The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-09-20
THE NRYICAY VETER4NS.

The annual meeting of the AssO-
citation of Veterans of the Mexican
war, was held at Nashville last We'd
nesday, Thursday and Friday. 1t was
a delightful and happy reunion of
about three hundred comrades of
that brief but brilliant and heroic
war. The social and routine bust
ness meetings of the Association
were most interesting and impress
i've. During their stay in the city
everything in the way of a cordial
welcome was extended them by the
citizens, and especially was the pres
enee and attention of ladies cordial
and their beautiful and artistic dec
Orations at headquarters and in the
hall of the House of Representatives
will never to be forgotten. The bar
becue at Belle Meade, on the mag
nifcent grounds of Gen. Harding,
was the most splendidly prepared
and bounteOus spread ever present
ed to our eyes. Everything that
could tempt the appetite or add to
the comfort and enjoyment of the
occasion was there found almost to
extravagant profusion. At MelrOse,
the beautiful residence of Mrs. Ex-
Gov. Brow N and her daughter, Miss
Narcissa Saunders, the veterans
were entertained by princely sup
per served in the best style. But
the cordial welcome and delightful
incidents Of the meeting were too
general and numerous to attempt TO
enumerate in the brief space we
command. Suffice to say, not a sol
der of the Mexican war who was
present on the occasion, will ever
forget the hospitality shown him by
her citizens during his stay in Nash
vile.
On different occasions the veter-
ans were addressed by Col. John IL
Savage, Senator Morgan, of Alabama,
Senator Howell f. Jackson, Gen.
Manson, Gen. Mulkey, Gen. Denver,
Col. Claiborne, Judge Duling and
others. Col. Savage was plain and
TO the point in his remarks on the
matter of a pension for the soldiers
and sailors of the Mexican war. He
said a few years ago brother rose up
and slew his brother and ravaged
his lands. To-day the winning side
were voted 500, 900, 900 for arrears
of pensions, but the few bent and
broken forms he saw before him
were remnants of that great army
who added 10 our country n grander
empire than Tamerlane or Alexan-
der or Caesar had ever bequeathed.
He did not envy the Federal soldier
his pension; he was glad he had il;
but il did look hard TO see those old
Mexican veterans, despite all the
wealth they had added to the cOun-
try, go down in poverty to unre-
membered graves. The Democrats
in Congress blamed the Republicans
for the failure of the Mexican pen
sion bill, but, for Col. Savage's part,
no blamed the Democrats They
were timid, cowardly and careless.
If they had gone to work determin-
ed to win, the bill would have pass
ed years ago. He was tired of hay-
ing this bill brought out, as il were,
on dress parade, and kept back from
a definite engagement. He advised
his hearers TO turn out every Con-
gresham who had been lnkewarm
in the cause and elect better men to
represent them. The applause he
received indicated that the veterans
were about willing and ready to do
it. Senators Morgan and Jackson
referred ut some length to the JUS
tice Of the bill, and were sanguine
of it's passage by the next Congress.
Resolutions were adopted memorial
king Congress on the bill pension
ing soldiers and sailors of the Mex
lean war. The following resolution
was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That we, the soldiers of
the Mexican war, do not present
ourselves to Congress as objects of
charity, but as citizens of the Unit
ed States, and do not ask q pension
as a matter of favor, but demand il
rs n right, and do not desire il
granted unless it is upon the eOnsid-
Grafton alone of merit.