The union Democrat., 1870-05-28
Republics are Unsra,efal..


The ,cidcsc of The ssiate laneafed'. acs ssnota-
ing to ,cear,n and applies for a pension-
schat the committee think Of her "Destitt-
tom;
The Senate Committee on Pensions. to
whom was referred the House bin granting a
pension of So, 900 to our late ''rosy queen. y
Mrs. Lincoln, made an adverse report On the
bill as follows:
The Committee say, in their report. that.
although by the Constitution of the United
States, the President is made Commander
in-Chief of the army and navy, he is civil
and not a military officer. The death of
President Lincoln occurred while he was en-
gagged in business of civil life There was
no principle on which pensions had hitherto
been granted in this country which would
warrant the passing of this bill.-No provi-
sion of this nature has ever been made for the
widows of families of any one of the Pres
idents or other civil officers of the United
States, although many of them, like Mr. Lin
coin, rendered most exalted service to the
country; and two of the Presidents Gied
while in Office, and the families of seme of
them were left in very slender pecuniary cir
cumstances. There is nothing, so far, to dis
tinguish this case from that of q great BODY
of the civil officers of the government, who,
of all grades, from the highest to the lowest,
of civil officers, from the earliest period, have
lost their lives while in tie performance Of
public duties, and have left behind them
widows and orphans in bereavement, aggra-
waited by poverty and want. 1t has net been
deemed advisable in free country to provide
permanent emoluments in favor of the fami.
lies of high officers of the State as in Euro.
pean countries as when eminent officers end
their official term they become equal, but not
superior members of society. The committee
are constrained 70 find. from the facts before
them that Mrs. Lincoln is not in fact in the
destitute condition which hes been represent
ed. and that her means must be reasonably
sufficient to the just necessity of citizen of
fhe United States, either at home or abroad
A recapitulation of her essets show that the
balance Of salary for her husbands unexpir-
ed year was S22, 900, and that on the 18th of
September 1867, she received as her share of
the personal estate of President Lincoln, $780,
765 GO, (the same sum being also given to
her minor son Thomas,1 making her total
cash assets S5S,765 60, 10 addition to which
there is some unproductive real estate, of
which the committee have taken no account.
They have good reason to believe she also
received no inconsiderable amount of
clothing. plate, household goods, &c., af-
ter the death of Mr.. Lincoln which, in con-
sidering her pecuniary condition, should be
added to the aforementioned sum. Sub
scriptions were opened for Mrs. Lincoln, but
the committee is not informed what amount
has been realized. Mrs. Lincoln does not
seem to urge her claim entirely on the ground
of actual want of comforts of life. In her
petition transmitted from Frankfort praying
for pension, she states she has been advised
to try the mineral waters during hesumrner
and then to go to Italy, "but my financial
means do not permit me to take advantage of
the urgent advice given me, nor can I live in
a style becoming the widow Of the Chief
Magistrate of great nation, though live as
economical as l can" The Committee say,
from the standpoint of European kingdom
and European society, this very probably
is correct; but in republican country.
where there is no distinction of rank, and
where all duties are measured largely by the
means of performance, the Committee think
fortune of $50 900, or even one-third ofthat
sum, for lady, must take her out of the
category of those whose necessities. in conse-
quence of the casualties of public service,
give them a claim upon the Treasury. After
other arguments the Committee conclude BY
saying :-"Under the circumstances Of the
case, they do not think that either sentiment
or duty requires a further provision in accor-
dance with the request of Mrs. Lincoln, and
therefore recommend that the bill be indefn-
itely postponed.