Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-02-07
PENSIONS TO TIE OFFICERS AID SOLDIERS OF

Invalid Pensions of the House Of Representatives,
accompanying bill reported by the committee,
granting pensions to the officers and soldiers Of the
war with Great Britain Of 1872, and those enga.
ged in Indian wars during that period. The bill
allows those engaged in those wars full pay for
life from the passage Of the bill according to rank,
but not exceeding the pay Of captain Of infantry.
On the 18Th ult, Col. SAVAGE moved to suspend
the rules to make the bill special order. The
vote stood, lob affirmative, to IS in the negative.
The merits Of the bill are well stated in the report
of Col SAVAGE, below
Mr.. SAVAGE, from the Committee on Invalid
Pensions, made the following report:
The Committee on Invalid Passions to sOkom sOas
referred the petition Of the officers and soldiers Of
the State Of Ne1O York, and Others praying for a
pension for their services IN The l0aT of 1872, beg
Leave to report:
That they have had the same under consdera.
ton and of opinion that it is not only due as
matter of justice to the gallant men who perilled
their lives in that dangerous that they should
be shielded by the government from the miseries
of poverty in their declining years, but SIS an cot
to be done now to affect the future constituting
military policy, to secure the love and confidence
of our people, srousing their srdor and patriotism
to meet dangers yet to be encountered, it strongly
recommends itself to the wisdom and prudence of
| Congress. Your committee consider liberal pen.
sion system almost q necessary consequence, while
our military policy continues the same that il has
| been since the foundation of the government
It not the object of your committee to set
| forth in this report in detail the many considers-
/ tons upon which their conclusions are grounded
/ They have thought il most proper to present few
of the prominent reasons which sustain their view
Of this question, and report bill general in its
provisions, leaving matters of detail and special
| consideration to discussion and amendments ia
| Committee of the Whole or in the House.
| our committee do not consider that they pro-
| pose to innovste upon our past policy or insugu-
rate new system; they aim TO give to the soldiers
| Of our second war of independence" the same
! justice and generous protection that Congress
awarded to the soldiers of the Re Volution. Your
committee are fully satisfied with the military con.
diton of our country our system as it is they con.
slider the best in the world; but strike from the
| character Of the citizen q single trait and none
could be worse. From the past history of our con-
fcts they Of opinion that, while it is the cheap
est it Is none the less effective. We have no mil
| itsry Establishments compared with other nations
| The whole face of Europe, both in times of peace
and war, is covered by dark bodies of armed war
riors, marshaled around the thrones of absolute
| power, imposing ruinous taxation upon the sons
| of toll whose liberties they have subVerted While
.
cause, should not fear to go out to battle maintain
| a standing army from q hundred thousand to half
| a million, ours is less than fifteen thousand men:
| and yet, with the threatening clouds of foreign
| war and internal commotion impending from every
| quarter of the horizon for the last twelve months
| no man has felt any great soioitude to augment
| our military establishment And what is il that
brings to the nation this great boon this quiet and
hsppy security amid surrounding dangers? It is
an mistaken confidence taught by past experience,
in the valor and patriotism of the citizen. soldier
| one whom gold cannot purchase or tyranny over
| awe. When war assails our country q grand spec
tacle is presented. You see the farmer, the me-
chsnic, the doctor, the lawyer, the merchant, and
the poitician-frOm all ranks in life, and all occu-
patons, men "rush forth ike eagles, and fight like
lions"-and when the haughty foe has been driven
back in ruin and defeat, they return quietly to
their homes.
Many of these gallant men return with impaired
| healtn-some with ruined constitutions but no
matter how they return, with few fortunate ex-
ceptions they find that while others who have re-
manned at home have advanced, they have retro
graded in the race for the good things of this world
which render man Independent and old age com.
Portable; their business and families have been
neglected their property deprecated their patron
age is in the hands of others; with them it is al
mostcOmmencing life ssecond time at the bottom of
the ladder, although their absence from home may
have been of short duration. As general rule,
they give the strong days Of their manhood to the
service, of the country, and see much Of actual
war in q few campaigns the soldier of thess vast
standing armies do in their lifetime; so that our
government secures the same benefit in the hour
of danger, for 8 very small expense that is obtsud
| BY other countries at the enormous cost of their
! perpetual establishments. The burden and sacri-
fees Of ftreign war are, for this cause, unequsy
divided between the citizens of the republic be-
IL 49, l.
patriotic motives thus enter the military service.
This view of the subject may be illustrated, by
suppo=ing the case Of two men Of equal ability
following the same occupation: the on5 obeYs the
impulses of patriotism, enters your service SHEDS
his blood in your cause, advances your stsrdsrd %
victory and glory, bringing peace and renown to
the nation; but in most cases, if he returs at al
to the bosom of his family, it is with less ability 10
toll, with property and business injured, perhaps
lost forever and for no other reason than because
he fought your battles; this gallant man gees down
to the grave in poverty, and leaves his wife and
little ones to misery and want. The other from
accident necessity, or greater regard for iudi-
VIdusl comfort remains at home, pursUes his bust
ness, sccumulstes property, guards bis family and
leaves them at his death comfortable and wealthy.
Sir no bounty Of the government is likely ever to
place these men upon an equality; but generous
people should not let the old soldier die among
them, where poverty has been the result of sscrif
ces for their safety.
Your committee know there are many excep-
items to the general rule which they have laid down
in regard to the Pecuniary consequences resulting
to individuals from military service. To some it
may have besn fortunate; many have or afterwards
acquire large estates, and some provision growing
out of this consideration may be necessary; but as
it is point upon which there will likely be a wide
difference Of opinion, your committe have not re-
commended any ri of discrimination Your
committee have not adopted the rule in regard to
the time Of service applied to the soldiers of the
Revolution, but recommend that all who have
served for the term of three months, or have been
engaged in sctual battle with the enemy, shall be
placed upon an equal footing They have done this
BECAUSE in their opinion the greatest sacrifice that
is usually made by entering our military service
consists in the abandonment of home, the neglect
Of property, loss OF business and injury to health
which are almost ss likely to occur to az great an
| extent in first three months as for longer period
Your committee have endesvored to prepare
such = bill as would be most likely to receive the
favorable consideration of Congress, and provide
to the greatest extent for those persons who merit
the aid Of the government, which they herewith
report, and recommend its passage.