Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-01-02

ny than Of national defense The boasted San Juan
do Ullos, and Perote,~of Mexico have often been
the prisons Of her own citizens but we're nothing
| in the pathway of or invasion.
| Now, sir, instead Of annually pouring out these
large SUMS in our cities, IN building fOrtiheations
that msy never be assaulted propose to abandon
the system distribute the money to every sec
ton Of the country to assist in bringing up gallant
/ men, who shall be ready and willing when the
naughty foe shall threaten, TO fy with railroad
speed, and stand around the beleagured ciiysa wall
of living yalor, more to be relied en- and more hon
-erabe than cold stones though piled upon each
other as high as the tower of Babel
| The old soldier is found everywhere; but, per-
haps, NEST often in the interior agricuuralregion
where public expenditures, as now made, never
reach Perhaps the very community that taught
him TO toll and sent him TO fight your battles in the
strength Of his youth, received him back again with
health impaired crruineS habits. The Government,
when II took this from toll injured his friends
and neighbors and nov Ipropose 10 pay the debt by
giving him ninety~six dollars per annum; and this
is gift, also, 10 great extent to that community
wherein the soldier lives, for he must spend it to
educate his children, for bread to eat, to pay the
merchant, the doctor, and mechanic. The money.
unlike the vast sums poured out upon your great
cities for your Army and Navy your printing, for
ihcatiOns, the collection Of the public revenue,
would be principally given to the interior agrleultu-
raj regions and beeemes great educational and agT-
to aid and strengthen these menof hum
bic fortune who the real strength and glory of eT
cry land for tits they who ELL your workshops cults
vate your fields, raise and educate the children who
fight your battles and sustain the freedom of your
Government at the ballot-box This system is not
only great in its accomplishments but equal to ali
men in its benefits.
The Secretary CT the Treasury was landed in the
public press some few months after the inauguration
because il said that the gentleman for he pur-
pose OF aiding the mercantile world to meet the pres
of hard tines had paid off quite large portion
of The public debt, when the same had many years
yet to run 1t appears from the Secre aTy's fnanN
cal report that lie paid the of $685. 70 by
way of premium upoE these debts. This operation
was for the benefit of the merchants, bakers, and
brokers and in my opinion, equal to one fourth
the annual cost of this bill With such facts before
them the friends Of the Secretary ought not 10 talk
of t5e extravaganza of this bill.
1t may be safely said that the Army and Navy an
nuauy cost fifteen times as much as the pensions
under this bill
exhibited to this House. at the last session, cal
citations Of Professor Tucker and Mr. De Bow, show
ing that in all probability less than seventeen thou
sanl men entitled by the bill were then surviving
requiring about million and half per annum to
pension them. The opinions Of these gentlemen
are founded upon the known value of human life,
aad the opponents of tie bill have not dared to con-
i trovert their correctness -s ---
Every people, to maintain their independence,
must have some system to guard against domestic
usHrpaton and foreign The object Of this bill
is to avoid the European system. Vast armies there
ound the thrones OF princes crushing the spirit
OF liberty, and destroying the substance of the people
by the most ruin0us aud oppressive taxation. Eng
land maintains, in time Of peace about hundred
and fifty thousand; France, in 1854, had on foot
four hundred and one thousand two hundred and
forty-seVen; Russia, in 1855, had eight hundred
Thousand soldiers We have army, by the report
of Secretary Floyd to the present Congress- Of
teen thousand four hundred and ninety-eight. For
the last year it cost US largely twenty million
dollars This year the Secretary estimates for $751;
Ole 100 o. which we know is liable to be increased
by adefcency bill at the next Congress; from which
it appears that pay million dollars for each
thousand men, or more than one thousand dollars
per man; that, if we adopt the European system,
and raise our Army to equal that of Great Britain,
it would cost annually $3.50, 600, 600; if we rival
France, over four hundred million dollars; and to
equal Russia, more than eight hundred million del.
lars When this system is adopted, the freedom Of
the people is at an end. Our little Mexican war
produced FIVE six ambitious generals, each of
whom acted as if he had legal right to the PRESS
dency. ...
Discourage the citizen soldier, increase your
standing Army let foreign war come that shall
try the strength of the nation; and, unless the
commander of your conquering legions shall be a
second Washington, your Congress will be driven
hence, your Constitution trampled under foot, and
the people will become the victim and Inheritance
of usurper and his descendants. Gentlemen can
not avoid it. The question upon this bill is simply,
will you have pension list a standing army !?
At the last session, Congress asked to grant four
additional regiments to the regular establishment
thereby increasing for all time, annual expen-
ditures more than five million dollars. Congress
refused; and if the request had been granted past
experience authorizes US TO say that if further in
crease had not been asked during this Administers
ton, il would have been demanded at the beginning
OF the next Gentlemen who talk about the extrav-
agance of this bill vote TO increase the army with
out hesitation. The systems opposed to each
other, and gentlemen entitled to their opinions
The bill proposes to to the nation reliance
upon the citizen for military service, the cheap.
est most honorable and least dangerous system for
free people. If we reject it, we must adopt the
alternative, and expend vast sums to create regu-
lar establishment, equal to national defense, thus
deVoting many of our citizens and much money to
military purposes forever.
The principle Of pensioning for military service
has been approved by the distinguished men Of the
United States since 1918 1t was approved by Gem
eral Washington in 1880, when Congress- at his ur-
gent request, passed resolution giving to the Off
Gers half pay for life, and which he then described
as necessary to prevent dissolution of the army.
Resting upon these high authorities feel confident
that the passage of this bill will establish military
policy, which alone secure the nation against
the dangers of foreign and domestic ion
AS to the soldiers of subsequent wars, 1 csnlot
consent to pension them row. II, hereafter when
they have grown old, and the Government is in the
hands of their children they should be honored and
held up to the nation in their declining years as ex
amples for imitation, it would be in accordance with
the policy which l desire to see established But
these old Of 1872 the fathers of the Repub-
lic-the victors in the second war of independence.
They are rapidly sinking to the grave, and must be
paid now or never 1t is no argument to say that
the Treasury is empty. The nation which they de-
Tended in the days of their youth, hope may live
forever, and yet become the most glorious and pow
erful on the face of the globe.