The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-05
Ritl1ntond Dispatth.
SATURDAY. s, 1871,
THE CIRCULATION OF THE DISPATCH
IS LARGER THAN THE COMBINED CIR
CULATION OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY.
(Tor the Dispatch.
Pensioners of War Of 18I2.

Did any Government ever before punish
its old soldiers fifty eight years after they
saved their country from q foreign enemy !?
On the 14th of February, 1871, Congress
passed law to give pensions to all the sur
vivors of the war Of 1872 who served sixty
days In said war. and to their widows who
were married prior to oath December, 1914;
and the third section of slid act gave the
Secretary Of the Interior power to prescribe
rules and regulations which the applicants
were to be governed by in making their
declarations, &c. The Secretary of the In
terror. on the 18th Of the same month,
issued the regulations, and nothing was
said in them about loyalty Of witnesses, and
these old men, whose ages average eighty
two years, had to borrow horses and convey
ances to go-in many instances twenty-five
milcs-to the court-houses to execute their
papers before an officer Of q court Of record,
as they We're not allowed to execute them
before justice of the peace or notary pub
lie; and after this was done in strict COM
pliance with the instructions of the Secre-
fary the Interior of the 17th of February,
1871. some ten or twelve of them were
placed on the pension rolls and paid, but
now Mr.. Delano issues new order requir-
ing the witnesses who testified to the iden-
tty Of the applicants must be loyal, and all
applications are suspended. The witnesses
| make oath before the clerk, when they
testify to the identity, &C., of the appli-
cant, that they have "no interest, direct or
indirect, in the prosecution of the claim"
and the clerk certifies that the witnesses
are respectable and entitled TO credit )"
and still MIR. Delano says he don't believe
they tell the truth, and that the applicant
must now prove by some officer of United
States court, or an internal revenue officer,
that the witnesses never adhered to the
cause Of the rebellion during it's existence,
nor aided or abetted them in any way, or
held any office under any Government, or
pretended Government, in hostility to the
United States.
Now, many of these old people live fifty
miles from any United States officer, and it is
an impossibiity for them to get one to exam
inc into the loyalty oftheir witnesses. as they
are all very poor men, many Of them in the
poor-houses of their counties, and cannot
afford to travel around the country to hunt
up United States officers and pay them fees;
and many of the revenue officers are new
comers, and know nothing Of the loyalty of
the witnesses, except tuoSe who were Con-
federate officers during the war and have
now turned scalawags, and been rewarded
with the Office Of assistant assessor or in
spcctor Of apple-brandy stills.
Virginia and TennSseee furnished nearly
us many troops in the war Of 1912 aS the
balance Of the United States, and now they
are old, poor, and incapable of supporting
themselves, they should be treated IN this
shameful manner by the Government they
saved ffty-eight years ago, is crying
shamc,s and no party but the Republican
party would ever infiict this punishment
upon them.
In Bedford county there is 4 widow Of
an officer who served in the war Of 1872,
who was married on the 18th December,
1899. and she is now 81 years old and this
old lady had to be taken eighteen miles to
Bedford Courthouse TO execute her appli-
cation before the clerk Of the court, and
two of her neighborS testified to her ident-
ity ; but MIR. Delano says she shall not have
pension until she proves by an internal
| revenue officer (who perhaps was in the
Confederate army that her witnesses were
| loyal. &C., at all times, and never held an
office under the Confederate Government.
Truly this is reversing the Bible. The BIZ
bic says the sins of the father shall be WIS.,
tied upon the children, but the Republican
party are now visiting the sins OF the chill
dren and grandchildren upon the fathers
and grundfathers.