The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-09

the act Of Congress- by which they have been offered five
years full pay in lieu Of the hapay for life which had be-
fore been promised 10 the officers OF the army8 Sparks
| p. 44s.
The commander-in-chief dwelt upon the same
solemn pledges and obligations with emphasis inspired by
the occasion in his Farewell Address to the Army issued
at Princeton November p 1888: .fH f4
alt Is not the meaning, within the compass this
address to detail the hardshPs peculiarly incident
stances, have resulted from the extremes Of hunger and
nakedness, combined with the rigors OF inclement
season. nor Is 1t necessary to dwell on the dark side Of
Every American officer and soldier must now console
himself for any unpleasant circumstances which may
occurred by recollection of the scenes in which
ne has been called to act no gorous part and the aston
shing events OF which he has been wtnesevents which
seldom ever, before taken place the stage of hu
man action, nor can they probably ever happen again"
Nor possible conceive that any one of the United
States will prefer national bankruptcy and dissolution Of
the payment just debts so that the officers and SOL
ders expect considerable assistance in recommending
public, which must, and will most inevitably, be paids
Let be remembered that the unbiased voice of the
citizens of the United States has promised the just
ward and given the merited applause 20 Sparks, 4sl
Washington, who had served his country throughout
eight years of unparalleled labor and anxiety and
with such complete success refusing all forms of compensa
ton surrendered his commission to Congress the Esd
day of December, 1885, and returned to Mount Vernon
letter from Governor Trumbull, of Connecticut met
him there which was concluded in these ominous words
$50 exceedingly jealous the spirit of this State
respecting the and the engagements of Congress-
arising pinopa ron .neir 70 the hAp ana
ing from this 1t is but too true that few
be able 10 rid themselves Of the whole public debt By
introducing much confusion into public shall
eventually produce general abolition of the whoe"-s
To this Responding message, George Washington now
no longer commander, general soldier but pr
| vate citizen, replied:
@ Mourn VERNoN, Jan. 5, 1854.
L. Kali .Lt
My only fear is that shall lose little reputation first"
1t is not known to what extent the officers acting in
State lines according to the requirement of the resolution
of March az, l783 accepted the OF communication But
in November of that year. certificate from the Continen
tai treasury stating that five years full pay with interest
from November 1888, was payable to the officers de-
scribed in that resolution was sent to each OF them
Neither the Continental Congress the States with few
exceptons provided for paying the certificates and
they remained unpaid and entirely neglected until the
reorganization of the federal government under the
constitution. They sank immediately after the ISSUE and
reached depreciation OF eight dollars to par value
and generally disposed of at that sacrifice On the
first of December l79l they funded in stock bear
| ing three per cent interest
The bill under consideration that the COM
mutation failed, and that the officers thereby remit
ted to the hapay for life and provides for paying it TO
them their widows and children under certain limitations
after deducting herefrom the par nominal value of the
| certificates of Communication.
TALLY, qualified to be Witness advocate and umpire
between the officers of the army Of the revolution and the
|
he is the only who could acceptably fill and discharge
the duties of these conflicting characters have therefore
abstained from drawing into the case any facts argu
ments authorities other than those derived from his
own immortal words. Standing them, claim that the
hafpay for life pledged to the officers debt, just
debt constitutional one with all the attributes of
mon debt; and that it was more than common debta
debt of honor and of gratitude the equivalents of which
the blood of the officers and the Independence of the
country; that It was perpetual debt therefore, which
could be cancelled until it fully and fairly paid
1t was fully and fairly paid by the promise of COM
mutation which promise executed nor attempted
be executed until after nine years in
degree resulting from fault of the officers but solely
from the misfortlnes and embarrssments OF the country
which the debtor and that when the attempt to
cute il was then made the payment made reached only
GERS and not the officers themselves who were the cred
| itors.
reject the idea of contract or bargain between the
creditors and the country in the transaction OF commuta
ton for there equality of position or advantage
between the parties Their relations reversed The
army had been the defenders of the countryside country
had become the protector and guardian OF the army
agree that the embarassmes OF the country excused it
i from paying sustaining the communication certificates
nine years. and that it did wisely and well in then paying
them the holders but the debt being of gratitude
and honor 1t remained nevertheless and remained due to
the officers who under the q poverty resulting
from the public Distress not any fault of their own had
| sold their certificates for nominal values.
The obligation pay the officers to reimburse them
to the extent Of their annuites for life revived with the
renewed restored ability and strength of the country
In the blaze Of the revolutionary light thrown upon
the subject the subtes and re6nements which OBJ
scured and pepexed it disappear such this that equal
debts due to other classes of officers merorous
than those now to be paid that equal debts due
the militia and to the creditors of the country
that ought to be paid not to the children of the officers
but the officers themselves and If to children then
equally to grandchildren when children do not survive
and that it ought to be paid neither to the officers
the children but to the creditors; and that persons
/ who rich and great will be made richer by act
whose general operation will be to benefit and bless the
poor and lowly and that of the officers who in the
persons of their children will be the recipients Of this ben
efacon personally unworthy and that agents and
spectators will profit by it. The bill stands the policy
established by Washington after full trial of opposing
i theories and specuiations.
So far is practicable consistently with reconciling
conflicting objections the bill guarded against alleged
abuses and dangers. Either these claims justly stand
the basis OF moral obligation which imperavey requires
the assumption Of Congress- they stand the basis of
debt actually existing but needing provision for Its pay
ment In either Congress may rghtfully direct the
discharge of the obligation the debt in the manner
most agreeable to equity and good conscience To those
if there be any who cannot consent to pay these claims
amounting in the aggregate to two and half millions
because they fear that many Others will remain unpaid,
i recall the of Lord Bacon similar occasion .
1 Would to God that hooded, that saw less
that could perform more for now see occasion Of SER
vice. but cannot fy because am tied to another fist"
To those if any, who shall object the lapse of time
ply in thcanguage of who though he had served his
4 king too we'll and starving on his unperormed
| gagements rebuked for unreasonable Importantly
aYour good promises sleep, which 1t may
time to awaken but that do not find any general csen
\ dar of observation Of time serveth for a court"
i To those if there be such, who know policy In the
finance of free country always prosperous and rich be-
always peace but that parsmony which unusty
confscates in civil administration that it may have the
necessary for and OPPRESSION beg leave to