Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-01-06

Remarks of Hon. J. D. Q. Atkins, of Ten

motives of honorable gentlemen had hoped that
the sense Of the House would be tested upon he |
origin4l proposition In my judgment, it should be
restricted in its provisions 70 the soldiers who
engaged IN actual service in the last war with Great
Britain. <s
Besides being requested by the Legislature of my
State, could not do less than support this bill, rep
reseuing as do, in part, the chivslrous people Of
Tennessee the land of Jackson, aud Carroll. and
Coffee, and others, whose msrtial deeds have shed
such luster upon the escutcheon of our common
country. feel, sir, that il to the memory OF
the honered dead, as well as to the rights and me-
cessties Of the gallant living In restricting my
self TO the Il have Indicated would Bo be under
stood as deTscing in the least from the well earned
fame of any of our untryuen who have participated
in any Ct the wars that have occurred since l6l5-
the Seminole, Greek, or Mexic4n wars. They have
all acted brsVey and periodically, and deserve the
gratitude of thier country When time shall have
bowed their manly forms, and whitened their locks
with the frosts Of sixty or seventy winters as u has
all the soldiers Of the war Of I8l2-t6 say nsthiug
of the thousands whom old age has borne long sinea
TO the tOmbI doubt not the Representatives of the
people will be far more prompt TO remember their
services and to throw The fostering Of the Gov
eminent around them, and sh l and protect them
from wasn't, as they shielded snI protected the ma
TONS honor from the insults of sn arrogant foe,
and the hearihstoDes of innocence from the indecent
outrages Of lieentious soldiery.
Sir, we have been asked by the gentleman from
Alabama, mir. Cobb in the course Of this debate,
why dscrim nIte between the soldiers of the WAY of
1872 and those of the Mexican war? have shown
Why But will not rest the question there will
ap2esl to the II mt spirits who participated in that
sangaj ary struggle; whose deeds Of valor have
deeked their own aud their ceuhtry's brow with
ronei of unfaded glory, some of whom their grlte
ful and GdmiriDg countrymen have d:legaled as
their Represt aV upon this floor ard the lcr Of
the American Senate. Win you say that the cases
Ia faa at fhara ell
ice and sty afford you this relief that there
is to the surviving veterans of the second war ofin
dependence? From the nobleness Of your hearts
comes up the patriotic but just response, No! You
are in the meridian Of life, while all of them are
old the sun of the hopes Of many of you has bare
~ reached its elimination, and is supporting its
noon tide splendor upon your pathway while, with
them the of life is nearly set, and its dim and
slanting shadows falling before their feeble foot
stops, too plainly warns them of the near approach
Of the dreary night of death. Very many Of them
ara standing with one foot in the grave, and the
other upon its brink, poor psnniless, and depend
ant upon the gratitude and benefcence of kind
friends and relatives; while others, perhaps may
not be 81 fortunate, but may depend upon the cold
charity OF pitiless aud mercenary world. Sir,
when the soldiers Of the Mexican war, of any
other war; shall have lived near half century from
the date of their service, have those who pro-
pose to be beDefcisries by this bill, aud their
cessites incident age, deereptude, and indulgence,
shall be manifest like these, then will Congress,
doubt not be ready to do them justice.
Gentlemen talk about this bill as bounty, as q
gift We do not In sH plicanis to this Hou: e.
