The National tribune., 1880-08-01
Section Nv, Article XIV.

1T is worthy OF significant remark, that only after
the close of the war of the Rebellion, has the sub
jest of pensions and bounties been Incorporated in
the Constitution of the United States. You will
find it in Section Nv, Article XIV, which reads;
"The validity of the public debt of the United States
authorized by law including debts incurred for payment
of pensions and bounes for services in suppressng nsur
rection rebellion shall not be questioned
The incorporation Of this article in the supreme
law proves that those who advised and sustained
the movement being majority OF the two Houses
of Congress- the President and the majority IN three
fourths Of the State Legislatures considered that
the services rendered by soldiers and sailors IN
saving the Union were of too priceless a character
to be made subject toany caprice of Congress- The
term soring the Union" is a phrase, which has
been used myriads Of times by those who but family
comprehend its entire meaning. The saving the
Union the preservation of civil and religious
liberty in all the domain of the United States of
America. The saving Of the Union carried with 1t
the maintenance of every interest, dear to us as
free people, and this remark will as truly and forci-
bly, apply to those who fought against, as to those
who fought for the Government. Il was indeed,
a most priceless blessing to the rebel States, that
they were defeated-that they were compelled to
Eve believe in sincere good faith, come board
of the grand ship Union" Our Methodist friends
have splendid old hymn, called " The Old Ship Of
Zion z in which are the words:
"she has landed many thousands
And will land as many more
/ She is spoken of as the ark of religious safety
even as we may mention our Union ship, as the
vessel to ever keep aAoat, all that is dear of our
I
temporal interests Long ere this, had the Union
been broken into fragments, there would, doubtless
have been at the South a European province under
King, or Emperor while the Northern, Western
and Pacific States would probably have been inde-
pendent of each other, but free republics. These
fragments q of once glorious Unon'', would most
4 likely have eventually been embroed in political
contests resulting in war, thus involving great
standing armies, immense debts, and all the evils
growing out of desire for supremacy, as seen on
continental Europe Contemplate, will you, for q
moment the blessings due to those who perlcd their
lives in order that we should be exempted from all
these evils and that our Nation as established by
our fathers should be preserved intact. This new
article in our Constitution grew doubtless, out Of
such feelings as we have referred to /; for it should
be marked that the pensioners who fought in any
other war are not thus guarded May every Amer
can citizen consider this article sacred-never to be
annulled and may its spirit influence, ever influence
our National Legislature In 1880 we are infinitely
too near the time, when the thrilling scenes of our
great civil war were enacted to honor as we justly
should those who bore part in the heroic struggle
for the existence of the Union but when half a
century passes by, and probably but few hundred
of these devoted men in the land of the living
ard are borne on the National pension rolls curl
4 oas and admiring crowd of mortas now unborn
will gather around feeble veteran tottering on his
crutch and tumutuous shout will arise at the
words /" He is A SOLDIER WHO FOUGHT FOR THE
UNION"