The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-01-09
TIE KKxToAH KKrERAN US.

From the signs of the times, the
present Congress will place the
names of the surviving veter-
ans of the Mexican war upon the
pension roll. This act Of tardy JUS
tice will be none the less acceptable
70 them because 1t comes at a time
when their necessities have become
all the greater with the infrmities
of old age. The legislatures of not
less than thirty States have time
and again memorialized Congress in
their behalf, and the sense of the
American people unqualifiedly en-
dorses the justice of the demand. A
few years ago the Hon. Mr.. Cot
froth submitted a report upon the
subject which effectually demolish-
ed all eaptious objections to the
measure. he says, very truly, that
the achievement of these men did
more to add to the wealth and grand
eur of the republic than these of all
the armies ever levied in the coun.
try. The report shows that by the
conquest not only were the bounda-
ries of Texas established with it's
two hundred and sixty thousand
square miles of territory, but that
the services of these men secured
the vast territory extending TO the
Pacific shores, embracing California,
Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, ArizO-
na, Colorado and Wyoming, an area
Of nearly a million of square miles
greater than the area of the TWEEN
ty-nine States which then eonstitut-
ed the American Union. The re-
ports of the bureau of statistics
show that nearly twelve hundred
millions Of dollars of gold and silver
have been taken from the mines in
the vast territory thus acquired
which still continue to yield their
ine1haustible stores of the precious
metals. No army of such inferior
numerical strength ever added an
empire of such imperial wealth to
the country that it served. The es-
Inmates show that only about ten
thousand of the army Of one hun
1red thousand men, Of all arms, en-
rolled for that war, survive. The
statistics in the report
show that of the two Pennsylvania
regiments, mastering two thousand
i've hundred men, only one hundred
md eighty-one are now living that
IF the Second MississiSsipPi, of one
thousand and thirty-five men and
only forty survive
md that Of the famous Palmetto
'egiment, of one thousand and sew
'nty men, only thiTty-four are now
living. We might instance, also,
he four or FIVE regiments from Ten
lessee, numbering a thousand each,
f whom not one-kfth survive. And
'et, in spite of the memorials of
states and the petitions of these vet
rams themselves, this act of simple
ustice has been thus long delayed.
This is . sad commentary upon the
lstice and gratitude Of the Ameri-
an people. We are rejoiced to note
hat 30 influential q man as Senator
Jogan has recently declared him.
elf in favor of peDsioning every
urviving soldier Of that war "who
onors the American flag" This {
is doubtless intended to
xclude Jefferson Davis. Well, let
be 30. The old Confederate chief ,
as repeatedly quit claimed to the
Overnment all his interest in any
ension law that may be passed
nd now that the Supreme Court of J
le United States has given him the )
estate, perhaps he can get C
ong without it. We hope the bill g
a pension to these veter-
Is will pass the present Congress, y
ID believe it will. Certainly, the V
ttAnco of eight dollars per month Il
these old and feeble men, with an D
Inual surplus of more than a hun q
ed millions in the treasury, will
longer brighten the economical
.triots who have voted million
on million to the able bodied sur
Vors, white and black, Of the late W