National Republican., 1877-12-03
rxrsnAss OF rnr nn11c1xMAn.

vETsR<Ss OF THE MExICANMAR.
Meeting sssarday Nisht-Dsaths Of Ms-a-
bers Reporssd-Revisw OF Pension Com
rnissioner's Latest Estimate Of Survivors
Tho Number Of Veterans SIN Livias.
There was . stated meeting Of the local
association Of Veterans Of 1sis n lli5 Pennsyl.
vania avenue on Saturday evening. Capt John
Brannon was called 10 the chair, Presidsnt Denver
being absent from the city. Announcement was
made Of the death Of two members since the last
monthly meeting John A. Clark, Of Knowlton's
company. wisconsin Volunteers. and John T. Nor.
ris. Of McCausands company, Flnh Missouri Cav.
airy. The only business OF general interest related
to . recent letter OF the Commissioner Of Pensions
addressed TO Senator ingalls,, chairman Of the Pen.
sion Committee, In relation 10 the number OF sur.
vivors ofthe Mexican war. The secretary. Mr.. A.
NJ. Kenaday. read the paper and reviewed the sub
II appears that Senator ingalls, sent the exposure
Of the errors in the PensionO once estimates pre-.
pared last February TO the Commissioner, and
d. ta % M thsfson as' puS,Ssd 81 by Il. sssous
II The oomm,,.,ener admits in hi: reply thai. ain
the nature Of thing. estimate OF the number Of
these survivors eau be absolute certainty but in
ylndication OF his Approximate estimate submitted
isst February he now quotes from the GsrIisls
satRoriy By life ass assurance sciu.ries eaienatioa
live TO tho are Of twenty,six years, Che ayeras.
age Of Mexican war soldiers when snlisted,l and
q The above number attain IN g O., year,
these .sSs. are presumed i've II sss :sIsniiy y
but the Commissioner does not say so. He prefers
to deduce from these tables that out Of o67 men
the number given by him aa basis for pension
Um ,Ss Mexican war sy years ago
there yet living 4seoi-nesrly three fourths Of
the entire number discharged.
Although il is admitted In the Commissioners
letter that II ,467 men died In Mexico during the
TWO YEARS OF THE WAR
from natural causes, other than the Killed and
wounded. he entirely overlooks the probability
| that large numbers Of the dlshanded men brought
home with them the seed OF the malarisl diseases
which proved so fatal in Mexico and ultimately
Another very Important factor in tho account Is
disposed Of By the Commissioner IN summary
manner. He says: II have no means Of deterinin:
In the two contcnding armies during tho rebellion.
| nor how many were killed while 10 serving, or
have died on account Of that service; and there
| for,s make no attempt to estimate that ele-
ment Of The case." 1t is notorious fact
Nevertheless. that nearly all the survivors Of Mex.
dstinguisked leaders On either side Of the conflict
acquired their skin and practical knowledge OF
warfare In Mexico. Large numbers OF them are
asylums for disabilities incurred In tho late war,
who are also members of the National Association
and clamorous for q pension TO their comrades
But the Commissioner need not refer to English
mortality statistics TO make an approximate esti-
mate ofsurvivars for the records Of his own Office
afford far more practicable data II properly com.
putcd. For instance, during the war of lsi2.l5
| there were JS GA enlisted men, according to his
own published reports. The pension law of ISL
means Of discovering 2s,5tS survivors, uncluding
| the widows Of Deceased soldiers) being little
Sss SS ps or
qradruple that percentage, II he thinks proper, IN
order to make up for the difference OF tine in tho
veterans, which he sets down as basis for pension
estimate, (CG0s7,l and his approx lmation thus ar.
rived at viii at least come within the bounds OF
hut the truth is, as the honorable Commissioner
frankly states, mo estimate can be made with alb
aSs. as applied 10 nS soder The masi
rational approx imation perhaps can be arrived at
by the practical method Of reckoning adopted by
Der OF survivors found belonging to forty regiments
400 companies-proyed to be IS to each company
The whole number Of companies in the war icing
033, by this ratio gives total Of $3.50, as more
clearly shown In the petition submitted to the
House and printed in the Congressional Record Of
The Commissioner remarks that the soldiers Of
| the Mexican war were all "eAanined at enlist
ment," and those physicslly unsopnd were re-
volunteers were concerned. They were mustered
In by their respective States without regard 10 aga
or physical qualifications required In the regular
The estimate Of last February was
A MARVELLOUS PRODUCTION,
and on account Of It's ofhcial character wrough
much trouble and anxiety among the veterans
until II was brought before the light Of day for ex
| animation. when Il collapsed like q soap-bubble
The present calculation Ii q more plausible con
trivance to reach the samo result by different
method. But IL lacks consistency when intelli
gently analyzed. It Is admirably prepared to "con
found the ignorant and amaze the Wis" but Is MOI
likely TO avail much In connection with the eyre
gious blunders OF the previous estimate nom III,
same source.
The information Is furnished for the Senate o.
the United States; but fortunately for the old sol
diers, the members OF that body know well enough
that while the Carlisle tables may be perhaps use
ful In studying the vital economy Of nature, or In
calculating the gradual mortality Of vast popula
tons, they will utterly fail when applied to smal
communities or families. What Mexican veteran
will believe that thrse out Of four Of his comradc,
disehsryed thirty years ago:are still liyingf Non.
but forslzed figure maniac" will contend that
a given hundred or given thousand OF men will
live through lifetime In accordance with thest
rules OF geonetrical progression, especiall,
when applied TO those elements Of population max
infallible In reckoning interest on money or II
measuring the distances Of stars but the duration
Of human life In individual cases Il beyond an,
method Of reckoning
Othermemben expressed their views, and one old
veteran compared the Pension. Office to Chepulte
PiacsTd: soldiers OF 40 need not apply" II,
favored raising the siege and organising astorminl
party to clean out the concern ffom cellar TO rool
| Several amendments to the constitution Of tn
society were reported by DR. Clarence Do Montre
willie, chairmen Of the committee appointed to re
wise the organization upon which final action vii
be taken at the next regular meeting In January.
Adjourned.