The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. G. @. CLA,
on ALABAMA.
In SENATE, January IA, 1857,

In SENATE January IA, 1857.
The Senate having under consideration the bill TO pro-
vide for the final settlement of the claims of the officers OF
the revolutionary army and of the widows and orphan
children Of those who died in the service
Mr. CLAY said Mr.. President when offered few re
marks upon this bill Monday Of last week. and indi-
Gated my desire to something more upon the next
day. il with intention OF entering upon it's general
merits, but with view OF commeutng certain features
which had not been advered 10 10 the previous debat
Now that than week has transped since took the
foor and have lost much of the freshness and ervor
my frst thoughts upon the euect feel less inclined to
make elaborate lengthy argument shall endeavor
TO compress my objections TO this bill within short
space of time will enable 10 express them Indeed
sir the insupeabe objections this bill which have been
urged with much force and cearness by the senators
from Georgia, [Mr. TooMBs from Michigan, Mr. STUART
and from Ohio Mr.. PUGH would render it entirely
necessary, in my opinion, for me to add another word
against it, had not constituents interested in its
passage and had not been informed that the legislature
of the State which have the honor 10 represent some
years since adopted resolutions requesting their senators
and representatives to vote for measure of kindred char
acter.
ent of mine has requested to vote for this BILL
have been unable find the resolutions which said to
have passed the legislature of the State of Alabama and
do not think that such have been adopted If any
such adopted feel confident in saying that they do
not express the will of majority of the people of that
State or OF even respectable minority. The questions
by this bill have been discussed before the
people of Alabama submitted to their decision. They
are as shall endeavor to show novel, strange, original
questions Sir, those resolutions (if such passed.
like this bill, did not originate with the people, with
the proposed bene6ciares of his bounty with any
State Legislature with Congress They originated with
caimagens and lobby of Congress- appropriate
characterized the fourth department of this govern
ment. IL is part OF system which conceived in
spirit Of covetousnesa and not of benefcence This gen.
srous flame OF patriotic gratitude for revolutionary services
was kinded by claim agents to boil their pots and
cook their OF pottage .H. .I.
am opposed to this bill in its inception and its design
in its principles and Its policy in its entirety and its de-
tai in ito aQnlr frpYn
its title to its last enactng clause Its very title, far
from being key unlock the intent and meaning of the
act is cheat and fraud. say it with intentional
disrespect to the committee who reported this b-east
of all to the honorable chairman of the committee Mr.
EVANS or to any of its advocates. speak Of measures
of the who advocate them speak of this thing
this monster this Caliban and those whom regard its
real fahersnot its foster parents this floor. Sir it
has, in my opinion, less to commend it and more to
denim 1t than pension bill that passed Congress
or has heretofore been proposed
So far from evincng spirit Of justice and Of equity it
TO to have been conceived in spite and fashioned
in caprice 1t promises those who have already
received most from the government 1t pays best those
who did least service 1t offers the highest honors and
wards to the lowest men, judging them from the descrp
on OF them given by the advocates OF this bill for il
their statements be correct these followed the stand
ard OF their country victory but the treasury and
fought less liberty and independence than for promised
pef If their motives be not misrepesented, believe
they are they not generous patriots but selfish mer
cenares who fought for spois rather than for the rights
Of who gave their hands but not their hearts to the
lie service and laid aside their swords but for expecan
pensions for life! will not dshonor the memories of
men by yielding my support to measure which
mpeaching their patriotism.
This bill initiates system of pensions and intro
duces classes of pensioners Heretofore pensions
been granted TO the soldier for public service Heretofore
pensions granted to invalid soldiers have ceased whenever
they their disability because Congress
posed them then capable of taking of themselves
Heretofore pensions have been given to those who had
dered public service If they died in such service
those who dependent them for supporto their
widows and orphan children Of tender years When the
widow married the law presumed that she found proec-
in her second husband who should provide her. and
the pension ceased When the child, whether boy
or gir attained the OF sixteen the pension ceased be
the law presumed that that age they could take
care of themselves.
But SIR bill proposes to extend the kind tutelage
OF Congress children of lager growth who have
passed their majority and been with all the strength
and rights of manhood but ia ptiable state of orphan
age upon the cold charities of the world 1t proposes
take these poor nnocens within the of the govern
ment--to gather them like puny fedgings beneath the
she ering wings of parental love- 1t offers take these
unhappy orphans by the hand, and to Hlp their toddlng
footsteps from cradle the grave IL embraces within
bountrs every link in the chain of human society the
adult well as the infant the rich we'll the poor
the strong well the weak every der and descrp
ton Of and women from the lady of sanity virtue
down her who humoeth herself she may be exa,-
ed and from the hero of dauness courage and devoted
patriotism down to the eon in the convicta CELL him
who should be thereprovided they descendants
certain revolutionary families.
Again. sir it creates another order Of pensioners
Hitherto the gratitude of this nation it supposed was
fully discharged upon the infant children of deceased
officer soldier, and this honor their hertable
right but this bill proposes that in lack Of children grand
children shall inherit the nations grattude-ilustraed in
gifts of god Yet another class of pensioners hitherto
unknown laws is created by this BILL and that the
surgeons mates to whom il gives preference above all
other benefcaries They to receive the highest
wards in proportion to their rank they not to get
merely their own hapay according to the payroll of the
revolutions but if they happened to in the artillery
cavalry they to receive the larger hapay of captain
in that service and more than captain lieutenant
sign Of infantry III they happened survive the Sd of
March, 1896 their descendants receive the forty
years halfpay of captain When saw what prefer
| ence-what pre-emnence-was given to this class Of
men, set my wits to work to find out what their
peculiar and extraordinary merit Finding myself puz
zled and unable to answer that question, l went to
the War Department and inquired what the duties
the services of this class of officers there learned that it
was Office unknown to military department
but here intermediate between the present Offices Of
assistant and of steward of the hospital that the
surgeons performed of the offices of assistant
surgeon and many of the offices of the present steward Of
hospital His business TO dress wounds, to make
caapasms to grind drugs TO roll pills, and to mix po
tons He had comfortable quarters provided On the
march he had his transportation furnished and did
go afoot He went within gunshot of the enemy
lie encountered any peril of life limb health
He hazard of broken bone the lesion of his
skin b. endured sutrngs; he incurred perils; and
yet by this bill he preferred captain of the infantry
any lieutenant or ensign who may have "set honor in
eye and death in the other and have endured every
peril and the suerngs of which humanity capa
BILE And for what sir Not to discharge legal debt
for nobody pretends that anything promised to this
class OF not 10 discharge moral obligation, for it is
not alleged that under moral obligation to
themno, sir; but for gratitudel Gratitude for rolling