The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-01-27
PENSiOXING GRANT.
Debate in the United States Sennte on the
Proposition.
WAsluHGroS. January u

the regular order, Senator Logan asked
unanimous consent 10 take up the bill 10
retire Gen. Grant.
Senator Vest objected.
Senator Logan then moved to lav aside
all prior orders to take up the bill.
Senator Bayard suggested the propric.
ty Of deferring the Consideration Of the
proposition iii view Of the probability Of
early action upon n general measure to
supply what he regarded us q deficiency
by providing pension for our ex-Presi-
dents. He thought that provision for the
single individual named could be amply
covered in general law.
Senator Logan said. it was true the
proposition was an exceptional one, and
proceeded 10 snow why the bill should be
passed.
Senator Hill, of Georgia, said he was
not prepared TO vote on The proposition
to day, and would therefore vote against
Senator LOgan's motion, but his inclina.
ton was to VOC for the bill if he could
do so consistently with his sense Of duty
TO the public. He would not DO so, how
| ever, for the reasons given by Senator
Logan n it's favor. After stating what
he characterized az the three great epochs
in American history, namely, the settle
| ment of the colonies, the establishment
of constitutional government, and the
revolution beginning in 1861, which lat.
ter had accomplished great results, Sena.
tor Hill said lie regarded Gen. Grant rs
the most remarkable man which the
events of that revolution had developed,
and in his judgmcr: the mnn without
whom the revolution would not have
been successful. This. he said, WAS not
hasty or i'll considered remark. What
ever his merits or demerits, Gen. Grant
would take his place in history as the
great representative of the revolution of
| 1861, simply because from the peculiar
circumstances that surrounded him he
would be regarded rs the one man on
| either side OF the line without whom that
revolution would not have been success
ful. Whether this reason would PROMPT
him to support Senator Logan's bill or
| nCt he was not now prepared to say. In
speaking as he did lie did not desire to
cater to the opposite side Of the Chamber,
nor did his remarks measure in the
| slightest degree any opinion he might
entertain of Gen. Grant personally.
Senator Vest said he had objected to
the consideration of the bill on principle.
and he was equally opposed to any lcgis.
lation on the subject Of the kind suggest
ed by Senator Baynrd. He did not pro.
pose to be dragged to day into any parti.
san discussion in regard TO the late war
| ifhc could avoid it. Gen. Grant would
| beyond question pass into history as the
great general of that struggle. He
entertained the greatest :.lmiration for
the generals military skill, nd d:sclain-
ed any intention to utter word against
him personally. The Southern people
had in every way evidenced their ADM.
ration OF Gen. Grant rs Il soldier, and of
the course pursued by him at the close
of the war, when on the field of Appo.
mattox he handed back to Robert T.. .ee
his sword, and when afterwards he went
as agent to the Southern States and
reported to the President the undoubted
loyalty and patriotism of the Southern
people, every Southern heart beat with
| gratitude to him. When a special Office
was created for him, with the rank of
General, no Southern man interposcd n
single objection, and when at Cairo and
other points, after visiting every South
ern State, Gen. Grant attestcd that tho
people of the South were ns loyal to the
Constitution and the flag as the people
| of the North. the Southern people again
| evinced by their LOUD acciuim their graf.
| itude for that testimony. But when
Gen. Grant deliberately left the place
provided for him by the representatives
of the people. when he entered the arena
of partisan politics, when he took the
chances of political life, he held that he
should stand the hazard of the die. This,
therefore, WAS no Democratic funeral.
1t belonged to the Republican side of the
House to provide for their wounded and
their dead In the late conflicts When
! the corpse of Gen. Grant was dragged
from that bloody arena in the City of
Chicago the funeral and obsequies 5e-
| longed not to the Democrats Of the Sen.
| ato chamber. We have funerals enough
of our own, Laughter, and we have our
| OAn wounded that we are supposed TO
take care Of Senator Vest added he
was aware that for what he said to oday
he would'be followed, rs he had been on
recent occasion by the partisan press
of tho country, with the cry of "Rebel,"
"unreconstructed Democrat" and that
worst of oil stigmas, Bourbon" BE it
so. Sometime ago he had said, in
regard to that distinguished parsonage,
John Brown, that he thought he had
been properly executed at Harpcr's Fer
ry, aud immediately many of tho par
l tisau press Vi eile country undertook 10
defend every act of John Browns and to
stigmatize him iSenator Vest) as disloyal
to tho government, although he had only
repeated the declaration of the Republi-
can party made in open Convention in
1860, when they stigmft;zed the same
man as criminal. No apprehension of
such abuse would defer him from dis
charging BIS duty on this occasion.
He had no hostility towards Gen. Grent,
but was opposed &c the bill because he
Il "ught there was something else for the
representatives of the people to do than
to provide place. for gentleman, no
matter how distinguished, VIII, mad taken
the chances of political life.
Senator Logan expressed his regret
that any senator should attribute q par
tisan motive to tho proposition, and he
said this with the greater emphasis
becauco it was one which he himself had
based simply upon Gen. Grants distin-
guished military record. So far rs the
Killed and wounded were concerned the
Republican side had tried to do we'll by
their own.
| The remarks C: Senator Logan ssre
cut short by the expiration of the morn.
lug hour and the Chair, Senator Ed.
.nnnda, announced NJ the regular order
the Indian landinseveralty bill.
! Senatnr Logan then moved to post
pone the pendinr and prior orders in