Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-12-31
OLD sOLDEERs, PENSION BILL.
Remarks OF Hon. VIM. T.. Avery, Of Ten.
nessee, in the House OF Representative,
December 90, 1855.

Remarks OF Hon. VIM. Ts ATerF3 Of Ten
nessee, in fhe House OF representatives,
December 90, 1s5s-
The HOUSE being in the Cohmisiee OF The Whole
the state Of the Union on the old soldiers bill
and Mr.. Cobb having moved, as an amendment to
Insert the words he Florida and Greek and Indian
wars Of 1886. 1887. aud 1888, and tae Mexican var
Of 1896 ls47, and l84s and all other Indian Wars-
Mr.. AVERY said: Nr Chairman am opposed
20 the amendment Of The gentleman from Alabama
(Alr COBB, for do not wish % see this S ineum>
bered with amendments that viii militia against its
passage / wish to say something. though as 10
the merits Of the bill Il cannot be expected that
in The brief time allotted to a single member in
debate like this that much can be said; bat sir,
coming as 1 DO from a State which has won for her
self the proud title Of the volunteer State STATE
that has she'd IS much lustre upon oar arms as any
in this Union, in every war in which We have ever
been engaged, from Kings Mountain to the gates
Of Mexico; land TOO, where sleep the ashes Of the
buried chieitafus Of the Of 1872 with the rank
and 6le who followed them; / say. coming from
State like this with these memories erOWding thick
and fast upon me, cannot allow this opportunity
10 pass without p1tting upon record one poor word
in behalf Of those old soldiers Of this var who still
survive. What sir, is the great argument urged
against The passage Of this bill? What the great
bugbear held up to honorable gentlemen TO frighten
them from its support Is it that it is uneonstiiu>
tionaR That is not the argument used. Is it that
the policy is WTongl This position do not consider
as seriously cOntended for Is it that it is not IN
acoordanes with our governmental policy? Why,
sir, the Wise the just the patriotic legislation Of the
enlightened past has lent to this policy IFS most
solemn sanction. What, then, is the chief ground
Of oppOsition2 It is because il costs some money
Is this valid argument, u like hist Is his
great Government to plesd poverty in a cause Ike
thisi And who puts IN this plesl Have the people
done it-they, whose servants We are, and whose
win we are sent here to execute? Has the potential
nofa fnefr arHn saa,r han
pie come up to the council chambers Of your Capt.
tol from tbe hills and valleys and the crowded mars
Of comaeree protesting against this measured This
measure has been before Congress for years, and
have yet to hear the drst murmur against its pas
sage coming up from the people The people are
for it, Their patriotic heart beats responsive 20 this
measure II was argued the other day By the
gentleman from Ohio NJ. NIoHOLs,) that he opp0s-
ed this bill because, forsoOth, some who would be
the benefeiaries Of ii above want Is tst good
argument in this easel
Mr NICHOLS I Wish to ask the gentleman from
Tennessee to do me the justice to say that l opposed
the principle Of the bill throug ghout.
Mr. AVERY. But understood the gentleman
from Ohio to urge as his chief argument, that,
lawyer he had aseeFtained in Lis experience THAI
some who would be the benefciares under this bill
were above want. S1r, It is not asked IS gratuty
charity, but 8 debt viii any gentleman dare say
that it is not IS much duty % pay debt to the
rich as to the poor? While there may be some Of
these old soldiers Who have BY their industry and
frugaiy elevated themselves above want, there are
many aye, more who havenot been so fortunate, ard
whose rough deelivity Of life viii be made easy BY
this measure But | say here in my place, tha, if
I knew Of my own knowledge that ninety nine Of
every hundred Of these old soldiers were by their
own exertions placed above the froWBs Of poverty,
snd the hundredth man vas in the dowHhill and de-
creptude Of life. needy would still 60 for the bill
But sir, this is not so many Of them are poor aud
but few Of them are left; they fast falling into
the tomb Entering The army at reasonable age
Would bring them to their threesc0Te years and
ten Although, sir, as many may be mOre) Of these
brave old men now live in Tennessee as in any other
State many Of whom have known from ny boy
heod, yet, sir, have to meet she first OF them
who has made sppeal 60 me to support this
measure. Il Is their friends their ueighbors Whs
know them, whose hearts swell with grateful reeol-
leeons Of their past good deeds that desire ts pas
sage
As has been ably argued BY my distinguished
colleague who reported this bib, 8Ir Savage enc
Of two measures Of policy must prevail in the Gov
ernment: either that policy which will foster pa
triOtie, enlightened citizen soldiery; large
and expensive standing army must be kept up, com
posed Of hireling s0ldiery recruited, too, from The
sinks Of vice, corruption, and degradation Il did
not take me long n deiermiRe which policy favor
Adopt this policy SIR, and stand against the
world. Every nan is soldier, high and low, rich
and poor; be is proud De so Standing armies
grow up each year ail over the land; companies,
regiments battalions of patriotic and proud citi
zen soldiery, spring by magie into being VIXEN the
first rude shock Of war is felt upon borders,
ready. aye eager, 10 flock TO our standard wherever