The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-14
Soldiers, Friends and Foes.

cradle existence in some county almshouse.
Soldiers Friends and Foes.
Elsewhere in our columns we publish
letter from Represen tative Hanback,, of Kan
sas, containing his views in regard to various
pension measures that are now pending in
Congress, and indicating how his vote would
be cast should they come up for action. Mr..
Hanback,, it viii be seen, returns an une-
quiyocal reply to the interrogatories pro-
pounded. He does not seek to dodge the
issue, as do some Congressman, by talking
in glittcring generalities about the vast
sum" that has already been expended for
pensions and the danger that the Treasury
viii be :" drained of its resources if the
pension list is increased, but discusses each
proposition on its merits, and bases his
Judgment upon the vital question: What was
the Governments contract with the soldier
aud how has it been executed? 1t is true
that Mr. Hanback, was himself soldier on
the Union side during the late war, and
that his sympathies are naturally with those
who faced with him the bullets of the enc
my, but it is justice and not sympathy upon
which he rests his conclusions, and the
reasons which he urges in favor of the pas
sage of the measures referred to ought to
1a--o ~ loc-+ ox,-n1 x,-n;,sb+ NTH 4bnca IF
our Congressman who never served in the
army. Indeed, it has always seemed to us
that the men who escaped the perils of war,
who took their ease and accumulated prop
erty while other citizens, with less at stake
than they, were risking their lives for the
preservation Of the Government and the
mat rial interests of the country at large,
should be most sensible Of the obligations
that the Nation is under to our veterans and
most anxious to discharge them. On self
ish considerations alone, We should suppose
they would be eager TO have the contract
between the Government and the soldier
satisfied. Suppose the Government, instead
of making ample provision fer the repay
ment of the money which it borrowed to
carry on the war, had Iepndiated its bonded
debt, is it conceivable that it would ever
again be able, should It's safety be menaced
by foreign invasion or domestic dissension,
to obtain the sinews of war on a mere prom
ise to pay? And if it should prove equally
faithless in It's dealings with its soldier cred
itors would it be reasonable to expect that
upon the outbreak of another rebellion or
armed struggle of any sort, the Nation
would rally TO its support as in the days of
/ 1861 ? No fact of history is better estab-
lished than that the fall of republics results
rather from internal weaknesses than from
external assaults, and there is no weakness
SO fatal as that decay of public patriotism
which indifference on the part of the Gov
eminent TO the righteous claims of its de-
/ tenders would be certain to bring about. All
the prosperity which the country now
/ enjoys is the fruit of the soldiers yaIor. It
was only by the shedding of his blood that
the cities Of the North were saved from
sack, its fair fields from despoilaiion, its
industries from decay, and its commerce from
destruction. What is the sum that may be
necessary to make good the promises of The
Government to its defenders, in comparison
with the millions upon millions that tbeil
devotion preserved from the hand of The
spoiler, or those other millions that have
been added to the wealth of the country
since the establishment of peace through
the proves of their arms!
All, gentiemen-yon who never shout
dered musllet, or tested the quality o
rebel steel, or heard the whiz of rebe
bullet. but remained at home, indifferen
to aught save money-making it is yol
who should be loudest in demanding tn
t payment of the Governments debt to til
I soldier!