The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1899-02-02
CONFEDERATE
PENSIONS, ETC.
W. E. Doyle Reasons on Sew
eral Features Of the Subject.

Editor National Tribune: It is a
rather singular thing to ask the bounty of
the Government for the men who tried
their best To destroy IL. Now, the pension
FOIL and the National Homes are 10, the
benefit of those OILY who aided the Ma
ton in its foreign and domestic wars, and
none but the Nations soldiers are en-
titled to their benefits as an obiga ton
due them from the United States for
fighting it's battles.
Now, what ID the requisite to obtain
burial in n National Cemetery, admission
to National Home, or recognition on the
pension rolf The fact OF service In the
armies OF the United States. The loyal
citizen OF East Tennessee, Kentucky. or
Virginia, who was driven to the mount
aims by the disunionist Confederates,
whose home was destroyed, and family
forced to flee To the wilderness i'm the dead
Of Winter, OF the hardy frontiersman who
defended his home against the assault Of
savage hordes are not entitled TO the
privileges Of the Union soldier.
The men who took up their guns Ia
| fight against the Union are certainly no,
| entitled 10 any support 10y the Union they
sought TO destroy, while the majority OF
those conscripted into the rebel army rem
| dered their conscipiion possible by hav
Ing previously voted for the secession OF
| their State. but when the rebellion WAS
suppressed the United States most mag
unanimously restored all the insurgent sol.
diers to full rights Of citizenship. filed
many OF its most important Offices with
them, while others represent their re-
spective States In Ito Senate and House
OF representa- tives. The Confederate sol.
dief has the same rights and privileges
as the Union soldier I'm every State of the
land.
| But when II comes 70 pensions. Ma
| tional Homes, and cemeteries, the United
States obligated itself to care for its dis
abled veterans, while the National Gene
teries were established to receive the re-
mains OF those who died that the Union
might live, and ! am informed that the
! Southern States, Individually and In their
so-called Confederation, promised to care
| for the men who fought for them.
Now ] see that section 4 OF tho f4th
| amendment To the Constitution reads
, "But neither the United States nor any
State shall assume or pay any debt or
| obligation incurred In aid OF insurrectjon
or rebellion against the United States. .
etc.
So cannot see under this law how anv
so-called Confederate soldier could be adj
mitted 10 "a pension or the National Homes.
Under the Butler and Hixey bills the only
Obligation for the support OF the Confed-
crate by the United States would be IN.
fact that he aided instruction and re-
bellion by "toting" his musket In tho
Confederate army.
G. w. Healey says he thought the war
was over in 1865. So did |: and was under
the Impression that the Union was vic
toriOus and in the right. But when see
the Confederate flags huttering thickly /
can hardly believe that the war is over:
and when listen TO the boastful re-.
marka OF orators ] sometimes doubt that
the Union was victorious until reassured
by some eI-Confedersts informing me
that the South was never whipped; II
was overpowered." And while President
Mckinley In his Auditorium speech AT
Atlant, said the Union was "always In
the right" fact that IL not dilatsd on by
many Southern papers. heard Capt,
John Lamb. member 81 the United Statss