The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-05-01


tie.
Mr.. Brooks-Mr Speaker, beg the in
dulgence of the House to make a few re-
marks explanatory OF the merits of this bill.
The bill itself is the unanimous report of
the committee to which was referred the
petition of Mrs. Mary f. I'illman, Il resi-
dent Of my District, who, when the rrIui-
Sition was made on the State of South
Carolina for troops for the Mexican war,
gave to the service of her country every
member Of her family nj the time capable
Of bearing arms. They were three high
toned, spirited sons, and the husband OF her
bosom.
All went, but not one returned in dry 4
anothers tears, with the story Of the gal
lan.ry of her soldier boys.
The bones Of one now lie Il, SaIiiio, am
other fell at Jalapa, the father w:,s buried
beside the castle walls "f rrruic, and the
last reached the goal, at once Of his earthly
career and Of his youthful ambition. at the
capital OF Mexico.
With a strange and crushing fatality,
about the very time that this harvest of
sorrow was ripenng for this woman in Il
foreign land, her only remaining sou, i'll the
discharge of duties which he WAS too young
to perform, and which were tlcvolvc,l upon
older brothers, by u fall from his horse, be-
came the victim Of contirmrtl paralysis
This lady is thus left in the decline of life,
with a helpless child and IN infant ''auyh-
ter, dependent upon her PERSONAL cxcrtions
for their AMI her own support.
This is the narrative of her petition, and
upon it she builds the hope ,ha, her coun-
try will remember her sacrifices, and rcuuitc
iler services. BY the laws Of nature, and
of regulated society, the services of mi
nor are due TO its parent; and we. who are
the Representatives. of the country which
has been benefited hy the rxcrli"ns ot the
children, ought no, and will not forget; the
obligation we owe the mother
In suppnr, Of the .;.,:'s sci forth iii the
petition, it is my misfortune 10 be witness
in chief. Tln>,. whom the petitioner gave
to the srrairr OF her r":nirv were my I'M
mediate nriylin",S AMI i,r,.,!>. One uf her
sons volunteered in the Alab:,ll:, regiment.
in the company commanded by his uncle,
Capt Gallman. The fathcr and two other
sons enrolled in my company and were
int Sf IL,
States at Charleston, and under my COM
mand.
Considerations Of personal attachment
might, possibly did, influence them i'll join
friends is, after all. but another name for
the love Of our country; for he who is in
capable Of the first, will be surely found re-
crcant in the hour Of his country's need.
The interest take in the passage Of this
bill for the relief Of their widowed mother,
is but n poor reflection OF the friendship
borne to myself by her noble sons; but it
constrains me to do that for her Which she
will not 10 for herself. She appeals not to
your charity, but TO your magnanini,v. |
appeal to both. come before you heg-
ging for bread for the widow and the "a
therless. She comes in confidence and dig
nifty, rs the Mother of this modern GymccM,
and demands that her name shall .bc in
scribed in honor upon the statutes of her
country.
The pittance of eight dollars per month,
which is all that is granted by the bill, is
less coveted 10y this lady than the official
and recorded acknowledgment of her ser
vice to the State; and yet, sir, because IA
few dollars are invoIvcd-a sum less than Il
single hundred for an entire ycar-appre-
hcnsion is expressed lest the precedent may
prove dangerous in the future.
Never since this Government was cstaL-
iished, has q claim identical with the pecu
liar circumstances of this, been presented
10 the consideration Of Congress. In all
human probability another like it will never
be presented, and if it should be, then those
OF us who admire the example of this mo-
ther-those Of us who, in our country's cx-
trcmity, would hold up hcr hcroism as n
precedent for every American mother to
follow, will but obey an honorable instinct,
and subserve the best interests of our re-
spective constituents, when we follow the
precedent, which trust is this day to be
established.
Mr.. Speaker, there is golden mean even
in virtue ITSELF Prudence may be pushed
so far as to partake Of the infrmitics of
fear, and constitutional construction in re-
gard, to the disbursement of public moneys
may become so rigid as to prejudice public
virtue by its imitation Of the meanness of
erarice.
= 1t would be difficult to point out the line,
iLo cn1.tioa il,o n.l;ala uf d.