The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-02-10


claims upon o grateful country.
Asto the suggestion made by the Sena.
tor from Connecticut, that II we grant to
the widow Of General Thomas pension
at the rate provided in the bill, we shall
be oyerrun with applications Of equal
merit, beg leave to differ. Think that
the unanimous verdict Of the American
people, without distinction OF party or ol
section, would be that no general officer
of the United States rendered higher OF
more conspicuous, or more essential ser
vice during the recent war than General
Thomas. Certainly / think everybody will
vote unanimously that he takes rank with
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan. believe
myself, that had he been living when, re-
Gently, there was vacancy and an oppor-
tunity to be appointed to the highest posi-
ton in our armies, he would have been
selected by the universal acclaim Of the
American people, and the distinguished
officer who now holds that position would
have been among the very first to have
said that George Fl. Thomas was the man
to be appointed to il.
Mr.. 8iitchell-The case OF Mrs. Ad-
miral Faragut has been mentioned. She
is receiving pension OF 5000 a year,
but 1t must not be forgotten that Ad-
miral Farragut was at the head OF the
navy of this country, and 1t is case
Of greater distinction than that Of General
Thomas.
A GENEROUS TRIBUTE.
Mr.. Plumb have heretofore opposed
pensions Of this character uniformly; 1
have said much in the Senate about them,
and have been so uniformly oyerruled
that l had made up my mind hereafter to
say nothing. II, however, there is case
which could have the assent of my vote
1t is that Of pension to the widow OF Gen
pral Thomas. l am not willing to let the
remarks Of the Senator from Pennsylvania
tMr. Mitchell) go without challenge to the
effect that the service Of Admiral Farragut
was one thing and that OF General
Thomas an entirely different thing; that
Admiral Farragut was much more emf
nent than General Thomas, and conse-
quently the widow by herself, as COM
pared TO the widow of General Thomas.
think there was no more meritorious
soldier who wore the blue than General
Thomas, no one who was more entitled to
the gratitude Of the Nation than he, ami
no one who, in my opinion, was more
ignored during his lifetime when the op-
portunities presented themselves for his
promotion, than General Thomas.
Mr.. Miller (Cal. .)-Mr. President, It was
my fortune TO introduce this bill, and
did it as much asa tribute to the memory
OF one OF the greatest American Generals
as an act OF Justice to his lonely widow
whom he left behind. The world takes
note OF rank. The question whether the
Congress Of the United States has dealt
literally and justly by the widows and
representatives OF private soldiers is not
the question here. Nobody expects that
the pension granted to the widow OF q
General who commanded great armies,
and fought great battles, and won great
victories will be the same as that granted
TO the widow OF a private soldier. It NAV
be true that the latter may be as much en-.
titled to 1t as the former, but Congress has
never proceeded upon that theory. II Is
simply question here whether the widow
OF this great General should be treated as
the widows OF other Generals, and as the
widows of high officers OF the navy have
been treated, or whether an exception il
TO he made against it. placed the amount
in the bill at 5000, because there is a.
precedent in thecase OF Admiral Farra.
gut, and regarding also the other pre-.
cedents which have been established.
Many representatives OF deceased officers
receive $50 per month, some Sl0O; the
widows OF former Presidents OF the United
States receive 5000 o year, and proceed
ing upon the theory that Congress would
be. willing to grant a pension ! in this case
according to the services which were rem
dered by General Thomas, Icould not nit
the sum at less than $1,000 per annum.
Thename Of General fhamas isillustrious.
No General during our war rendered
greater service. There was none more able
than he. He was an ideal soldier, modest,
brave and unainching in tbe'ljne of duty.
He came as near illustrating the periec-
ton oil his race as any man who ever lived.
All who knew him regarded him as q
model soldier and model man. There
is no question that he and his command
sayed from disaster the Union army in
two great battles. His splendid battle Of
Nashville, one OF the last Victories OF the
war, will be studied as a model by the stu
dents OF military science as long as war
lasts upon the earth.