Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-07-11

ae or child, and thelreciprecity Of that feeling,
near and dear are those ties, is the reason for
ranting them pension, and to them alone.
md yet sirs, said sAir. S.,-you have heard of
ives that have, been unfaithful; you have heard
( children that have been ungrateful; but did
on ever know mothers love to be withheld
om her offspring? Sir, the feelings of mater
al heart endure forever They Irvine around
heir progeny from lisping infancy to the latest
loment of existence. No misfortune, no degra-
alton, no crime, that chance or change can
now, will separate the maternal feelings fromthe
lnocent being she lulled in the cradle or nursed
1t her breast If, then, the feelings and obliga-
ions of affection and service are to be respected
rewarded, surely this widowed wife of Rev
dictionary officer, this bereaved mother of an
only son, and only child, slain in the service of
this nation, may ask for support from that peo
pie for whom the one fought and the other died.
But, / am told Of the danger of the precedent
of granting pension in the ascending line
Sir, we cannot go far back-the insatiate grave
still sweeps its generations to the earth. But
if precedent is dangerous, there is nothing por
tentOus in this, compared with a recent one
when half million in money and in land were
lavished on an aged visitant; enabling him, from
the bounty of the State, to enrich all his con-
nexiOns the ascending and descending line.
do not say whether this was right or wrong. l
speak of the precedent; but must remark, that
the person thus literally provided for, was only
wounded in your service; whereas the only off
! spring of this widowed wife of Revolutionary
officer, was killed in your recent battles.
Sirs, it is true, the petition of Penelope Den
ny is presented in still small voice. The aged,
humble mother of gunner i'll your Navy ap-
proaches you; a timid, bereft, and sorrowing
supplicant. No national pageants announce her
approach, dazzling the senses, and captivating
the judgment. The tongue Of the son, who
should have commended her to your care, is
mute. He died in the conflict, to secure your
citizens and your commerce. Could he have re-
minded you, in his parting hour, that the being
to whom he had directed half his pay to be Civ
en-, whilst he lived, was near and dear to him;
could he have requested you to respecthis men,
DRY, by supporting his humble parent; the pray
er would have been granted. And are there no
tongues to plead the cause of this aged mother?
Are there no hearts to feel for her? Yes Mr.
Speaker, there are tongues that can and will
plead more fOrcibly than mine. There are hearts
that will feel as kindly-and there are those who
will award to Penelope Denny decree that will
soothe her age and cheer her with the evidence
Of nations sympathy.
Sir, grant this pension, and you inspire conf
dence and fidelity in your seamen. The blood
of Denny was shed to secure safety to your flag
His intrepidity may have eventuated in saving
millions in national expenditure, and from pirat
ical capture. He died, at least, in active battle
to suppress the most cruel system of piracy
known to the history of nations. 1 respect the
motives Of those gentlemen who resist this
claim. | am aware they stand for their country,
and fear to depart from cold principles of policy.
But, sir the glow of natl Onal feeling and graft
tude may be eXtinguished, and with it the in
centive to the statesman's devotion and the sol
der's ardOr by too rigid an enforcement of the
precepts Of chilling reason Same UOlunle, page
1929.
On the 18th of February, 1926 the vote was
taken on the final passage of the bill, and it
passed by majority of ttOenty UOteS Mr.. b.
CHANAN VOTING IN THE NEGATIvE.-SGme UOlume,
page 1916.
We are at loss either to understand or
extenuate the motive, with which Mr.. Bu-
chanan could vote to withhold simple JUS
tice in such a case, or the ground, on which
he could reconcile such course with the
promptings of conscience or the obligations
of public duty. The trembling form of
revolutionary matron, whose heart had
sympathized with her husbands throughout
the most glorious war ever fought, and who
had followed that husband to the grave
a widowed mother, whose only son and
sole protector had sacrificed his life in the
service of his country-Stood at the door
Of Congress, supplicating the servants Of
the people for the miserable pittance of
which she had been deprived by the sacri-
fee of that son. She asked for only half
what the government had paid her living
boy, and that for period of but five years,
should she live so long. She did not ask
one dollar from the public treasury. The
appropriation was sought to be made out
of the Naval Pension Fund, which had
been created and amaSsed by the valor of
such hardy tarS as young Denny, and the
mere interest upon which was sufficient to
satisfy every demand upon it. Was there
a man in Congress cold, illiberal, heartless
and unjust enough to close his ear upon
such an appeal Was it a time to talk
about precedent or policy or the technical
construction of Pension Laws? Was it
not rather a time for prompt, grateful, lib
eral action, which seeks rather to do right
than to justify itself before unfeeling, quib- !
bling critics? And yet James Buchanan,
wrapped in the warm folds of his official |
robes, and luxuriating in the abundance of
eight dollars per day, refused the widows |
prayer, and repudiated the Nations debt.
But there were patriots enough by his side
to protect the country's honor, and save it
from the incapable shame of such refusal
The petition was granted and this justice
done, in spite Of the influence of James
Is uchanan.
Mr.. Buchanan had the right to refuse
the prayer of old Mrs. Denny He was a
proud Congressman, vain of his power,
and she but a friendless, helpless old wo-