Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-05-17

! or disabled by disease contracted in actual ser
vice. For this class OF cases 1t was the OBVIOUS
duty Of the government 70 prosias' anu .her
claims have been fully recognized not only
under the general law, but oy speclai acts VI
legislation, where the general Law JAILED to cover
The second class were the Revolutionary sol.
diers and officers, and in case OF their death the
widows and children of all such. The reason
assigned for the passage Of this Oil was, that
this class had rendered valuable services to the
country, for which they had never been com-
pensated. The continental money IN which
they had been paid was worthless, ana the OBJ
iect of this bill, was to give them something
for the services so calamity rendered at an in
t~eresting period in our history. Even this con-
sideration could not secure for the bill the sup
port of that pure man and eminent statesman
and, patriot, Nathaniel Macon OF North Caro-
lima.
The entire amount paid for pensions of all
kinds. under existing law from the o%rganiza-
ton Of the government up to the 3Oth OF June
1858, amounts to the sum OF SSG.5I6.OS1 DO
being for Army pensioners $Sl 1924 90 and
for Navy pensioners 81, 49, SAG Sc.
IUC Din " ktiC ltSl SObSi NS' wv WI
the soldiers of the War of 1912 with Great Bri,
tain and Indian wars of that and former peri.
dds. and grants pensions for life to the suryiv.
ing and to the widows of deceased officers, non
commissioned officers, musicians and privatcS
of the regular army, State troops, volunteers
or militia o fany State or territory, and the Off
GERS. nor. commissioned officers and mariners
in the Naval service. The Bill Classics the
pensioners as follows:
1st. Those who served twelve months or
more, were to have u pension Of $40 per year.
End. Those who served less than twelve
months, but as much rs six months, were to
have $50 per year.
Bird. Those who served less than six months,
but as much as sixty days were TO have $50 per
year.
4th. Those who were engaged in battle,
were to have the highest rate Of pension, viz:
500 per year.
Tie Commissioner of Pensions has prepared
a table showing the number Of the militia of
the several States who were engaged in the war
of 1872, and this table shows that there were
9.s7s officers, 1912 non-commissioncd officers,
and us, sos soldiers, who served less than one
month. There were s,541 officers, Is, $50 non-
commissioned officers, and 101, 227 soldiers,
who served more than one, and less than three
months. There were 5000 officers, l4,G7G
non-commissioned officers, and 102, S6S soldiers.
who served moro than three, and less than six
months. There were 4,05s officers, 7,5l7 non,
commissioned officers, and so, l3l soldiers, who
served more than six, and less than nine
months. There were 1S9 officers. 1884 non.
commissioned officers, and o,O9G soldiers, who
served more than nine and less than twelve
| ,nopfbc. onl fbnrn vrorn 90 0tirprS SHt
non commissioned officers, and 1896 soldiers,
who served more than twelve months.
These make an aggregate force of3l,2l9 off:
GERS, 57,646 commissioned officers and
3So. 7GG soldiers Of the militia alone, who are
to be provided for under this bill.
The bill was to take effect from the LIST Of
December, 1851, and if it had become a law,
an appropriation of 500, go, 10 would have
been required at the last session ofCongrcsst to
put this great machine in operation. The
average annual expenditure under this bill
would have been about s, $780, 900 for n period
of ten years. And the aggregate sum ncces-
sary to cxtinguish the claims under the bill,
would not have been less than sl03, 900, 900.
Was I right in voting against a bill, which
imposed such burden upon the toll and in
dustry Of the country:
Is it right, that the laboring men Of the ma
ton should be required to contribute from their
hard earnings, to pay annual pensions to men,
who are far better provided with this worlds
goods" than nine out Of every ten, who would
have to contribute the means. Here is Gen.
Cass, who under this law would be entitled TO
a pension of 800 per year, and although he is
worth three and a.half millions, the labor Of
the country is to be taxed TO pay him this an
nual sum. Here is also the President of the
United States, and who is worth perhaps a
quavtcr of a million, and yet the Opposition
would require the "toiling millions to contri'
butte for him a pension also. Every mans OBJ.
servation will furnish examples, in his own
neighborhood, and | will not, therefore, multi
ply them.
But if a pension shall be paid to the soldiers
of the war of 1912, why shall it not be paid
also to the soldiers Of the Mexican war? The
soldiers OF the Mexican war, and the soldiers Of
the war of 1912, stand exactly upon the same
ground. Both received their pay in good mo-
new, including .%rations, clothing and everything
the law allows; and each received a land war
rant for 100 acres of land. If a pension is to
be paid, it is for meritorious services; and lima
CINE the services of the soldiers in the Mexican
war were as mcritorious as those Of the soldiers
ofthe war of lisp. Why discriminate in favor
Of the one and against the other? Why arc
not The soldiers who were engaged in the Flo
rida, the Creek, the Black Hawk, and the va
rious other wars in which the country has been
engaged for the protection Of its citizens and
the preservation Of its rights, not to be pen
stoned also? Are they not just as deserving
of a pension? Have they not rendered just as
valuable and patriotic services: If all these
are to be pcnsioncd, what Government on the
face Of the earth could bear the burden that
would be imposed upon its citizens and tax.
payers? 80.
propose to look a little further into this
question, and present facts from the record that
will surprise those who have never examined
into the operation of the pension system.
1.-The pension system throws a strong light
on the tendency of the people of the free
States 10 quarter themselves on the General
Government, at the same time that it shows
the usual progressive inequality of expendi-
lures between the two sections. \ calculation
founded on the data in 307 Senate document,
1859. shows that from 1871 to 1888, inclu-
sivc, s35,j9a, 964 had been paid for Revolution.
ary pensions, of which the North received
$2s, 1862, 597, or 1927 20 for every soldier she
had in the war, and the South $780, 61, be-
ing only $40 50 for each of her soldiers. The
number of soldiers is here estimated according
to Knox's report, which confessedly does not
show, by a great deal, the full e~xertions of the
South in raising troops. Let us then compare
the amount received with the white population
of each section in 1870, and we find the free
States in 1888 had received $l4 81 Of revolu-
tionary pensions for erery soul in their limits
in the former year, while the South had re-
ceived only s. 81 for crery ohite But the
military efforts Of the slavcholding States were
fully IN proportion to their whole population,
for the labor of the slaves on the plantations
left a much larger proportion of their masters
free to take up arms. On this supposition, the
Southern soldiers received only So "a for the
same revolutionary services which brought the
Northern S14 30. This gross inequality re-