The National tribune., 1882-06-24

ever instituted upon earth. They fought that |
universal freedom might prevail and that
nations pathway TO liberty and life might he
naved with the shaCkles struck from four
millions of hOndmen. | contend that the
Government having made this contract with
these men and they having fulfilled it on their
1urt TO the very letter, it is the duty of Con-
rress 10 honor this obligation. no matter what
II may cost. If the Government honestly
owes these old soldiers pensions rs claim ii
does, the question how much il will cost does
not enter in this branch of the discussion at
all. If we owe It we must do as all honest
debtors do pay it.
Sir, we cannot afford. beCaus" we have the
power. to repudiate debt which was con-
tracted under the solemn sanction of law, in a
conflict which threatened the integrity of the
Union and the life of the Republic, and which
We have sworn shall never be questioned even
if we were base enough Ia desire it.
And. sir, we shall not rerudate it; the
patriotic people of this country, who are row
enjoying tho fruits of the great services OF these
men, will never permit it.
They desire to have it paid: they are anX-
iouS that every soldier who received a wound
or contracted disease IN the line Of his duty
shall receive n pension proportiOncd to his dis
ability, and Republicans and Democrats will
join hands now SIS they have III the past and
appropriate the last dollar rather than that one
brave soldier shall suffer or that one penny of
this sacred debt shall he left unpaid.
That the magnitude and proportions of this
pension debt have far exceeded our cXpcCta-
ti0rs no ono will deny; but that does not, in
my Judgment, relieve us from our obligation
nor Justify Us in repudiating 1t.
This fact should only inspire US with courage
! TO look the question square in the face, and
strengthen us in our ondcavors TO provide the
means and in cur determination TO honor it to
the last farthing.
fav I aH ] am n
frightened or intimidated by the croaking we
hear that it will bring us to bankruptcy and
our children to heggary if we pay our poor,
wounded, and crippled soldiers what we hon
estIy owe them.
When the Union was menacCd and the laws
trampcd down by arIaed men; when the au-
thOFity of the Government was threatened and
her power dcfed when the Old Flag was in
suited and spurncd, these brave fellows left
home, and frcSidc, and loved ones, and gal
lnntly barred their hosoms to the storm Of trca-
son and rebellion.
/ With stout hearts aud strong arms they met
the enemies Of the Republic amid the red blaze
of war and the carnage of the battlefield,
against whiStling shot and screaming shell,
against hunger and sickness upon the weary
march, in the nOiSOmc camp, and amid the
cruelty aud recllng death of the loathsome
Prison-Pcns; they faltcrcd not until the last
ditch was reached, the authority OF the COY
. '
! wiped out, and the Union restored, and the
proud banner of the Republic noated in triumph
from Lake ChamPlain to the Rio lTrande, and
from the stormy water of the Atlantic 10 the
golden shores of the Pacific.
These brokcn-down and deCrcpit old soldiers
arc the wards of the nation.
/ Far four long years the combat deepencd; {;
for four long and anxious years the destiny of
the Republic hung trembling in the balance {;
finally victory came, and justice, amid thc loud
acclaim of all good men, stood forth triumphant
in America
/ "Glorious consummation. Anation saved and
a race redeemed. Swift the echoes flew, carry
ing the glad tiding to the struggling millions
throughout the world, that hcncct0rth III
/ united Christian America freedom would be
! tho recognized birthright Of man.
These are the men. the heroes of that con-
fict, who. cnfecbed by wounds and wasted by
. disease, ask Congress to give them their honest
due that they and their families may escape
4 the almshouse and he saved from tho cold
charities of an untgicndly and unfceling world.
Seventeen years have passed since the close
of that terrible struggle; the heroes who took
part in it are growing old, and the day is not
far distant when buElc-call will revcrhcratc
through the morning air which will call the
. last of them forth to answer to their names
upon the rolls of the Great Commander of
. Heaven and Earth, and to form upon the
standard emblazoned with the martyrs golden
. cross.
Year by year their weakened ranks are grow
ing thinner as they are passing silently away,
and even now it may be said of many of them,
alas, too many
On Fnmcs eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And Glory guards with solemn round
The biyouac of the dead.
Yes, noble men. honorcd patriots, you are
gone; no sound hut that Of the arcaamgci 5
trump shall Ecuectorth pcnetrate your narrow
cells: YOU will live hereafter in the hearts and
grateful memories of your fellow men, and to
the end ui time the remembrance Of your Cnur-
age and devotion shall be preserved; your
monument, viii be more enduring than mar
bic and brass, and viii constitute, in after
wears. the landmarks to national honor and
national glory.
Mr Chairman. to the remnant Of that Grand
Army who are vet spared 90 Gs, TO the men who
bear upon their bodies to-day scars from a hun
drcd battle fields, tine Nation owes a debt that
money can never pay.
But sir, one thing VIC can do, We can keep the
sacred promise we made to them in the morning
Of their manhood and strength. we can ease
them Of their burden. and smooth their path
way to the tomb, by opening the doors Of our
eTuaning Treasury and relieving their wants
This I am in favor of doing according to the
terms Of tho contract and the spirit Of the law
and Constitution.
Let us nov examine this subject in the light
Of the facts as they are presented to us by the
Commissioner of Pensions, and ascertain, If
possible. what we have 10 do, and then 30 70
work like men and cndcavOr to accomplish It,
That the amount of money necessary to meet
these pension claims is large are well
aware, but if they are to be paid, We may as
well know the worst and prepare for 1t.
That no other government on the face OF the
earth ever paid such pensions aS We do is true
but VIC adopted the policy carly III the war
when patriotism at the zenith, and 1t Is
now too late to rctrace our steps
| To repeal our pension laws now, or attempt
to evade our contracts either express or i'm
piled, would be the gros5cst outrage upon the
soldier, and the basest dishonesty on the part
| of the Government.
There is no honorable way out Of il only tC
pay; and / fully believe that the people are
ready and willing to pay every honest pension
claim, and that in their very hearts they will
, l0athc and dcSpise the man who attempts t.
avoid them by pleading poverty or the statute
of limitations.
When we are talking about the vast sums o
money appropriated annually for the payment
% of pensions, and which must continue &c
{ appropriate for the next twenty years, We
do not stop to consider what gigantic and
colossal conflict we passed through.
We, for the moment, forget that during tha
war we enlisted 2,66G 999 men into the Army
and more than I25, 900 into the Navy.
We do not take the time to examine the roll
| in the War Department, which disclose The
terri HE fact that during that war ,,31 O0D men