The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1892-06-02

favor ln1udicious expenditures Dut
| am astonished at the complaints
about pensions. There was a time
when the Union soldiers could have
had anything they wanted. They
held in their grasp more than Caesar,
more than Napoleon, they E.cld the
sword and the purse Of this nation"
Mr.. Ingalls, delivered u glowing
eulogy on the last review Of the army
before it was ~disbanded. The I'M
conquered army that had carried the
battleilags from Gettysburg TO the
Gulf, and then conquered itself by
refusing 10 seize the property of the
conquered, although entitled to it un.
der the rules of war and when within
their powder to do so. This, the
speaker said, was a proud triumph
for the men who were entitled to these
great results, but conquered them
selves, and then quietly resumed the
duties they had abandoned years be-
fore. The speaker then returned to
the question of the claims of the sold.
iers On this government.
Ellis claim" said MIR. Ingalls,, ''is
based on justice. 1t was q part of
his service. lie fulfilled his contract,
and the government should not do
less. The common soldiers were paid
from SIS TO SIG per month and were
allowed $40 to Sl5 per year for cloth
ing. The rations, when they got
them, were wopt. about $50 Per
month. In all, an able bodied sold
Ter received, directly or indirectly,
about $i,3GQ for thirty-six months
service and the government assumed
to contribute to his support in case
of disability or to his relatives in case
of death.
''But the soldier suffered financial
loss. AT home he would have earned
At the rate of wages paid 500 per
year, or 81, 100 for three years, and
thus each soldier who served three
years practically donated not less
than $1,000. OF the three year men
there were 2,32O,272, and to Offset
their loss there is still due $1,000
900 900. This is due by just book.
keeping and payable. 1t is an hon.
est debt and can only he avoided by
reputation. The bondholdcrs were
treated differently. They were paid
81 900 600, 900 more than this.
st is said that the pension laws
exceed all Just bounds, and that nod
ern history affords no such examples
Of muniiicencc IN a part of n govern
ment. There was no war like it.
From April, 1861, to May 1861, there
were a,06l battles fought. There
were 10000 killed, 275,00O wound-
ed and 400, 900 deaths occurred from
various causes pertaining thereto. In
the wal aetwetn France and Germany
the latter only lost 2S,277 killed and
$1,000 wounded. We lost more than
Europe combined has lost since the
battle Of Waterloo. More than Great
Britain has lost in ali the battles
fought during the past 800 years.
"Our government has fallen short
of its duty. | believe that | was the
originator of the arrears of pension
act. 1t passed the senate on my mo-
ton, and ! have since been dcnounc.
cd us the most picturesque robhcr of
the century, but it did not 90 far
enough. Justice never will be done
10y the government until arrears of
pensions are paid to every one from
the date of his pension, and justice
will not be done until every soldier is
placed on the pension rolls on account
of his service,
Recently it was my good fortune
to visit the South. AT AtIanta, | look
ed upon the dark forests through
which Sherman marched 10 the sea,
and traced the battlciclds from At
lanta to Chickamauga and Chatta.
ncQga. was. at Montgomery one
misty moonlight night and looking up
in that strange light | saw the grand
column erected 10 the government that
was. | stool in New Orleans and
gaz2d on the bronze otfigy of a great
military leader of the South, and the
equestrian statue Of Albert Sidney
Johnson. | am not here TO criticisr
those exhibitions. honor AMI rev.
ere the south for its devotion to It's
leaders.
''If they did not perpctuatc the
memory OF victories and defeats they
would be unworthy Of being called
American citiz MS. Had | been a
Southern man would doubtless have
done as they did. Had the stars and
bars succeeded | wonld have kept the
old flag and told my children how |
loved it. But history was not writ.
ten that way. On my trip in the
South | didn't see anything to com.
memorate the memory of any Union
soldier, Lincoln, Grant, Sheridan, or
any one.
"But if history shall not be rewrit.
ten, the names of these great men
and the great principles for which
they fought shall be perpetuated, aad
they must be perpetnated by the
Grand Army of the Republic, for il
will be done nowhere else, and they
can be perpctuated without impugn-
ing the motives of those who are in.
separately united will, us.
"No man now wants slavery or Sc.
rasSion hnva Snu,oIino, ,Ia,-I,