, 1866-08-08
SOLDIERS, DOUNTIES,
Speccll of Senator YAtcs.

In the Senate, July 9th, the Bounty Bill
pending, Senator Yates said l.:
l do not want to consume time, but my
heart and my soul are In this inattcr. do
not approve ut all Of the doctrine of the
honorable Senator from Mime, tlmt when
we make mistakes VIC must whit for our cue
mics to discover thcn before We acknowledge
them. That Is not my doctrine; ai,d espc-
chilly If VIC discoyer;that wc hare male mis-
takes while VIC hare yet time to correct
them, think 1t IL our duty to correct them.
II is not too late to correct this mistake at
this time. know aH n matter Of fact that
soldiers leagues and soldiers conventions
arc being formed III every part of this cn,ln-
try now to denounce tie action Of Con-
gTess becanse they do not do Justice to tho
the President il at the bead Of that party.
which is appealing to the prejndices If the
soldiers mil suyitg that we. the great Re-
publican Union party oftilc country. were
willing to call out soldiers, Msre willing to
! them to the lcrlls Of war, but now when tho
war is orcr, when they liavc fought tho bat
ties aud achieved the victory, NC arc not the
| men to stand up and to pay them. know
It is said TINT It will b, lne!cenary in the
pay for Ills services beyond lis contract
ask If It is mcrccnary for us to
add 5000 to Our compensation for
| serving the country IN civA capacity VIII
will be 1ncrccnry in the soldier who had TO
incur all the lardshlps and dangers and lllll-
cn1tirs Of the war to receive shall addition
nj rittancc? ! wish to soy for myself TINT
in ilc providence Of God and by the kind
tlons called out two hundred and tffty thou
sand soldiers to this war. By my attention
to them, whether deserved or undescrycd, l
have In my State the proud title Of the sol:
ders' friend" They went OUT IT the call Of
they sundered their domestic tics. they
tonight for three years, they trudgcd through
mud and rain and snow, they scaled the
heights, and thousands and hundreds Of
thousands now sleep in unmarked grave:
berland and the Tennessee, and Ii
cd submits Of Lookout Mountain, In tls
sands Of the ocean shore, aud there they viii
sleep until The day Of resurrection; but, sir
there is theliving soldier, there is the wound
cd soldier, there is the man who lost his arm
rs he scaled the heights Of Donelson, or his cyt
in the thfckets Of the Wilderness. He ap
rra1s to this Government to stand by linn
and especially those soldiers who haye bornt
the brilnt and burden Of the battle, the thrc,
years. men who went first without pay fo
love Of country, with no tslttcring bribes o
bounties before them, who took upon them
selves this battle, and who saved this coun
| try, who rescued the life OF tile natton-
will dctain the Senate but q momen
longer; will curtail the remarks intcndc,
TO make, but do wish to say one thing, tha
when ! voted to increase the pay Of mem
bcrs Of Congress did II becausc I. believe
It was right TO increase their pay when
: voted to increase the pay Of the clerks wit
my friend from Massachusetts CIR. Summer
believed It was right but. sir, It never Gu
tered my mind that it was In the conception
Of the present Congress not to cqualizc tn
. beuntics Of soldiers. I occupy precisely til
same position that my friend from AIassach,
setts CIR. WILSON, does; and never slionl
have cast my vote for the increase Of my ow
pay, however much need it-aud need
very mucl.--witllout at the sa1nc time c,
tending corresponding remuneration 10 thos
| who have done SO much for us and who d
| serve so 1nrcll nt Dur hands,