The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-12
0PEyIgG or THE oAETaSS -FlRST SPEECH or
mr.. LETUHER

AT about III o clock this morning, the court, who as
sombed here after the transaction Of the more important
Of giving the Hon. Mr.. Letcher an opportunity Of adj
dressing the people according to previous appointment
At an early hours great throng from Shenandoah and the
adjoining counties had assembled and crowded the court
house, which could not contain, perhaps, more than one
third Of those who were present, although the day was
rainy and Indictment. The speaker, In a clear and aud
ible voice, commenced his address, aud for about two
hours enchanted the attention of the hearers in a speech
which abounded in facts and figures that could not be
refuted. Below will be found u sketch Of this speech,
containing most Of the principal points upon which his
remarks were based. The length Of the address p~recludes
a more extended notice.
Fellow citizens of the county of Shenandoah | appear
before you 10 render an account of my services in Con
gress during the period in which you have honored me
with your confidence in that capacity and | am pleased
to believe that during my whole congressional career my
conduct has met with no disapprobation at your hands.
The speaker, after some further remarks in connexion,
reviewed his vote upon the old soldiers pension bill,
giving his reasons therefor, and showed most ~satisiacto-
rily the wisdom of his vote.
He stated that after the war Of 1912 was over the sol
diers engaged in that contest were all well paid for their
service, and in 1850 the government gave, in addition,
lGO acres to all who had been enrolled over fourteen
days. According to the provisions of this bill Mr..
Buchanan and General Cass would be entitled TO u PEN
sion of $50 per year for life for their services at North
Point, near Baltimore, in which battle 1000 soldiers
were engaged. The President and Secretary Of State had
no need of such pensions, to be taken from the pockets
of the people, but still the bill makes no distinction rs
TO wealth, and he (Mr. Letcher) was TO be %ariaigned, be-
cause he resisted the passage of this enormous bill, which,
by the report of the Commissioner OF Pensions, was to
take $l03, 900, GOO from the public treasury. According
to the provisions OF the bill, the pay was to commence in
1857, three years with the present, which would have
required 500, 100, 7l0 10 be expended for this purpose in
1859, and about $500 200 thereafter, which for ten
years would require The sum of sos, 000, 600, besides
doubling the clerical force Of the Pension Office, and with
other contingencies would increase the expenditures to
1855, 900 per annum. The whole number of commits
stoned officers in that war were 81, 2l0
ed officers, 57,G46 and soldiers, 1872, 766-all to be pen
stoned If alive if not, then the widow or next of kin,
without any allowance being made for frauds, which,
the speaker showed, were frequently enormous.
He instanced the battle of Plattsburg, in New York, IN
1914, in which according to the roll. between 5000 and
6, 600 troops Were actually engaged, between 5000 and
Ia, 600 on the way, making between l8, 900 and 10, 600,
who were entitled to land warrants. In As years, not
one of these had died, but, on the contrary, the number
almost doubled, requiring from 2S 600 to $4,000 war
rants to satisfy the claims of those who protested TO be
engaged for this battle. The Department was obliged
to receive the proofs, as the law was complied with in
each case, and there was no means of refuting the testi
mony. How much worse would the proposed pension
bill be, his hearers might readily imagine, and he rejoiced
that he did vote against this enormous project, and would
appeal to the people if he was not right. The last hall
century had required $50, 376, Os7 SO TO pay the pension
ers, in the army and navy, while SlO3, Oo0, 600 would
now be required in ten years, under the proposed pension
bill. He would cast the same vote, when necessary, if it
cost him the loss Of the goecrnoIship
The speaker here referred to the agricultural bill, which
donated to the various States and Territories $500 coo
acres for agricultural colleges. To show the great cor
ruption of the black-republican party, while they are
raising u great cry about the public expenditures and an
empty treasury, the vote for the above unconstitutional
bill ~stood-yeas, rs republicans, 3 Americans, and 10
democrats nays, 80 democrats, 3 South Americans, and
7 republicans. In the Senate the vote stood yeas, 10
republicans, 2 South Americans, and 2 democrats nays,
q democrats, and / South American thus showing the
Inconsistency of the opposition. In Illinois, Iowa, and
Al. .G 49,. - .la.. H.. l,Al, "a. Thn .fsang ,a,ltyal
would be greater than could be procured in Virginia and
other States, which would be compelled TO take scrip,
and sell at the current prices the injustice and %inequali-
ty Of the bill was therefore plain, and yet, with an empty
treasury, Sc out of % of the opposition voted for its pas
sage. The President had but discharged his duty, and
deserves the praise of Virginia for vetoing it.
