Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-19

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- ssaast report OF The Paymastsr Gen
stdAeoe ~ ptsposst eqsasisaaies q ssaa'
10 - a uniosetsdiy much astsnished
unAg uaiavss1gstiog people who ase esim
"a - gratitude - tl,s gallant men who're
saersd the territorial integrity Of our USisn.
Win confronted BY the immense sum
which viii DO necessary 10 iiqui late this
iaSsl debt, and to render justice to those
whose claims VIC must acknowledge are OF
thgnRst convincing nature. even the mqst
reckless financer must pause and consider
the censqueses which might .osue. The
PaymAster General tell. US that during the
var. the enlistmeots 10 the National army
amounted to 2,46l 900 men. OF these, some
were paid 500 bounty, some $500, and IN
eassa Il cmereency. many AS high - 81 900
and $1,000, while 73t. 900 received not
dollar Of bounty. The regular Government
bounties, however. never exceeded SoOo.-
TO sQual,se these bounties that II. 10 a.
Low each soldier balance that will make
his entire bounty receipts amount to 5000,
will require the enormous addition u our
national debt Of tGS3, ,0O0-equal to
nearly ono fourth Of what We now o'e. We
cannot deny that one man is just as much
entitled 10 bounty for his services ns Az
o.hcr. But because he is, VIC think the
fact is not sufficient TO warrant us in jeop
ardixing the finances Of the whole country
Tho truth OF tho matter is, there is not
money enough in the nation to amply re
pay our volunteers for the pcriIs and hard
ships they encountered. 1t may be very
pleasant TO sit in comfortable par
lors, and read romantic tales Of bold
adveturers stalking life for fortune. Life is
something that gold cannot outweigh. Graft
tuds Ii poor equivalent for days Of DAN
ger and nights Of waking" but to the pit
tanccs of currency which wo have paid
our defenders, we must add this untangi
bio substance. Had our revolutionary
statesman proposed to repay the patriots Of
20 ~ they deserved the country we now in
habit would no doubt have been an undc-
velopcd wilderness, and the now powerful
Republic an unmitigatsd failure Besides,
how much better of than at present, would
our returned soldiers be with pocket full
Of United States promises to pay, when
those promises would be worth no more
than the paper they were printed upon ?
Our finances are far from being in SAT,
condition. On tho contrary. they are in
the utmost peril. and VIC have notyet shown
shown that We can pay our debts as vel
- vanquish orr enemies.
There are many other matters relating to
this slbjcct, worthy Of careful considera
ton. The petitions now flowing into Con
gress. signed b. soldiers, arc, in two case
out Of three, not the handiwcrk Of tn
signets. Almost invariably these petition
purchased sOiu,sis a,sr,.-s csNs who hav
view to the resumption Of lucrative bu.
mess which has been about exhausted. :
We also venture the assertion that not on,
6fth Of the soldiers who signed these pcti
tons had the rcmotest idea of IN
amount which would be require
Of the government 70 grant the
request, and that had they known it, M
ooe-third of them would have signed. W
do not make this assertion without foun
dation, but basc it on conversations VIII c
We have held with many on the subject.
Generosity is not Justice The rc,urnc
soldiers have indisrutablc claims upon u
but Postcrity aud the world in general ha,
vaster ones. IL our finances fail, the end
our disasters cannot be forcsecn. 1t is n.
always policy to do what is right, in bin,
ness to the results that will follow. II migl
be considered right by millions Of our Pc
pie to drive Macmillan from his usnrpcr
seat in Mexico, to sweep the Spanish ilee
from the seas because Of tho wrongs done
Chilli, and to nssail the Canadian provinc,
Tor naturalization for incendiarisn
practised on the ships OF our merchanimc
by British pirates during the last ar but b.
fore We mad completed our arrangements e
this extensive programme, these millions
our people would no doubt pause. and as
1t there was no retreat except in dishono
The bounty question stands thus.
Are We prepared to place our finance, i
deadly peril, to partially pay debt whic
10 beyond our utmost resources.
The question might be modified by red,
ducing large portion Of the proposed pa,
ment in currency, and substituting par
tial payment in land. This would undoub
eddy meet with the appreciation Of our re
turned soldi rs, thousands Of whom az
now purchasing lands for settlement, q
seeking Tor suitable locations, and woul
relieve the nation Of burden which i,
sense Of gratitude urges it to assume, b,
which its sense Of prudence cannot approx
Of.
Number Of volunuecrs from enc
state.
From the Chicago Tribune
The Secretary Of War. in compliance wit
Aresolution Of the House Of r, preventative
has furnished statement Of the number ,
volunteers called for by he President at Y,
rious periods. This information was Gale
r.