Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-09-23

page $50. Although this principal had
been asserted frequently and broadly in
many enactments and re.enactments.
II was the intention of the government
that this matter should be placed be-
yond doubt. 1t was intended that no
soldier in the army should doubt or hes.
itate for moment in the belief that if
he were disabled in his country's SER
vice he should not be consigned for the
residue of his days to penury and pau.
perism, or in case OF death his family
subjected to the same fate. This pro.
vision was enacted in order that he
might feel at ease that he might rest
in the confident belief that if he sacri.
feed his all for his country, that coun.
try would provide for those whom he
left behind. Hence in 1862, before
very many invalid pensioners had been
made, this act was passed
THAT If any officer, non.commission
ed officer, musician, or private of the
army, including regulars, volunteers
and militia, or any warrant officer or
petit officer, musician, seaman, ordinary
seamen, flotila man, marine, clerk,
landsman, pilot, or other person in the
navy or marine corps, has been since
the 4th day of March, 1861, or shall
hereafter be, disabled by reason of any
wound or disease contracted while in
the service of the United States in the
line of duty, he shall, upon making due
| proof of the fact according TO such
forms and regulations as are or may be
provided for by or in pursuance of law,
be placed upon the list of invalid pen.
sioners of the United States"
This act was 10 large degree pros.
| pective. The great mass OF those who
are now pensioners were then ablebod.
led men. Under the provisions of this
act they stepped into the ranks. They
had the assurance of the country whose
honor they had always regarded as holy
and sacred, if they were disabled or
should die in the service Of their coun.
try they and theirs should be provided
for.
Mr.. Hurlbut-What is the date of the
act which the gentleman has Just read
Mr.. Jenks-July II, 1862; prior Ger.
tainly to the time when the great mass
of our pensioners had become such.
Mr.. Hewitt of Alabama--lf the gen.
tleman will allow me | would remind
him that in the proclamation of Presi.
dent Lincoln, issued in 1861, and call.
| ing for volunteers, promise was made
that such az might be wounded or
should contract disease in the war
should have a pension and congress
afterward ratified that promise.
Mr. Jenks-The facts are as the hon.
orable gentle from Alabama tMr. Hew.
| it'll states them. The pension law OF
/ a.
soldier went into the army yet prior
to that time the soldiers had the word
of man they had reason to trust,
that if they should go into service
they should be provided for. Shall
that word be disgraced here on the
| floor OF this congress? Shall we dis
regard that contract in view of which
they went into the armyl They obey.
! ed the call OF their country, and in
that view they did only their duty, it is
true, rs the honorable gentleman from
| Illinois tMr. Hurlbut) has said; but il
was a duty the performance OF which
was dangerous, and it was performed
under the promise that this provision
would be made. Dare we repudiaie
that promise and say that ii is not a
contract? Shall we say to a man who
asks for pension, "You are the accep.
tor of gratuity; you are mendicant;
we can grant you this or refuse at our
! option. and no one can charge us with
| Injustice - In the name Of the two
hundred thousand invalid pensioners of
the United States, repudlate this doc.
trine. If their pension certificates are
to be regarded as badges of meudican.
/ shan erAt,lA
and hurl them in your face.
They are their right; and when sit
in my committee adjudicating whether
pensioner be entitled TO pension or
not. do it upon the principle that the
claimant comes there asking for his
legal right, and / ,.m bound to grant it
| If he brings himself within the provis.
ions of the law. Hence | hope it may
never be again asserted on the floor OF
this house that a pension is a gratuity.
ask that on the broad principle of
right and wrong. that in the name of
the aged veteran who followed the
! chivalric Scott at Lundy's Lane, or the
heroic jackson at New Orleans, whose
palsied limbs now tremble on the limit
OF the grave; in the name of the dis.
abled heroes Of Buena Vista ard Cerro
| GoTdo; in the name of the boys i'm
blue, who on the long. weary march. in
the crowded hospital, on scores of bat.
| tie fields. amid tho death dealing storm
Of war, with their lives and blood sealed
their devotion to their country and her
hag-I ask that il never again in this
house be asserted that a pension is a
gratuity.
Thus we find that by the Democratic
party it was first established and main.
tained that the pensioner is creditor
Of the government. and not medicant
begging for aims. Ills pensien is debt
due him and not a gift that may be
granted or withheld at the option of
the giver. A SOLDIER.
A IlnIaanL Ha...z...l. Aa..a-