The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-03-31

| again were found entering the lists Of those
who MIST solve the bloody question Of peace
and liberty, or anarchy and slavery. Why
then, refuse to perform that which they Sc
solemnly promised? Are they any the less
entitled to consideration by their triends a.
home than those who have remained at home
during those long years of the war?
In February 1864, the board exten ded the
payment of this bounty from the 9Th Jan.
1861 to March lst, 1864, to ncw recruits
only. In the name of all that is just, Why
this distinction? Is a veteran soldier the
l.ss worthy, because he is a veteran? Does
he not count the same on your quota rs q
new recruit? But we are told that those
ren were not thought of when the re- solution
of the 2lst of December was passd dd ; that
the benefits granted by that ac, were not in
tended for them. If you had Intended to
disgrace yourselves by making distinction
in favor of new recruits against veterans.
why did you not so word your act? But to
say that you did not at all thing of them. is
4 more damning shame still. If. during the
pendency of th It draft, your frightened souls
| gave heed only to yourselves, It's all that we
wish to know. But, we are told agaIn that
the veterans themselves could not have en-
listed with view to claim the bounty, as
thev did not know of the act In reply, we
wish TO ask that, if some new recruit, actua
ted by love for his country, had enlisted
without knowing of the bounty net, would
you have considered that q sufficient reason
for Withholding the bounty? No; and to
meet the case with arguments Of this char
acter, plainly shows the intent to quibbie. to
trillc, and is evidence of bad faith, that re-
fleets deep disgrace upon the county.
In the fall Of 1861, we find the board CIV
ing the sum o: S3Ge tc :.eads Of familic who
were drafted. This was a wise act, and One
that every true soldier will applaud, whether
he were benefited or not it was a provision
for the family of the soldier, that put at rest
in his mind those disquieting thoughts of
suffering ana want, that has haunted SO
many of our brave comrades all through the
war.
The las: bounty act WAS that cf February
1865, when the supervisors made au appro>
priation of S214 900. the whcrewiti 10 furn-
ish 4 bounty of three hundred dollars to
each man who should enlist from the county
under that call, for one year. And now,
without ST. piping TO inquire into TIE neccs-,i
" for those enormous buuuties, wr will con-
slider the fact that the credit Of the county is
pledged TO pay the Indebtedness incurrel by
the same As sufficient for our purpose. Now
debts cannot be paid without money, and
money 10 pay . publ: debt must be raised
by taxation. and here meet the difficulty.
Old soldiers, who, during the war, have been
poorly caid for their services. whc received
small bounty bounty from the Government,
none 1t all trJn the county. came home to
find their little properly Ii: they Lad any
heavily taxed to pay those large bounties.
their tanil es ithoss Hho had them in want
Of nearly every necessary OF life, themselves
(r.ny OF them) broken down in health by
the suiferiugs they have endured, and all
four years older than when the war began
and ttus, rndcr this accum, la;ion Of Hitfical
Iics, compelled to commence kte anew.
Aud, IN view OF all this, the soldiers assem>
bled in convention At Ottawa in September
1865, and, in \ petition 10 The Bbard OF
Supervisors thcn in session. respectfully ask
ed that the sam Of SlH1 be given to all
those who had never received local bounty.
To this the board replied hy set OF resola-
tions, carefully drawn up, couched En ~erv
ambiguous language, in which they sipeared
tn comply with our request, and iirnh ised 70
pay the sane as soon as TIE finances of tEs
County would permit; bit il i, now evident
that the whole matter was but game to
blind and delay, else why this subkeG uent
action Of leaving the question 10 he owns?
Now It is fact very wei! known thht there
exists in the minds OF many of the soldiers a
deep>se..ed dislike towards the b ard OF
Supervisors, AS tie legislators of the to .rtv;
aud, that pre- udice may be occasi bned by
this, We will further develop the proc .eCina>
of the board, that the cause of this Gissatis
faction may be known. At the Ftbruary
session of the bo: I'd 1862, the following res
olu ion Vas introduced l,y Gilman, OF Mem
act.. ard, on his motion, passed the board:
Rcs3're1. Ttat hereafter the supervisors
from the several towns shall grant no assist
ance - the families OF volunteers except
such IS are IN absolute need of assistance
and have no relations egaily cha-gabie with
their support able TO assist them; and. in no
case shall the relief granted exceed the fol-
lowing rates: To a grswn person, depend
EFT u; on . volunteer for support, - cents
week: and to each Chiii, under fourteen
wears OF age. % csnts week. A nd that.
after the Is; Of April next no assistance be
granted, eXcep. in cases of absolute distress.
and on the recon- nendation Of the overseer
of the Door.
We do not know, nor do We care, whether
this resolution has been acted upon 1t Is
enough for US, aud you, TO know that II pass
ed the board, and now stands upon the
records 4 burning disgrace TO the county OF
La Sale.
Oh. voa ured.,cu. soldiers, well indeed do
Won remember when that first wild cry of
war went through The land, and men were
wanted TO meet that new and untried danger;
how you stepped into the ranks, and. with
that great, untold ache ~ your heart, BID
farewell to your loved wife aad babes how
the loud shouts Of applause follow, ID you;
how you were told. again and again, by those
supervisors, that the county was owing you
n debt Of gratitude that could never he re-
paid, that it should be the first, the sacred
work of the county TO care for your families,
to supply their wants. relieve their neces:i-
ties, and your mind from all anxiety with
regard to them; how little you did dream
! that these pledges would be KEEP; by high
sounding resolutions in your prise, and
caolly cousiguiug your loved ones to the
I depths Of paupcrism, ere the miserable pit
tance Of fifty and twenty-five cents q week
/ can be given for their support! To CON-
ment were idlo, for words inadequate TO
| the task. Go. We hypocritical wreiches, to
! your homes, made safe TO you By lhe blood
| of those whom you have deceived, Il hd there,
on your knees, before that God you profess
| to obey, ask forgiveness, if there be hope
| for bascness such as this.
But this IS not all. At the same session
the military committee reported as follows
Your committee feel the importance Of
keeping tie expenditures within the means
provided for that purpose. end recommended
that relief to families hereafter, sha i not ex-
cced the following rates. to a grow n person
| dependent upon volunteers for support so cts.
Il week and for eat b child under fourteen
years Of age % CTS. a seek. And your com
mi'tee suggest that as long as the county
| furnishes support to their families, the ncces
| sify of sendtng home money ,cW not Sc so ,u.-
qeni and will be neglected by the volunteers
and for that reason, we recommend that nc
relief. be granted to the families Of volun>
teers by the county, after the first of April