Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-03-21

HEROES IN THE UNITED STATES AND
GREAT BRITAIN.
From the Chicago Tribune.l
L. was proposed recently that congress
should create the Office offeld-marshal fol
Gen. Grant, and then retire him on hall
pay, ut say So. 900 4 wear for his support
but the idea was secuted at. 1t was de-
nounccd Is an eNtravagant, profligate
proposition which the fiscal condition OF
The country would not Justify and an ex-
pendure which the American people could
not afford. 1t was hooted down on the
score of economy.
The gratitude and generosity of the
English people are in striking contrast to
our par>imony and niggardliness. Their
successful military heroes have been NUM-
ficently rewarded, and after their death
their families have been abundantly cared
for. Take the case of Wellington, who
was most assuredly not greater or more
successful general than Grant. He ham
died small armies as compared with those
which Grant led. He fought only, except
once, against subordinate French comman-
ders. while Grant met all the great leaders
ofthe southern rebellion, including Lee him.
self, and overcame them. The results
which Wellington achieved were small,
indeed, rs compaaed with those which
hung upon Grants success, for it was not
matter of vital consequence TO England
whether Wellington was or was not vic
torious, while the existence OF the United
States rs a nation depended utterly upon
Grants triumphing, and yet Wellington
was overwhelmed with the muniiicence of
the English nation, while Grant got moth
ing.
Wellington first distinguished himself in
the Mahratta campaign in India, for
which he received the thanks of the king
parliament, and two years later was
again publicly thanked for his negotiation
of the capitulation of Copenhagen. For
his first victory at Nimiera, in Spain, he
was again thanked by parliament. For
the next victory at Talavera he was made
4 peer, with a pension of SlO.0 900. and in
1911 was again thanked by parliament for
the Liberation of Portugal from the French
For his capture OF Ciudad Rodrigo he was
created "grandee of SPAIN was ad-
vanced to an earldom in the peerage. and
received an additional pension of $4,000
n year. His decisive victory at Salamanca
over the French was his next exploit, and
for this he received the order OF the golden
fleece, was made generalissimo of the
English and Spanish armies. was ad-
vanced in peerage by the title of the
Marquis OF Wellington, and parliament
voted him the sum of 300, 900, TO be laid
out in TIE purchase OF an estate The
sharp battle of Nittoria gave him the
baton Of field marshal and more thanks"
On the 10th OF April, 1914, he closed his
series of victories over the French in
Spain by his defeat Of Soult, and on the
81 OF May was made Margins OF Douro
and duke OF Wellington III the peerage :;
he received an additional pension of $780,
600 a year, and an additional gift in cash
of 8, ,000 900, besides receiving ior the
twelfth time the thanks OF parliament.
Up to this time he had not handled a
great enemy or met Napoleon at all.
The first and last meeting with the great
French general was on June Is, 1915, at
Waterloo. For that afternoons work the
Prussian and Austrian emperors made him
4 field marshal OF their armies. The king
OF the Netherlands created him Prince
of Waterloo" Parliament gave him an
other estate, valued at 81, 900. His
share Of prize money from the captured
French spoils was raised to $500, 900.
Statues were his glory and offices,
hunors, and titles were constantly thrust
upon him. As the reward of his military
services he received, besides his salary,
81, 900 in money, 1000 in pensions
per anum, and was raised to the summit
OF peerage. During his military career
he received hOnors and offices without
stint, and was almost uninterruptedly in
high offices from the time OF the battle of
Waterloo until his death,-a period which
embraces his political careerof 80 or more
years.
This is what Great Britain did for her
great soldier. And what have we done
for our greater one We have made him
President twice, abused him without stint,
given him the salary of the Office and
made him spend almost the whole OF it,
and then turned him out on the common
TO shift tor himself, and now he will
shortly return from his tour abroad and
sell what little was given him from pri-
vate sources, so that he may have some
thing 10 live upon. He has done more
tor his country than any other man, and
his country has done nothing for him in
return, except to make him the chef
magistrate for dispensing offices to
ravenous horde of Office seekers and place
men. with the proud privilege Of retiring
from the office empty handed and of try
ing to discover some way to make living
and keeping out OF the almshouse during
the remainder Of his days. Truly we are
= large-hearted, iree-handed, munifcent
people to our heroes who perform for us
incalculable services in perilous times !;
who change gloom, defeat and dissolution
into rejoicing and salvation ! Gen. Grant
turned olt 10 grass as his reward