Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-03-03
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, MARCH Q. 1864
From tne Daily of March 2.
Eauaysxing tne Pay OF soldiers,

Eiquayixi1g the Pay of Soldiers,
We present below the remarks mad
by Senator's Collamer and Foot on th,
26th ultu upon the amendment Offered
by The former to the joint resolution
then under consideration in the Senate
"to equalize the pay of soldiers" Tht
readers of the Herald will be glad tC
see that our distinguished Senator'S are
inaisting upon equal justice being done
in this matter TO all our volunteers,
whether white or black IL would seem
that so equitable proposition as that
embodied in Senator Collamer's amend
ment must prevail, either In its present
form, or through special legislation,
shouid the latter be rendered necessary.
Mr. Collamcr proposed TO amend the
joint resolution mentioned, by adding
to Il the following
All persons enlisted or mestercd into the SER
Voc as volunteers under tho call Gated oclober
nth, 1868, fer three hundred thouse nd volunteers
who were at the time of enlist actually. and
for SIX months previous had been. resident inhab-
stants oil the State in which they volunteered,
shall receive from the United States the ,amc
amount OF bounty, without regard to color Pro
not extend 10 any State which the President by
prcclamstion has declared IN as,ste OF iosarrec-
ueo.
Mr.. CoLLAMgR said
Mr. President II ought perhaps TO
state by way of preface and apology for
presenting this proposition the fact that
in the State in which / reside difference
Of color between men is not known, eli
ther in its constitution or its laws. and
our colored men were enrolled, subject
to draft, and drafted in the same manner
AZ white people When the draft was
made last summer, some of our colored
people were drafted. After that draft
was through, when the call was made
in October again for three hundred
thousand men, which we were assured
if filed up would prevent any further
draft, exertions were made in the State
to do that, and they did It. 1t was
done by adding to the bounty which the
government offered of $500 for raw re-
cruits, from, $500 to $500 apiece by the
different towns. The town In which
live had in it some coiored inhabitants
We understood that they were to be all
the same in the volunteers as they were
in the draft we offered our bounties
without regard to color and black
men and white men entered into the
service and were mustered in, and they
received the town bounty of from $500
to $500 apiece without regard to color.
After the quota was made up by the
State and the men had rendezyoused at
Brattleboro the government proceeded
to muster them into the service by in
spection, and ON ordering them pay they |
paid the $500 government bounty to all |
the white men and they told the color |
cd men they must go without any. That |
was the first intimation our people had
that there was any difference between
them in relation to pay.
cannot state the precise number OF |
these men, but there were from forty to |
sixty, a company of them, and would |
mention one thing as showing the char |
acter of the men every man among |
them wrote his name to his articles of |
enlistment /; not one made his mark
There was no man among them but |
could have commanded his two dollars
day at home. They were from 20 to 45 |
YEATS Oit, dolC-DONAVA a WY
great sensation was produced not mere
ly among them, but among the white
people and the white soldiers who sur
rounded them but they were carried
away without any pay and without any
assurance of any or any hope OF any
that know OF, and went away in great |
distress.
Under these circumstances l cannot
but feel it to be my duty to ask to have
the bounty paid to these men, do not
ask that colored men shall be paid where
a State has sent off South or elsewhere
and procured them l ask, and that is
my proposition, that the bounty shall be
paid alike to men, regardless of color, If |
they were actually inhabitants, residents
of the State, and had been, SO six
months before the time of their enlist
ment. | have no more to say about it.
II seems to me very clear case of equi-
ty aud Justice, and / feel that it is my
duty to claim it,
MIR. FooT. Mr.. President IL shall
vote for the amendment moved by my
colleague. The proposition, l think,
must strike every one as eminently right
and Just in itself, and particularly after
tue tx ApltiihtIOu HidiNsC W ny SoiiCos,oV.
1t is simply q proposition to pay what,
upon any fair Interpretation, had been
promised to be paid, and which III the
exercise Of f,ir dealing and good faith
we cannot refuse . par.
After tie cail o. las october for three
hundred thousand laore troops, and
with the view pr0bab y ta facilitate the
raising Of tEe rec ogirt number of men,
and if possible Il evc The necessity OF |
further dreftt, IL raa deemed expedient
by the Wa 2 "a TX - offer bounty |
OF $500 eacf or I 5 to all who |
within. a y :. / ic of time, vol
UNFAIRLY h e n fitary service
OF the ceng es years; that is
to say, II NJ VS. Is be raid to all |
able -bod;et Z sc citizens or persons of
proper age vho SOU G s. .a.ist or. in
other words, q Al zce ts' colqptees. This |
is simply proposition to redeem that
promise promise published and pro-
claimed everywhere throughout the \
country; in every nook and corner of |
the country at the threshold of eyerv
hamlet in the country-a promise eyery-
49, L.