Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-02-21

The FREE Press misled by some Washing
ton special, has greatly exaggerated the
number of pensioners who will be restored
to the rolls by the bill reported by Mr. Will
lard. if that bill should become a law. 1t is
probable, 1--WE judge from a letter printed in
a subsequent debate, from Mr. Baker, COM
missioner of PENSIONS that no more than
one hundred persons will be benefited by
the bill. The correction of this error in fact
does not, however, obviate the objections
made by the FREE Press, 10 restoring any
person who in any way participated in the
| rebellion, to his former right toa pension.
But there is another fact worth consider
ing in this connection. Al pensioners liv-
ing in the rebellious States, whether loyal
or disloyal, were stricken from the pension
rolls, early in 1862, and this was done with
out any proof whatever of disloyalty. They
were all inrdhd pensioners, or widows of
those who had died from wounds or disease
brought upon them in the service OF the
country. The youngest of these soldiers
could not have been less than sixty-fve
years of age at the outbreak Of the rebel
lion, and, of course, all of them were in
capable Of taking up arms against the gov
eminent, and thus never did give any active
assistance to the rebellion. Such of these
persons as have since made proof of 10y
atty, have been restored to the rolls, and
the suspended pension, with arrearages, has
been paid to them. Those restored by the
bill reported by Mr.. Willard are, however,
only to be paid pensions from the date OF
the passage of the act; and they will thus
lose the pension for the period of eleven
years which has elapsed since their pen
sions were stopped. The FREE PRESS may
think forfeiture of pension for eleven
= .fsfhafapf bunant for
such sympathy with the rebellion as men
sixty-fiye and seventy years of age at the
outbreak Of the rebellion, and who lived in
States overrun by rebels. may have felt
but we should certainly be surprised to find
a majority Of the people of Vermont agree
ing in that idea. \ pension is as much
property As a bounty-land warrant, or
government bond, and ought not to be con-
fiscated except for reasons which would
warrant the confiScation of other property
and Yet these pensioners are the only per-
sons who have suffered cOntscatlon of
property Except a few cases Of prominent
rebels) on account of the rebellion. Is 1t
not unjust, as well As ungenerous, to single
them out for punishment by cOntscation of
property. while the active rebels enjoy, I'M
disturbed. their right to their estates and
their property?
President johnson proclamation Of grace
and amneSty-which did not except pen
sioners from it. benefitS-has been held by
the supreme Court, to restore all persons
to whom it applies t. all their property
rights, but a the United States cannot be
sued in the courts these pensioners can re-
ceiye no benefit from such a decision. Yet
it would seem that they more than any one
else ought to have the advantage of such
a rrtlfp e Tho +ba.- hnt-
IL except by act of Congress. When active
rebel Generals, like Longstreet, are ap-
pointed to lucrative Offices by Republican
President and confirmed by Republican
Senate, it seems hardly worth while to
forfeit the pension of an old soldier, wound
ed once in defence of his country, whose
only crime, as Judge Bingham of Ohio said
in the debate, was that he gave shelter TO
his own children
We are glad if bat 4 hundred, instead ola
thousand, of the old pensioners of 1872 re-
nam disqualified by disloyalty for the
receipt of their pensions. All who could
make proof Of loyalty, it seems. have been
restored to the rolls. If the only crime of
the rest has been the giving shelter to their
own children, why does the committee
punish them with eleven years forfeiture of
their pensions? Tous, the rendering aid
and comfort to the rebellion, which is
rebellion. j. no such venial offence, or
rather no such virtue; for care of ones
children is virtue, if not very exalted
one. The southern rebellion was a crane,
and those who went into ii and aided it
must take the consequences Of their acts.
The Fireman. argument from the right of
property in pension, j. ingenious, but not
We do not regard pension as
property in the same sense and degree As
real estate or "a government bond And |
if once justly forfeited we see no reason why !
a pension should be restored, except such a.
would be equally good for at once giving |
pensions to thousands of persons as aged,
needy and deserving as these old soldiers Of /
1912, who are not now and never thought
Of being on the rolls.