The speaker next referred to the expenditures of the
War Department. The opposition had charged that Coy
Floyd, the Secretary Of War, had thrown away the public
money. The facts would show that the Secretary had
done no more than TO discharge his duty to himself, to
the administration, and to the people. In 1916 the ex-
penditures of the Quartermaster Generals Bureau, which
was the one which made the largest expenditures for the
army, were So, 2s3, 900. In lS47, during the Mexican
war, the expenditures were ST, 1877, 6S8. la lS40, So
100, 100 in 1852, So, 1874, GOO in 1856, ST,6l5, 600 at
a time when our territories were filling up, and required
protection from the tpdiang that were very troublesome.
In 1857, Sc, 541, 900; in 1858, during the troubles in Utah,
which required a large force, the expenditures were So
$40, 900, and this expenditure was indirectly occasioned
by the appointment of Brigham Young by q wing admin
ISlraUOn. lHc ITcSIutUI Ddu uODt nSu uI} III ltiioN1nB
him, and sending an army to compel him to submission
to the laws Of the general government. General Pierce,
whom he defed, ought to have dismissed him, but this
duty he had left TO Mr.. BUCHANAN and Coy. Floyd, who
of course required troops to execute this duty. Now that
these troubles were over, for the time at least, the eX-
pepditpres of the present year would fall below 81 00O, goo.
Mr.. Ietoler here took up the expenditures of the Navy
Department. In lsA7-'g the expenditures we're $lO,-
069, Il3 10 in l85i-5 the expenditures were over
50, 900, 900; in 1857 the expenditures were a little
over $40, 900, 000 in 1873 the expenditures were
about Sl2, 900, 900. The increase has been in conse-
quence of the troubles i'll the Gulf of Mexico and about
Paraguay, for the protection of the country's rights, and
have necessarily required a strong naval force, and the
President had but done his duty in these respects, which
accounts for the additional expenditures.
The President in his recommendations had called ior
$50, 24l, 3l5, while Congress expended $64,002,4iI a
difference Of nearly SI2, O00, 900 for which Congress and
not the administration was responsible.
In further notice OF the expenditures, the speaker
showed the enormous amounts appropriated for the build
ing OF custom houses and post Offices, and the collection
of revenue. Among Others he ipstanced one in the state
of New York which required 81 600 per annum more
than the revenue obtained for the. payment Of the Off
GERS employed. In Louisville the cost of the custom
house was 1894 900. The policy and principle Mr.. i,
~oonteaded was wrong, and that as the current of business
is constantly shifting, such enormous expenditures were
improper, as Che buildings were almost useless for any
purpose afterwards, and it sold would not bring a~ne7teFttlh
Of the original cost. If it be right TO build o post office
in Richmond, why not in Woodstock.
In relation to the Clerk of the House Of Represent.
atiyes Mr.. i, stated that in 1858 to 1856 the democratic
party had tho House and Clerk. During that period the
expenditures were 81, 707, Ti0. When the opposition
obtained the control by the election of Banks, In twenty
two months 81, $50, go were expended, besides leaving
5000, 600 for Allen the present clerk to pay. During the
sessions of 1857 and 1853, under Allen, the expenditures