The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-08-23


States were clamorous for admission
to seats, as they declared, to urge
these claims.
Mr.. Delano, reported a resolution
declaring that Congress would not en-
tertain these claims, and that it was
passed by the votes of Union mem
bers; every Democrat but six voting
against it. You who complain of the
Freedmen's Bureau, and of the ex-
pense of rations to starving Union
men of the South, what can you say
to that? The success of Southern
traitors and their Northern allies
means the payment of these claims,
and that loyal soldiers and people
shall be taxed for that purpose. ~
We did something, too, for the loyal
men of the South.
We passed law restoring their
property coniscated by the rebel au-
thorities, though every Democrat vot-
ed solid against it. They voted to
make loyalty, not treason, odious, and
impoverish Union men, not traitors.
We passed a law enabling Union
officers and citizens sued in rebel
courts for rebel property taken for our
armies to have these cases tried in
national courts where justice could be
obtained. Here again Democrats
voted to make loyalty, not treason,
odious, and to impoverish and punish
Union men, not traitors
We passed through the House a
bill putting our neutrality laws on an
equal footing with those of England,
in order that we might observe an i'm
partial neutrality in the Irish struggle
for liberty. And when, in the nation s
capital, the semi-rebel officers prohib-
tied a meeting of Fenians, we passed a
resolution directing the Judiciary
Committee to report what laws were
necessary to them and all men in the
right to peaceably assemble, and in
due time this right will receive new
sanctions of law. abs
Nor did we forget the men who sac
rifced and those who periled life for
the Union-the brave Union soldiers
of the, Union army. We provided
artificial limbs for those who had lost
limbs in, the service. We increased
the pensions of those who had lost
limbs ten dollars per month. We in
creased the pension two dollors per
month for each child under sixteen
years of age of every dead soldier of
the Union army. sd s.
We. passed through the House Gen.
Schenck's bill to equalize the bounties
of soldiers. 1t failed in the Senate,
and why? Because Andy johnson,
the Secretary of the Treasury, and the
Paymaster General opposed it at every
step. The Secretary of the Treasury
by urgent appeals and lobbying de-
feated that bill in the Senate. Let
the soldiers remember who it was and
lay the responsibility where it belongs,
Finally, among the last hours of the
session, when on motion of Demo
cratic Senator (Mr. Riddle), the SEN
ate put on the miscellaneous appro-
priation bill provision increasing the
pay of Congress, we struck it out in
the House and put on to the same bill
these provisions of Gen. Schenck's bill
for the soldiers: har8.-aa M
That, instead of any grant of land,
OF other bounty, there shall be allow
ed and paid to each and every soldier.
sailor, and marine, who faithfully
served as such in the army, navy, or
marine corps of the United States, and
who mas been, or who may hereafter
be, honorably discharged from such
service, the sum of eight and ONE
fourth dollars per month"; or at the
rate of one hundred dollars per year,
as hereinafter provided, for all the
time during which such soldier, sailor,
L
the twelfth day of April, eighteen
hundred and sixty one, and nineteenth
day Of April, eighteen hundred and
sixty-fve. 80, 1o.f,aet rT .fsE
And in the case of any such SOL
der, sailor or marine, discharged
from the service ON account of woun DIS
received in battle, or while engaged
in the line of his duty, the said al
lowance OF bounty shall be computed
and paid up to the end of the term OF
service for which his enlistment was
made; and In case of the death OF
any such soldier, sailor or marine,
while In the service, or in case of his
death after discharge, and before the
end of his term of enlistment, if dis
charged on account of being wounded
as before provided, the allowance and
payment shall be made to his widow
if she has not been remarked, or il
there be no widow, then to the minor
child or children, of the deceased
who may be under sixteen years Of
age. " tua5 "a ar
Let the soldiers remember that it is
the bounty bill the Union members
voted for, and l voted for, again anG
again. The Senate refused to agree
to this. A Committee of Conference
made report in favor of substituting
instead of the liberal bounty bill w
had agreed on in the House, a pro
vision for the increase Of the salar,
of members of Congress, and for
meager bounty provision; .eit
A large majority ofthe Union mem
bers voted. and / voted. against agree