Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-01-15
THE BILL TO RETIRE GENERAL GRANT.

The BILL III kEI1hE o6oGhaA onnNA'
In the Senate yesterday Mr.. Edmunds,
calling Mr.. Frye to the chair, took the floor
and called up the bill offered by him pro-
vidiDg that the President may appoint to
the retired list one person who has occu'
pied the position of general commanding
any Of the armies of the United States or
general .iu-cnief of the United States army.
he moved to amend it by adding, with the
rank and full pay OF such general or gen
eral-in chief, as the case may be- Inc
amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Cockrell (dem., Mo- desired to re-
cord his vote against the Dill, not knowing
whether the yeas and nays would be called
on it. The retired list was not the place
for private citizens. 1t had been created
! for officers who, being still in the service,
had been rendered unfit for duty. There
was neither justice nor proprlety In placing
private citizens on such q list. General
Grant was now enjoying the receipt OF Slo,-
600 year, which was enough for the sup
port OF any American ctiztn.
Mr.. Edmunds said he concGrred IN. the
general principle laid down by Mr. Cock.
rel as 10 the retired list, that it was not the
place for private citizens. He (Mr. Ed,
munds) was on that point a democrat OF
democrats. But as Senator and citizen
he was glad of the opportunity to ask the
passage Of this bill General Grant had
served his country faithfully and gallantly
in the Mexican war while young lieuten-
ant. He became general of the armies OF
the United States on an occasion OF very
considerable Importance and interest. Mr..
Edmunds was stating it mildly in order not
| to excite the temperament5 OF anybody on
the other side Of the chamber. Gan. Grant had
been removed from the office of general otthe
armies of the United States. from which he
would have been retired when he reached
the proper age and put on this very list, TO
assume again command of The armies Of the
United States as commander chief under
its constitution. He had not sought it, He
had obeyed the call of duty. That remoT
ed him from the technical place that he had
held in the army to higher place as the
con stitutional commander of the oited
States under the law. When his term ex
pired he became private citizen. In that
state OF the case, and under the circumstan
ces which all knew, and in view of the hon
or, the respect the gratitude and the duty
that we may owe him as primus in illustrlus
in the history of this country, Mr.. Edmunds
would be glad TO have unanimous vote for
the bill.
Mr.. Maxey, Of Texas, had heretofore op-
posed efforts of this character, being oppos-
ed to placing private citizens on the retir-
ed list, but the circumstances of this case
were exceptional. As Southern n an who
had opposed the course Of General Grant,
he (Mr Maxey) could not but recognize that
when the supreme hour came to The South
ern States-when they had to yield up all
save their honor, no man had ever acted
with moro magnanimty and generosity
than Ulysses s. Grant did at Appomattox.
Not only did Mr.. Maxey remember that
fact, but the people among whom he lived
remembered it, and he did not believe that
there was to-day man in the South who
| would begrudge reasonable and fair sup
port for General Grant in his declining
years. Mr.. Maxey added that he had
known General Grant for forty years, and
believed that his recent troubles arose en-
tirely from Gen. Grants supreme confidence
in his friends.
Mr.. Gibson, Of Louisiana, said that while
the form of the bill might not commend it.
self to his Judgment, its object did. He
| sympa thizad wth no neop!e nf the cOrntr,
-1hu ,,raiied 10 testify their appreciation oil
Gen, Grants services. As a Senator from
Louisiana, he felt IL ncumbept on him ~
vote for the bill, to show The good will and
sympathy Of The people Of that State for
| Gen. Grant.
Mr.. George, Of Mississippi, said he wes
here as Senator from Mississippi in a re
stored Uuior. On being commissioned by
| mis- people ~ come here, he had made
Covenant with himself that in his votes in
the Senate on Nil questions that did not al
lect the honor Of his people, be would vote
/ 1x,o 80 a IL ga.
stead of the Confederate Uniform. He be-
lieved the people desired the passage Of the
proposed measure.
Mr. Jonas. of Louisiana, said he had op
posed similar measure when proposed
years ago because be had not approved GER
tain acts of Gen. Grants administration,
and because Gen. Grant did not then need
| the aid Under the present circumstan-
ce5 of the General, however, he favored the
| bill.
Mr.. Voorhees,, of Indiana, said that Mr..
| Cockrell's reference to Gen. Grants income
| might create misapprehension iii the pop
ular mind. When the guaranteed term
should expire-six years hence-the invest
ment fund would prove of little value TO
him. Mr.. Voorhees, added that if he were
Southern man he would strongly favor the
measure. He recalled the fact Secretary
Stanton wanted to arrest and imprison Cen
eral Robert E. Lee after tho surrender at
Appomattox, and that Gen. Grant had told
Stanton that Lee was his (Grant's) paroled
prisoner, and hair Of his head should not
be molested. He remembered also Grants
fearless acknowledgment of his error in the
Fitz John Porter matter The bill was then
read third time and passed-yeas 40, nays
g. Those voting nay were Messrs. Beck,
Cockrell, Coke, Harris, Pendleton, Sauls-
bury, Slater, Vance and Walker.
SHERMAN's LOYALTY.-Mr. E. M. Richie