The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-17

them by resolution of 2lst October $780, hapay for life
afterwards adopt another resolution in March, l7ss pro.
yidng Communication of five years full pay in lieu of half
pay for e and although forsooth the commutaton was
adopted by the Continental Congress at the instance and
request OF the officers and received by them In discharge
OF their hapay claim yet nasmuch as they did not get
their hapay, and nasmach the Communication certh-
Gates greatly deprecated and they lost part OF their nom
nal value under moral obligation to repair those
losses.
Now let us test the sincerity of this declaration ON the
part the advocates Of the bill find, under the pro-
visions of the bill that the who compied with his part
Of this pretended of October $780, and who served
Till the close of the and accepted his communication and
esjyed till 1898, refused TO accept the communication
and enjoy it, but died before 1894 is excluded
from the benefits of this bill Wherefore Why should
his descendants be excluded He fulfilled his part Of
the contract2 III wrong done those who survived
1893, equal wrong was done TO him who died prior to
l794 Suppose the descendants OF such man. the child
grandchd there any living, should approach this
Committee Revolutionary Claims, and should cay to
them My fulfilled his part of this contract of Oco
ber l780ay, sr he did he enrolled in the service
Of his country when the first gun Of the enemy was
fired he served through seven-years war he sought
the post of danger en- every occasion; he was rid
died with bullets at the siege Of Yorktown; he was
discharged with constitution broken and health de-
sryed the wounds he had received and the diseases he
had contracted in the SERVICE they abridged bis life he
died martyr to the of his country in 1882 what
does this just and generous committee reply2 Sir your
father did not live long enough he died too soon On
the other hand the descendants OF the man who was moro
cautious than courageous selfish than patriotic who
took especial not TO get bone broken his skin
scratched; who played the sick soldier who led
the van but brought up the rear who received
wound--yea, who in battle--yea, who never
served atwevemonth, month, perhaps day, but
who had his enrolled, and who was reduced imme-
diaely after as suPernamerary-ths prudent soldier,
after the Sd of March, 1885, his children grandchildren
will receive thirty years hafpay from the gov
ernment
This sir feature in the history of legislation
this chronometrcsl standard of merit You the
reward not by the length Of SERVICE or by the degree and
quality of service but by the length of survvorshp be-
yond 1898. The who never impaired his health or
bazarded it by serving, and who out of that with
constitution nvgorated by moderate exercise and patri-
archa living in camp and who lived to green old age
enjoys the muncent bounty Of this but the
who with unsefsh selfsacrifcing patriotism, incur
red every peril and confronted every danger, and fell
martyr to the of his country, Is contemptuousy
spurned as If unworthy of favorl
Sir this bill gives nothing to any officer who may have
fought through the war; but resigned before the No
matter how urgent the necessity OF his resignation no
ter though dying WIFE and innocent helpless infant
children at home demand his protection matter though
disqualified for the public service by disabilities incurred
in that service, yet he is prescribed. ..s
Again. sir to the descendants Of that who gave not
only his hands, but his whole heart the service of the
country who fought for her as for his for her
honor and Independence and not for treasury papo that
who died in her service either before the brstng
bayonet the deep-mouthed cannon-to his widow and
children, if any this bill votes the poor pittance of half
pay for seven years. while to the surgeons mate, who
rolled pills and mixed poons if he survived till the Sd Of
March, 1926 it gives ory-three years hapay of cap
tain
This bill proscrbes all volunteer officers who were
in the continental line and yet know that the blood
lest most murderous and esacri6cing of all service in
that was in South and North Carolina where most of
the officers volunteesmen who fought for their fam
lilies and fresdes and domestic aars thinking Of
having their enrolled looking to the pensions
of government and willing to regard it their pat
rom but merely their creature Neither does give any
thing to any non-commissioned officer or private.
Why these invidious distinctions Why discriminate
in favor of certain classes of the officers of the revolution
the commissioned officers and prescribe all the non-com
mssioned officers and prvates2 The soldier incurred the
peril endured the greatest suffering made the largest
sacrifice He bore the brunt of battle in the revolution
he does in all His always the post of hard labor
and the post of danger his lot to the frozen
Delaware bareooted and in taered rags 1t his lot to
endure prvaon and hardship whether the march in
quarters whether in the scorchng of summer the
chilling rosts of winter Hewas paid. Hegot So 66a
per month n the infantry So 333 in the cavalry
ery while otcer received from 26 $66 per month";
according his rank He got $50 $loo per year for
his services, while the officer received from 1920 to
$50 at the end Of the war; while the officer received full
pay for five years. according to his rank varying from
$1,000 to nearly $4,000 The soldier paid in cont
mental rag bills the officer in paper certificates Both OF
these symbols Of money appreciated Congress promised
to redeem both She did redeem the certificates but she
has never redeemed the paper money the bills
OF credit The paper certificates carried all losses to tho
last holder from the government to the officer and from
him to A. and from who reaped the full amount Of
principal and The money carried no l loss
per money found total loss his hands realized
him nothing. Sir may be pardoned perhaps, for what
regard honorable, least eXcusabe PRIDE in
saying web remember, when child seeing hatull of
these continental bills in the possession of my paerna
grandfather who served private soldier throughout
the war of the revolution.
The certificates redeemed. Congress observed its
pledge it kept its faith with the officer though broke its
faith with the soldier Yea Congress not only redeemed
those certificates by paying their full nominal value prn
cpa and interest but it did more it enriched the holders
of them for after these certificates funded find
the fund-hodes urging Congress to convert them into
bank stock with that it would enrich the
country and relieve of the burden of paying the interest
of the fund Congress did and for quarter of cenu-
these men enjoyed large bank dividends arising from
this stock This communication money has been justly char
both civilian and military officer, the nesegg
from which sprang the whole brood of eleemosynary ami-
lies
But that s not the strongest manifestation OF avortsm
towards the officers Congress has only refused and
failed to redeem the rag money the continental bills which
paid to the soldier while 1t has redeemed the cert
Gates which given to the officer but it taxed the SOL
dier to indemnify the officer againt loss. 1t extorted from
his small to swell the abundance of the officer II
made him pay tribute to the officer. The same dstin-
gushed person to whom have just alluded in speaking
of this party which shown by Congress the officers
of the revolution and its neglect of the soldiers OF the revolu
on said that this exclusive parality transferred about
hundred millions of capital from the people OF the UNI
ted States to capitalist sect artifciay created, and be-
the source of stream of taxation which may per-
haps and increase down to another revolution Now
proposing, far to fulfil this prophecy
We proposing by this BILL to tax the descendants OF
the soldiers of the revolution in order to create bounes
for the descendants Of the officers of the revolution we
Offering to observe this same distinction ana 10 create
this same privileged class.
But sir it is said for this unequal and u-
government that the