We do not SIX it as bounty; We demand it
debt due to those brave old for their heroic
vices Will any gentleman say that the debt has
been discharged? Has eight dollars per month, and
one hundred and Sky aeres Of wild laDd, comPan-
stated them for the lsbors of the camp the tolls of
the march, aud the dangers Of the held? Do yeu
count as nothing the sacrifices they made, the leav-
! ing home With the thousand charms that cluster
around it, the parting from wife, children, friends,
sl to brave the bloody horrors of the battle field
Sir, 1t was not money; higher and nobleF senti-
ment controlled their hesrts-tber love of country
| And as patriotism made them shoulder their mus
kets and rally TO their c0untrys Defense not count
! ing the cost, why cannot the same magnanimous,
liberal and patriotic spirit prompt TO rush to the
] relief of their necessities, and drive hack demon
I want from their doorf There but feE of them
left, and every year makes the number less. All Of
! them we're ready to make free Offering of their
! life upon the altar of their country's honor Thou
sands fell, and thoir funeral dirge is chsnted
! as q PaAn TO the nations glory and shall their
! surviving comrades be less fOrtunstef Shall they
liBger out in obscurity and poverty the evening Of
life, the morning of which illustrated by deeds
/ of such noble daring
Will not the country awake to high sense Of the
moral obligation and legal right which demands of
il 10 protect these old men, that they, many
| OF them, are unable TO protect themselves Oppose
! it, because it will cost some money When did any
great measure, intended TO benefit the country
mankind, originate that did not cost money! Will
! the young men Of the country complain? Never
Their hearts are too full of patriotic fire. Before
! we complain of the cost, let first TetTerch the
/ heavy aud grooming expenditure of the Government
l. for one sir will vote to day for ten per centum
reduction upon The salary of every officer Of the
Federal Government, from the President down to
! the gardener of your public grounds, if it viii ia
ciltate the passage Of this measure. Two or three
millions annually is all that will be required under
this bill But what if it is more? Wll you stop to
count the cost! Did those brave old warriors stop
to count the cost, when the clarion note of
moned them the field when the British regulars,
trained under the rigid discipline Of the Iron Duke,
were marching under Pskenhsu upon the queen
city of the South the gateway of our southern and
western commerce, with the troops fresh from the
victorious fields Of Europe frenzied with the brutal
! WatchWord of beauty and booty did the gallant
spirits who rallied around the flag Of A.drew Jack
| son, stop to count the cost? No! But with an ut
| ter abandonment of self, and reckessness of life
with their heroic leader At their head drove back
the British lion upon the plains of Chamette thus
proving to the world the efficiency Of the citizen SOL
! der over that of the regular. No brighter gem
studs the diadem of fame that eucircles the fair
brow of Columbia, than that which answers TO the
memorable victory of the 9Th Of January, 1916.
The question is not what it will cost. Is it right
is II Just ls II magDanIm0us, Is 1t humane, and last
ly, is itgratefu Bring any charge you will against
the Government. Say it is parsimoniOus say it is
false, hearlless, unjust Oppressve but not subs
ec her to the charge OF ingrstitude, that 'fouest
whelp of sim" Shall this country be more unmind,
full of its defenders than other nations? Shall DOS.
terity learn the notifying lesson that our Govern
ment is willing to lavish upon standing army, and
not a cent 10 the brave volunteer when old age has
Oversken him and poverty has laid its heavy hand
up IN him? Will not these old men feel if you de-
feat this bill and thereby deny them that relief so
necessary to their comfort aud support that the
Government has forgotten the hours of its peril and
extremity and that it disregards the heavy sacrifices
made by them for their country? Will they notfeel
that they have only lived to be forgotten by their
country for whose defense they would have laid
down their lives; that the memory of their illus
rous deeds had faded from the hearts of posterity
ere life itself had passed away? Why did the Old
Guard follow blindly aud madly the eagles of Ma,
poleon the frozen of the Alps or through
the terrible conhagration of the imperial city of
MoscoW7 Even the iron heart of that man of blood
melted in pity and gratitude for the suferines and
services of his soldiers, and bis purse-strings were
ready to be loosed TO relieve their necessities
and shall the most enlightened nation in Christen
dom, in the middle of the nineteenth century be
less generous than the great imperial autocrat,
whose throne was but the mausOleum of liberty
Defeat this bill, and standing army like bird Of
prey will swoop down and gnaW at the Yials of the
Republic Pass it. and million of men from the
North, South, East, and West, from hill and dale,
from your crowded cities and noun ain Businesses.
al he fret Inla of