen here, the tendency OF things
to make that distinction The poor soldier is TO be
membered-the poor widow is 10 be remembered-as il
there rich soldiers no rich widows. to whom
this government is under obligations. There may be a
smaller number upon the side OF the rlch and dare
that is the bat IN my legislation here have moth
ing do with this distinction between The rich and
poor II you owe revolutionary Obligations pay them,
and pay them to the rich well the poor just
soon you begin TO make distinction between the rich
and the poor, and legslae upon that dstinctonas am
sometimes afraid is already beginning to be done-there
is an end at Just legislation, and with that end
jus, legislation there will be end to your institutions
Now view all the old soldiers OF the revolution, rich
and poor upon precisely the same platform, and |
view their widows upon precisely the same platform.
My colleague tNr. Dxosl says, II sou pay one claim
here, why not pay anoiber-why not pay them all Sir,
| there is no claim upon at all in these
| Mr. DIXON. If my colleague [Mr. UspERwoopl will
permit me- ] will state what SAID and hope he will
understand me. This the proposition which made
10 the Senate | said that there propriey in our
refusing 10 pay claim which was founded upon justice
merely because could not pay every claim. under
stood my colleague 10 take the position that as we could
not pay all the claims should not pay any consider
every claim ha, before this body and which Is
founded upon principles Of justice, one which 1t Is
proper for TO pay Aud whenever any other clam oil a
similar character comes here before us II will be night and
proper that should pay II, If cannot make general
law embracing all these claims and 1t ~ right that such
law should be passed, il possible Yet because we
cannot pay ALL have idea Of refusing TO pay any Just
i claim.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. 1t is altogether error TO con-
sder these pensions claims the doctrine ot claims
does not apply 10 them at all The doctrine OF claim -
founded upon the principle OF rght-a legal ground Tor
/ nd htrt tn ha he