The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-04-28
PENSIONS.
Renewed Attempts to Pension Mexican
War Veterans.
An Able Speech by Senator Voorhees, Be
fore the United states Senate,
April IA, 1880.

missioner of Pensions to place on the pension
roll OF this Government the names Of the sur
viving soldiers and sailors OF the war between
the United States and Mexico: Provided, That
this resolution shall not apply to such as are
now on any account drawing pensions, or
who arelaboring under political disability.
Mr.. Voorhees-Mr. President, In presenting
thls resolution 1 nope may be pardoned few
words in explanation. am fully aware ofthe
obstacles 10 be encountered. An impression
has been created in certain quarters t0at we
are already engaged In paying pensions In TOO
this floor whenever the subject is discussed.
We heard 10 a few days ago In connection with
private dill o pension disabled scout from
The senator from Kansas (Mr. Ingalls) drew
a vivid picture OF the dangers TO which our
growing pension list was subectiDg the coun-
try. He announced that we were paying more
money in pensions to disabled soldiers and
sailors, their widows and orphans, than any
other Government in the world. THIS Is true,
and In my Judgment IL is greatly TO our credit.
While the Governments OF Europe pour out
enormous sums in annuities and pensions on
their royal families, and on their NOBILITY, we
are left free to expend similar sums, II we
soISiiery OF The Republic, in grateful recogni-
ton OF the fact that but for them the Union
would not now exist, nor would foreign ma
can not consent that the policy of other
Governments on this subject shall be held up
to as for adoption or imitation. There Is
RTifain for ms 10 consider EXCEPT as an exam
ple TO be avoided. 1t is true that there is COM
paratively q small sum paid In pensions 10
her soldiers and sailors. but she has "A pension
list which is truly amazing to the eye of an
American. Under the heads OF hereditary
pensions, political pensions, special pensions,
snnuities, compensation allowances, compass
a6d s1pe1a0S4ation allowances, s1e PAYS
more than Sl0,OO0O0 year-in part to
such have retired from the different
a worthless nobility which has fastened itself
by Inheritance on the tax-paying toll of that
Kingdom.
have examined that pension roll. 1t is
full of curious things. One man was pensioned
TOR the sum of G7,l9l on the excise; and for
E3,3S4 on The PostOffice revenue, making the
annual sum of S52,S75, because he was descend
ed from an lllegltimate son of Charles
II. His Ease but high born ancestor had
been pensiOned, and the pension descended to
those who came after him In 1871 his Gov
eminent redeemed, as 1t is called. its excise
and postOfIlce revenues from TINS annual
charge, by paying the pensioner E,ooT1I lbs
I'd counted IN our money Sl.2IS.SS5, in round
numbers. The old Duke OF Schomberg fell at
the battle Of the Boyne, in 1850, and pension
of $1,000 or $4,000, per annum vas settled upon
his heirs. They have drawn more than $780,,
90 from ths, English treasury. The private
purse of the Queen OF England and her house
hold expenses paid by the people amount to
over 81 100000 a year: and the annual allow
Rnces granted to her children reach the
sum of S5,OGO,ooO and upward; while adding
marriage portions to their other allowances
these favored youths have drawn from the
revenues OF their Government the sum OF So,
5yOttO TO the year 1871.
Facts like these, it seems to me, ought to
have strong tendency 10 reconcile the most
dissatisfied American citizen to the policy OF
SCARED and veteran soldiers liberal pensions,
and even IL for the time being. AT least, we are
deprived OF the blessings OF royalty ana the
does net alarm me at all that we aTe paying
many times as much In pensions TO our sol
ever wish to see them deprived Of their pen
sions, or cut short In their rates, In order TO
bestow them on the favorites of an Empire, as
Is done IN that country.
Sir, in addition, however, to what we have
already done for the American soldier, there
remains, in my Judgment an imperative duty
yet TO be discharged. The solder of the war
with Mexico has not yet had justice The life
time of generation has passed by since he
obeyed the call Of his country and upheld Its
honor In a foreign war. Thirty four years ago
he moved with the elastic step of youth 10
waits from year to year for that recognition
which, though IL may be small in amount, Is
always dear TO n soldiers heart.
There is but little difficulty In making a
rect estimate of the number OF soldiers and
sailors who would be entitled to pension for
having participa ed In the Mexican war. The
muster rolls contain lOl 600, all told, in the
military and naval service against Mexico.
OF these, however, H. "a were re-enlfstmentS,
showing that there were in fact but S3,776 men
deducted the dead who died in Mexico 1900
and ll.CC0 heretofore penslOned for wounds
and disabilities incurred in the line OF duty.
regret to note the fact that ,225 are marked
TO the accidents of time and the assaults
OF disease during period OF
nearly thirty-thTee years OF in
tense activity, and stupendous scenes of ex-
element, danger and death.
1t Is known to all that the survivors Of the
Mexican war were among the foremost to take
part in the war of the rebellion. They had
been trained as soldiers, and they snuffed the
approach of battle. Many of them died on the
field or In the hospitals during the four bloody
years. Others survive crippled, and drawing
pensions for their services IN the cause of the
Union. All these circumstances, added to the
natural death rate since the close of the war
with Mexico, have reduced the number of SOL
diers and sailors now surviving, and who
would be entitled 10 pensions according TO the
most intelligent and careful calculations, to
perhaps less than 1000. Very competent
judges VINO have spent much time In gather
ing statistics on this subject put the survivor
ship entitled 10 pensions as low as 1900. IL is
said that the following facts are well anthem
ticated:
or the two Pennsylvania regiments mus.
tered In with 2,5JS officers and men but Isl
or the Second Mississippi. 1,Os5 officers and
men, AZ survive.
or the Palmetto Regiment, l.077 officers and
men, only 81 are now living.
According to these ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
no one need be alarmed at the increase of our
pensfOn-roll, even II the veterans OF Mexico are
added to il. A million year will pay what
remains OF them at S. per month. A million
yeari single manufacturing establishment
in the city OF Terte Hauie, where 1 live, pays
more revenue annually into the Treasury OF
the United States than IL would require to PEN
yet we are met with a sort of panic in regard
to the Increased expenditures of the Govern
ment whenever this subject is mentioned
Sir, what we shall pay them Is mere atom
compared with the mighty acquisitions of
wealth and National power achieved by their
. courage and endurance.
The veterans OF the Mexican war are not
asking charity; they are not pleading for
support out OF the hard earnings of others;
they siTo ply desire an infnitesimaI per cent,
a per cent. email that IL can not be desig-
mated, Of that vast domain and inexhaustiD
treasure which they secured TO their Govern
ment by their own exertions- Such a con-
quest of far reaching boundaries, and of pres
emit and future wealth, power and glory as Was
made by toeir arms has per-
haps no parallel In human his
tory. The ephemeral conquests of
AlexanS er the Great, In the East, the subjnga-
ton OF extensive portions OF Europe by Cesar
and afterward by Napoleon, the Norman con-
quest OF Engand by William the CoDdueror,
none OF these achievements were equal In
their effects upon the progress OF the world to
those which were complished by the war
between The United States and Mexico. Does
this statement APPEAR extravaganza? Let the
cold facts OF history speak Tor themselves.
condition precedent TO the war was the an
at Ion ~ a In eT