The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-06

Massachusetts who, on the 18th of April, 1861,
marched through the city of Baltimore 60
defend the capital of the country, they being
the first troops who responded to the war
proclamation of the President of the United
States. Senator Cameron certainly had
no idea that such resolution a.
this would ever pass the Senate,
and he must have known that it would excite
Just the kind of discussion that actually took
place. Senators from dozen States were on
their feet in a moment, eager TO dispute the
claims of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts,,
and to advocate those of their own section,
and, after good deal of buncombe and brag
on all sides, the resolution was finally referred
to the Military Committee, who will probably
drop it into their waste-paper basket, 80 that
it will be heard of no more 1t is matter of
historical fact that the Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts, volunteers did arrive first at
the capital, but it is also true that in other
States there was an equal promptness in
rallying at the call of President Lincoln, and
it is matter of comparatively little import
ance which State was the first to send men to
Washington. The passage by the Senate of
any such resolutions as that of Senator Came
ron would do very little good, and it would
make great deal of ill-feeling; and although
it may serve its end in making some political
capital for Mr.. Cameron, it is to be con-
demned as piece of buncombe that was
unworthy of Senator of the United States.
We allude to this matter particularly for
the purpose of showing how eager Congress-
men are to honor with their lips the soldiers
who defended the Government, and how ex-
ceedingly slow they are to do them simple
justice in matters that really concern their
welfare. The Senate has now under con-
sideration bill that has received the approval
of the House of Representatives, which pro-
poses to do a grievous wrong to the
regular officers of the United States army
1t proposes to legislate a number Of
them out of the service, to put stop
to promotion, to reduce the pay of some of the
higher grades and to abolish some of those
grades-the attainment of which are the OBJ
jects of legitimate ambition in the army
altogether The plea for this action is
economy, and it is perfectly characteristic of
the men who profess to represent the Ameri-
can people in Congress that they should COM
mence to retrench and cut down expenses by
reducing the rank, pay, and perquisites of a
class of public servants who are distinguished
by their fidelity, ability, and integrity. With
civil service that is disgrace to the country,
and that is notorious for its incapacity and
corruption, with a host of hangers-on and
retainers at the Capitol who do no duty
whatever worthy of the name, and with ex-
| pensive perquisites of its own, such
as the franking privilege and all
the items that are included
under the head of Stationery" this assault
upon the officers of the army is not credita-
BILE to Congress. The general feeling of the
country is that retrenchment ought to begin
in the Capitol, and Congressman who will
consent to have their own salaries cut down,
who will abandon the perquisites that draw
so many thousands of dollars annually from
the Treasury, and who will agree to give us o
respectable civil service, and to abandon the
present disgraceful system of political barter
and sale of the public offices, can then with
some grace call upon the officers of the army
to do their share in reducing expenses. The
people of the country and the soldiers who
fought to preserve the Union are not all fools,
and they can easily understand the difference
between such resolution as that offered by
Senator Cameron yesterday and the bill now
under discussion in the Senate to which We
have alluded.