The Portland daily press., 1876-02-09

Mr.. MORRISON is severely criticised for his
remarks in Fridays discussion on the bill
granting pension to William R. Duncan.
Duncan is an East Tennessean, and at the
outbreak of the war lived with his father and
two brothers near pass in the Cumberland
Mountains through which many Union refu-
gees escaped into the federal lines in Ken
lucky. The Duncans, being strong Union
lists, were active in guiding these fugitives
over the mountains, and for this The boys
were arrested by Confederate troops. On
their way to prison at Knoxville two of them
escaped, but the other, who was a cripple,
was incarcerated at Knoxville. William, how
ever, soon returned voluntarily to Knoxville,
aud, upon condition that his crippled brother
should be released, enlisted in the company
for the Confederate service, composed OF Un-
ION prisoners from the Knoxville jails. Ac-
cording to his intention he deserted at the
first opportunity, which occurred ten days
after his enlistment. returned to his home,
collected twenty-five men, and with them
Joined the third Tennessee federal regiment,
in which he served for three years. Inmedi-
ately on his discharge he was pensioned for
disability, occasioned by disease. but was
dropped from the roll in 1873 upon his own
admission of service in the Confederate army.
In ordering Duncan's name to be dropped
the commissioner of pensions wrote to him:
"You are informed that section % of the act
Of March 8, 1873, provides that no person
shall be entitled to the benefits of a pension
who in any manner engaged in the rebellion;
and you are further informed that inasmuch
as it appears from your own admission that
your enlistment was your own voluntary act,
though prompted by the generous motive of
obtaining the release from prison of a crippled
brother, and with the intention on your part
to desert from that service at your earliest op-
pcrtunity, this Office cannot, in the admins.
tration OF the law, do otherwise than drop
your name from the pension list, in accor-
dance with the provisions of the act herein
referred to. The Office, however, in consid-
Grafton OF your subsequent long service in the
Union army, and also the fathfulness and
devotion of your family as well as yourself to
the cause OF the government, takes the lber-
ty of suggesting that relief in the matter of a
pension might be had by application for special
legislation of Congress-" Knowing the mo-
tive of Duncan's enlistment in the Confeder-
ate service-to release crippled brother from
cruel imprisonment-and knowing the mo-
tive of his desertion-to serve the govern
ment in arms against the rebellion-Mr. Nor
rison stigmatized him as scoundreL Mr..
Cabell of Virginia also made some pretty Sc
we're remarks about this part of Duncan's
record, but then Colonel Cabell is a gentle
man whose record of service in the Confeder-
ate army occupies qnite as much space in the
congressional directory as Colonel Morrison
saved by emitting all mention of his con-
nection with the Union army. Well might
Mr.. Townsend express the hope that the Joke
about going SO far into amnesty that a bill
would have to be introduced removing the
disabilities of men who served in the Union
army may not become a reality.