The National tribune., 1879-04-01
MEXICAN VETERANS.
Speech of General James Shields in the United
States Senate.

VIII be pleased and the old ones delighted to read
the speech OF this old soldier on the bill granting
pensions TO his comrades and their widows:
Mr. SHIELDS. Mr. President | thank the senate for
giving me opportunity to speak few words in this
place in favor of my old comrades of the Mexican war
My words shall be very brief indeed They will be moth
ing than appeal TO this body TO pass the
resolution just read and when the bin the Sen
ate that the resolution calls for pass that bill also and
then in my opinion this body will have done generous
justice TO the soldiers of the Mexican war
The soldiers Of the last have been treated by Con
gress with justice and in my opinion with very commend
able ibemiy The soldiers of the Mexican have
been treated Those soldiers served their country and
have received nothing in the way generosity at the
hands of the Congress OF the United States
at seeing the of young soldiers Handsomely re-
waTed but the wonder is seeing the services of old
soldiers almost forgotten They complain that Congress
has neglected TO listen their appeals In my opinion
sir, after all Congress is not much in fault think
the fault principally lies upon the Bureau of Pensions
That bureau by some process of calculation utterly unn-
teligbe to ordinary nteects, at least intellect
like my own, has reported to Congress larger army of
Mexican volunteers alive today than stood Mexi
can so with arms in their hands ut time during the
whole period of the Mexican war No wonder Congress
has hestated 70 make provision after such report as
that The only wonder is that ntellipent Congress-
could place implicit confidence i'm such report For NV
part, do not place implicit confidence in bureau est-
mates seen too many of them TO place great ral;
anee on them. Lit is said that the famous DR. Johnson
when asked he believed in the existence of ghosts said
Ghosts do not believe in because have seen too many
OF Them Laughter So, Mr. President, saw i'm re-
gard TO bureau estimates.
There have been many attempts obtain returns of the
i'm his
Unlon and the returns which have been obtained bv the
associations concerned any returns can
in all probability be in such and what are these
returns That In the whole Union this day there are
not eleven thousand Mexican veterans alive I need no
report from any bureau to enghten my mind on point
like this
call the deatll-ro of the American armv that
served in Mexico but sir and if the Senate per
mits me will call the deatho of all the general officers
that served In that army in Mexico Scott Taylor Wool
Worth, Twiggs kearney Quitman. Pillow, Pierce Cush-
ng' cadwaiader-all gone all dead. the youngest of
them all am left to make this appeal to Congressto
make II with heart and voceto do something do it
speedily to do it before they all gone Sir if tits
not done speedily, it is deferred to few longer
it will come too late for then the action Congress will
not come to cheer living men, but will fall on silent
graves.
Sir do not talk to me of exaggerated estimates ly the
bureau can give figures of my One of the regi-
ments of my brigade, regiment from the State of NV
friend near me, Mr. BUTLER when it landed in Mexico
mustered eleven hundred gallant boys When the war
closed when the city of Mexico taken that regi
ment mustered what? Two hundred and twenty-three
Only two hundred and twenty three men of that
gallant regiment We're left to carry the Palmetto flag
TO the old State OF South Carolina and how many men of
the two hundred and twenty three now left Just
eight. delegate has come mp from there attend
meeting in Baltimore, and he is here to-day and perhaps
hears me now and he tells there only eight men of
that whole regiment left alive Sir YOU may 90 over
the States and have been over many of them and of
the men knew in Mexico and who fought in the battles
there cannot find man living to-day out of every
twenty thirty This illustrates the way Congress has
been imposed upon.
Sir need not talk Of the history the Mexican war
III JHls senate all famlllar with it, although
must say that there is history that war that does
even half justice Neither need talk the army that
conquered Mexico but can say in word that no ma
ton upon this globe need be ashamed an army
say here to day say it because it is due that army
say 1T because it is due to the American character that
no government ever sent an army into foreign country
better braver nobler than the army America sent to
Mexico Why sir, from the first shot fired on the Rio
Grande to the last shot fired at the city of Mexico that
army never suffered single defeat never lost battle
never met a repuse, never surrendered a detachment
never even suffered accidental disaster Where can
you find anything like that?
But may saw You had only AIexicans I'm
tight Yes very true we had only Mexicans to fight
and we had plenty OF them to fight But the soldiers
of France and they brave soldiers as can be found
IN Europe ask them their experience of these despised
Mexcans and they will tell you frankly that in ali Eu-
rope there is no peasanty that is less afraid Of death than
these very Mexcans ought perhaps to except the Irish
and the Ango-Saxons and the Germans also but tell
you the Mexcans stand killing well any people on
Gods earth, and they had plenty of when we're there
Laughter
Sir if this Government undertakes to walk over