The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-29
"a Point upon Which We All Can
Sfand -
To Me Editor Of The Kreninn 7elearaph.-

To the Editor Of The Evening Telegrdph;-
Under the above caption there recently appeared
an editorial IN your paper, upon the question OF an
equalization OF bountes to soldiers and sailors"
which was duly appreciated by those who enjoyed
hs perusal. Although this subject has been ureed
upon CONGRESS with as much Nebemence as could
with proprety be given It, yet 1t Is O burning
that their action upon the matter has been thus far
80 tardy and no that 1t has passed the House, we
are led 10 believe that "it will with opposition
in the Senate" Can II be that our Senators have
made up their minds that now, the warlbeing over,
ana the army mostly out of service, the soldiers of
that army are to be reeoected longer and If they
are TO be, that WINDY resolu IONS in che shape of
thanks suficenJ9
If tuere is any thing in the shape of do wright
negect--nOt to say mcOnsistency-It Is IN refusing
10 grant to those of soldiers who left for the
battle hed at the commencement of the war as full
acompensauon as those who went in at the eventh
hour, and at the waning OF the Rebellion under the
influence OF high bountes and other peeuniary in-
ducemens s. 1t Is TACT patent TO ali that those WAC
ennsted at the first call to arms, with no o her in
ducement than a patriotic spirit and the meagre
pay proper that the Government tnen offered left
comfortable homes and lucrative occupations to de-
lend and, If necessary, to die IN their cOuntry's
cause. Now shall 1t be said that this part of the
army are not entitled to the same consideration
those who came in under the influence of the high
b0untics leIerred to, backed by immense sums
IN the shale OF substitute money-Ihousands of
whom, we are prepared to prove, were mustered out
mt sSet IN their hauds?
that 1t would be IAN unwarrdntable expenditure Of
money, and that II would ease the deOt Of the
cOubtTy." To this we won d saw can that measure
be cal ed such a terribly unwarran able squandenDg
OF the public money, tnat gives to man. who has
lost hIs situation and health, and even lsKed mis-
life III uetense OF his country few pattry dollars
10 enable HIM to start again upon the great h0nwa
OF meT Certainly, those VINO ht IN the councils of
our nation appear to have no such scruples ln re-
gard to wasting the time ana money both, of the
Government, IN running up to New England (some
OF them) III order TO stump the State for certain
Candidate Tor Governor or IN voting money to
international tars, legsating for the benefit
Of the "Sea Islands" What jewel is consistency,
In their case!
AS TO ITS increasing the public debt, what item we
Ss deserves, with more propre y, to be part OF the
dent Vt nation, than that which fairly remunerates
those WI rsKed their lives to that nation? We
,h,nH II ma be safely SAID, that 1t Is owing in
aIeaI degree a. the services of the who ask for
fhfs .eonanzation" the fact that we have q nation
a public debt and thank God! money to pay the IN
terest on that deDt aud lii tlme, the debt itself:
The writer of this was in the scrViee OF the United
States as private SO der for nearly tn, ee ears,
and upon applying for the pay due by The GoVvrn
ment, we were refused by the pay MASTER in c0nse.
quence OF some alleged informally in our discharge
papers We were referred to a superior offcia then
10 bis suDeror who in turn suggested that It wOuId
be better put the matter in the shape OF claim
against the Government. Not being in a condition
to commence clam aga INST the Government. for
over years back pay went 10 Pre- ldent Lincoln
himself. Having looked at the papers, he turned
round in his char, and eyemg us from head to foot,
without proper degree OF system, which 70 some
ma smater little formally, the machinery of
At the time 1t is not the policy OF the Govern
ment t. allow slight technicahty like this to pre-.
-ent a soldier from getting that which is justly
10 m" toldlng the papers, he quckly endorsed
.nn. uu~ 'lf this man has performed his duty, as
@ - IN ~ evident, let hun be paid a. Line Iin.'
S banded the IN back TO us, he remarked, with a
as syH W signidcanT smile "We must be little easy
,c;tb nom. 6ogs; tce may need you dgdih"
In view OF the present unsettled conoiuon OF
nonucal matters throughout the word, the event
of our 80. ders being needed again is not the most
nm likely thing that could possibly occur aud In TINS
case is to be supposed, IN view OF tne reatment
OF our rank and file By Congress since the wal upon
CERTAIN matters that there will be the same aacrity
shown in responding to the cal for recruits as there
was 1861 and 1862? If the SOLDIER Is creature OF
any common 1t to be suppo Ell that ne Will
rush al once the Ceense OF the standard of his
country, tax ng tie meagre pay proper of the Gov
ernment or will he be apt TO wait until that Gov.
erpment comes TO him in its extremity with magnh.
cent inducements i'll the shape oil extra pay or high
DountiesI ....
some may say that the true patriot and lover of |
his country should not take such things into con-
siCeraou, but our experience Is land we are not |
alone the opinien) that true patriotism loses none
OF ns force by beng allied to "pecuniarY content.
ment and that the true soldier fights just as well
with gIeenbacks in hls POCKET, with the know
LED dge that his family decently provided for at
ONE, or that he will have something to fall back
upon at the end of the war; as he would do without
these incentives PRIVATE
sd Pen nsylvania Volunteers.