The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-11-26
THE SERVICE PENSION.

passage of Service Pension Bill.
The fundamental idea of such a meas
ure is, that it shall be a reward and an
honorable recognition of the services Of
the men who saved the country from a
great peril. 1t is the intention that this
shall be given those men while con-
siderable number of them are yet alive
to appreciate and enjoy it. Otherwise
it would be hollow and insulting
mockery. How hooking it would be
to talk of "the Nations gratitude,
{" the peoples generosity" etc., in pass
ING a measure which had been cunning
lv deferred until the greater part OF
those whom it should benefit are dead
and in their graves, and the Struggling
survivors can enjoy their little stipend
only few years. Such thing would
meet with the contempt and derision OF
all right-feeling men.
This is the position the United States
is in to-day.
Thirty-fve years ago the Government
made an agonizing appeal to the young
men of the Nation to save it from de-
struction. The crisis was the most terri
BILE it had ever known. One-thlrd OF
the country had risen in angry, des-
perate rebellion, and threatened the
direst consequences to institutions that
we held sacred. The rebels, compactly
organized and confident of success, had
taken complete control of II of the 50
States. They had at their command
all the legal machinery, all the offices,
all the wealth, all the territory, all the
manhood and military strength of those
IL States. Four other large, wealthy
States could only with difficulty be
prevented from joining them. A very
large-too large-portion of the people
of the loyal States openly or secretly
favored their mad schemes. 1t GER
tainly looked as if not only this great
Republic was to be destroyed, but that
popular Government all over the world
was to receive a mortal blow.
The only hope of salvation lay in the
patriotic manhood of the young men
who believed that this Government and
the principle of Government by the
people were worth fighting for, long and
hard, and to the very death.
Over 100000 of them responded
to the calls of the Presidents vaster
army than had ever shaken the world
before. They formed line-ofbattle
nearly 1000 miles long. They en-
veloped the rebel territories with a
hedge of bristling bayonets, they beat
upon them tempest of shot and shell,
they flung themselves with unconquer-
able ardor upon every stronghold where
rebellion had intrenched itself. They
kept this up for four long, dreadful
years, during which time the angry guns
were never silent, nor did the sword
cease to devour. When they finished
their work there was nowhere a single
rebeIlious hand that dared to be raised
against the Government. Nowhere was
rebel flag dared to be flown. No
where was there a cannon in the posses
sion of rebel force. The Flag of the
United States, which had gone down in
humiliation at Fort Sumter, waved in
unouestioned sovereignty over every
foot of our territory.
But this mighty effort of the patri,
otic young men cost them not only four
wears of the most terrible battling that
the world had ever seen, but it cost them
| 100000 lives, as many or more cripples
and from every one of them it had taken
exceedingly valuable years, the loss o.
which they never COULD make good.
| Since they finished their work ano
handed over to the people rescued Ma
ton, on which peace and prosperit.
should forever shine, the country ha
advanced in wealth beyond the dream
of the most sanguine prophet. 1t ha
become the greatest in all material bless
ings of the Nations of the earth.
4 ~ al Al Il L