The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-08

claimed until 1888 and five give il to them how
refuse give ID 10 that class of officers of whom there
were many, who disabled, not by wounds, but by
constitutional debility inhrmes contracted in the ser
vice. from continuing up to 1881 and at last how
can we even refuse to redeem the currency one
instance OF which addnced by the senator from Geo
ga IL we begin to 90 back cannot what is to
rest the government in It's apses down to obligation
acknowledged TO redeem the continental currency.
We all know Mr.. President that state Of war is not a
bed of TO the people engaged in They must
make sacrhces-arge and great sacrifices Patriots make
them Voluntarily Those who are not actuated by the
same spirit obliged in many instances to make them
inyoluntary They are sacrifices that war demands from
all
know that among my friends and acquaintance in
Virginia. and in Of the other southern States
has been brought my knowledge there where
the claims remain in the original hands, that have not got
into the hands of spectators at all the holders OF which
will be benefited by this gratuiy regret very much for
one that it Is not in my power here representative TO
extend it. shall be obliged, therefore, have hereto
fore, TO vote against the bill
Mr.. CRITTENDEN. Mr.. President had not intended
to participate in this debate, and now design to conne
myself to very few remarks the subject of this bill
The has been stated by the senator from Virginia
Congress during the and at the crisis of the war; under
the advice of General Washington passed resolution
promising the officers of the army who continued in
vice until the end OF the hafpay for life thereafter
Subsequently by another resolution they invited and
thorzed those officers commute their claim to half
pay for life for full pay for five years and for that full pay
engaged to grant them certificate of debt payable be-
lieve ten years afterwards with interest payable annually
This is the state of the case.
Ii TO me that this subject cannot be fairly prop
ery appreciated without looking back to the time OF
this occurrence the condition Of the country and the
dton Of the parties EMIT ed to halpay for life The
had closed before this invitation to accept five years full
was made. The country exhaustedexhausted OF its
means by the war which had preceded The government
not able to pay and the officers left without
thing and almost without hope; their necessities i'm
mediate To provide for those necessities many of them
agreed to accept this communication and their accounts were
settled accordingly and the certificates granted them
cording the provisions of the law Those who did not
commute have received first and last the full amount
of their halfpay for life; and this bill proposes to
place those who accepted the Communication upon the
footing with those who did not commute deducting the
amount Of the Communication from the halipayf for life
Mr.. TOOMBS. Allow me to correct the honorable SEN
ator from Kentucky Not received halpay for life
All those who did not commute at the time have been paid
Communication subsequently There is case Of an officer
of the army having been paid his halfpay for life.
Mr.. CRITTENDEN. mean not to say that they have
been specifically and nomnaly pad but according to the
provisions of Congress hapay and all they have received
what regarded entire equivalent fori So
derstand but it is not very material portion of the
officers of the army agreed to accept the full pay for five
years in lieu of the hafpay for life This bill proposes
deducing from the that would be due them the
amount of their communication the full pay for five
This objected to on the ground that the legal OBJ
legation of the government by the resolution giving the
halpay for life, which is acknowledged legal obga-
ton exngushed by their acceptance of the terms OF
the communication Gentlemen say is debt OF
gratitude, gratuity that paying and that If
go upon the consideration of gratitude must en-
brace many others and those who opposed to this bill
and desire to defeat it only grounds which would make
them opposed to enlargement of the BILL argue
that ought not to pay these because the bill is not
comprehensive enough and does provide for Others
Now sir is it debt OF mere gratitude Is it mere
gratuity that paying? Is it debt in respect to
which constitutional rights be invoked, as they
have been by the gentleman from Michigan The debt is
exngushed in of the In the legal tech
nica of the term the debt is extiDguished That
admit But is there not moral obligation to make
good to the utermost when we able to do our OBJ
legations, founded on such mertorous considerations
That is the question. If debt which to you is bar
red by the statute OF limitations does it not exnguish the
legal obligation2 But l under moral obligations
growing of the matter? Is it matter Of graft
der obligations to acquit myself Of my debt and pay you
that debt barred and which bar in time of Distress
was obliged TO shelter myself under2 .s- su ..
What the condition of the government when it made
this proposition to the ocers2 They out of the
victorious and naked They out Of the triumph
ant and penniless. The government in condition
to execute its obligations Promises of halfpay they could
not satisfy They sought for themselves little
empton and procrasnation of this obligation by giving
the promise of full pay for five years. the payment of the
principal to be postponed for ten years BY these hopes
your needy and naked and hungry officers, many of
them were, tempted to accept the terms They have
received the Communication If they give credit for that
the account when you become able and prosperous where
is there any restraint in the constitution prevent your
satisfying your of moral obligation by paying the
full balance2 Is debt because it is recoverable
by law?
No national debt is recoverable by law. The creditor
must depend on the sovereignty and the gratitude of
the government 1t is to measure its obligation.
There is legal tribunal before which you could 60 and
drag this nation to Your courts of law have de-
cided that to debt barred and which is longer
OF legal obligation if the party promise to pay it the pre-
vlous debt barred though be- ample consideration
for the subsequent promise That your condition.
GU were unable to pay you had promised hapay for
life; you gave something like security for smaller
Your honest creditor accepted it. You have paid that
and If you feel any moral obligation to do you able
to pay the balance. Will you do i2 1t is not of
mere gratuity certainly case OF mere debt OF graft
tude. That not it; it is money obligation, which,
der your invitation your creditor departed from and took
for it that which not ampleconsideraton that
which was not fair equivalent Halfpay for life was
given up for full pay for five years
Now when the government is rich and prosperous and
abundanty able pay the House Of Representatives
least have said ave will settle with these fairly;
we will credit them for the they received full pay
for FIVE years. and if there be any Of the halfpay for life
due to any Of them will pay that Isay this is not
gratuity. There moral obligations high obga-
tonto satisfy this debt of the revolution It was out of
that we derived very being independent and
sovereign government We may well look back on all
the transactions of that day somewhat halowed
than the ordinary transactions Of life even the orna
ry transactions of government 1t sacred genera
tona day sacred to liberty Everything belonging to it
ought to be sanctifed in view and to feelings.
This is the way in which regard it, Standing here and
respecting the constitution much any one and no
more willing than another to give away the public money
feel that there is in this transaction moral obligation
upon which fully authorized under the constu
ton to pay as we to pay any debt of the most strictly
legal and technical character. therefore for this bill
1t embraces only those who received the Communication of
five years full pay They known the record There
can be ambiguity, there be for imposition
by means of fraudulent testimony 1t Is only the de-
scendans of those who record and named and
ascerained that any payment be made think there