The National tribune., 1894-03-29

socially We would be degraded to the level Of
slaves. Not only would the property
and estates of vanquished rebels be conhscsted.
but they would be divided and distributed
| among our African bondsmen."
And yet Mr.. Chairman. notwithstanding
| these dire predictions, scarcely month had
elapsed from its PRONUNCIATION when Grant at
the surrender babe Lee and his officers to retain
their side arms, the soldiers their horses, and
all to return to their homes ana families In
peace. a71sz''I ,esca rs' .
repeat. Mr.. Chairman, that nowhere in his.
tory is there to be found magnanimity that
can in anywise be compared to that OF the
Union army, and to the people of the North to
the people of the South. And every succeed
| ing year since the war has emphasized this
| spirit until now the reins of this great Govern
ment in all its departments are largely IN the
| hands of the men who bore arms against 1t. In
no other conflict in history did the vsuquished
receive like rewards with the victors
| JUSTICE TO THE UNION SOLDIER.
submit, Mr.. Chairman, that the Union SOL
| diery, whose sentiment has been the main
| spring of the magpanimous action OF this Gov
| eminent toward the people who had opposed
| them in battle, entitled to generous treat
ment, at least just treatment from this whole
! Nation. And never sir, until justice is COLI
/ ceded him. and his rights freely and duly
recognized. will there be the era of good feel
ing and good fellowship among the people of
| this Nation which ought to prevail dc and
| his children and his grandchildren and the
! loyal masses Of the Nation believe this to be
his due--that he shall have fair and just treat
ment, and they will never consent to less.
| 1t is but justice Mr.. Chairman, that the
| Union soldier shall be as well treated as SOL
| diers of our former wars. To the soldiers of the
| Revolutionary war; war of 1872, and the Mex
| lean war the Government has granted land
warrants amounting to 63,500,OOO acres, an
amount of land equal in extent to the States OF
| New York, Pennsylvania. and Delaware, with
nearly million of acres spare. Not an acre
has been granted to the Union soldier.
BoNDs-PENsIONs.
The Nation has paid the bondholder all that
| is due him.
From July, 1861, to July, 1892 the bond
| holder had received in interest on his bonds
| s., 600, 179 600, while the pensioners had only
received 81, 264, 10000
In 1865 the interest upon the public debt was
| $151, 100000, and pensions SS,50e00. interest
and pensions aggregatng $3.50 900, 900; popu-
| lation at that time 80 600, 000 so that the an
nual charge for interest and pensions per
| capita to the people of the United States was
! $4.57.
| In 1891 interest on the public debt had been
| reduced TO $36 40S, 600, and pensions amounted
| to $il6.000,000 interest and pensions aggregat-
| ing 49,. 406, 000 being less aggregate for in
The population in 1891 60, 100000 and
! whereas the per capita in 1865 WAS $4.57, it
was in 1891 reduced to $2.44 per capita for in
! terest and pensions.
Are not the soldiers entitled to as fair eonsid
Grafton as the bondhoiders? regret to say they
have never received such treatment.
GOLD PROMISED THE SOLDIER.
The bondholders were not promised gold in
payment of their bonds, but great people
| -. (,,s,, .Intf
made the bonds payable in gold. On the other
hand Mr. Chairman. the soldiers were promised
payment in money "as good gold at all
banks and Government offices throughout the
United States" Not the enthusiastic promise
Of the recruiting officer, not the promise of the
Governors Of the States calling for troops, but
from the highest authority in the Government
came this solemn promise on the Sd day OF Sep
tember 1861, that all . future ayments of the
troops should be in money as good as gold"
MIR. Chairman. | desire to read a copy OF that
unfuliled order, now 30 years old, copy grow
ing yellow with age. which l procured few
days since at the War Department. 1t is as
follows:
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
WAsHINGToS, Sept. g. 1861. J
General Orders No f6
The General-in-C Chief is happy TO announce that
the Treasury Depariment-to meet future pay
ments to the troops-is about to supply. besides
coin heretofore, Treasury notes in fves los,
and 2O's, as good rs gold at all banks and Govern
ment offices throughout the United States, and
most nyenient for transmission by mail from
officers aud men to their families at home. Good
husbands fathers. sons and brothers, serving
der the Stars and Stripes. will thus have the
ready and safe means of relieving an immense
amount of suffering which could not be reached
with coin.
In making up such packages every officer may
be relied upon. doubt, for such assistance as
may be needed by his men.
By command OF Lieut.-Gen. Scott.
T. ID. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adjntant-General.
Mr. Chairman, this was solemn promise to
the soldiers of the Union, issued by the high
est authorized representative Of the Govern
ment, dictated undoubtedly by the President
of the United States. This was at the begin
ming Of the payment of the soldiers Of that
war Every soldier and sailor that served a
day thereafter every soldier and sailor that
enlisted thereafter, and the great bulk of the
| army and navy did so enlist did so with the
knowledge of this order; enlisted relying upon
| this order as part of the contract
This order, Mr.. Chairman, has never been
rescinded.
| The soldiers and sailors performed their part
of the contract. The Government has never
| performed its part. 1t is serious question
| whether it ever will.
submit that such a promise as the foregoing
has never been by the Government made to
any other class of persons not even to the
most warlike tribe of American Indians, and
even attempt made to utterly ignore such
promise, as has been done by the Government
| by this promise to its soldiers.
In December, 1862, the Government paid the
soldier in currency, of which it required 1874
to equal 500 in gold. In February 1863, it
required $17250 of the currency in which he
was paid to equal 500 in gold. In July, 1864
| it required S2S5 in currency to equal 800 in
| gold. In January, 1865 it required 1893 rs
and in June, 1866, $l6775 to equal 500 in
gold. And yet the good faith of this Govern
ment was pledged to the soldier that every
dollar should equal gold dollar.
When will this Government redeem its
pledge? When will it do justice by its sol
diers? Let this Government make up the
value of the pay of the soldier to him or his
| widow to equal gold, as it promised. as it did
make up to the bondhoder. whom it did not
! promise, pay the soldier or his widow the in
terest the bondholder was paid with his in
terest on unpaid interest when due, and this
Government will have then only done what it
promised and it will have made comfortable
every home of the soldier or soldiers widow
| in the land.
RANK AND FILE THE PENSIONERS.
These pensioners were largely of the rank
and file, the commissioned officer and
| private soldier. whose sole motive was love of
country, whose only incentive was the justice
of his cause. He was the picket, the advance
and rear-guard, and how like a nightmare the
memory of the loneliness of picket duty at
night haunts us still. B.
He marched at all times at sound of drum
or bugle; he watched by night and fought by
dow heoyv I'm r1au of he rde in ac