The National tribune., 1904-06-02
TEE MEXICAN WAR PENSION ACT.

The second session of the 10Th Congress,
in January. 1897. 80 years after the treaty
IF peace with Mexico. passed pension bill
providing that all those who had served
10 days in that war, in the Regular Army
volunteers. the navy. marines or militia.
and were honorably discharged. should re-
ceive Il pension of SIS per month.
This it will be perceived. made the term
Of service giving the right to such pension
only two-thIrdS Is long as that required
in the proposed Service Pension Bill for
the survivors of the war of the rebellion.
1t was also made so liberal as to include
those who had been merely III camps of in
struction. and had never reached the scene
Of hostiltieS.
Tnquestonably the soldiers of the Mex
lean war deserved this 1t was not their
fault that they We're not called upon for
anything like the long and bloody service
exacted from those who enlisted in the
war for the Union. The Mexican volun-
tcers did. as American soldiers always do.
what was needed to be done at that time.
Like those who entered the Union army.
the results of their work were far beyond
what had been originally contemplated,
securing to us not only the imperial do
main of Texas. which is larger than most
European empires. but giving us still
larger domain fronting on the Pacific
coast and still more necessary for the fu-
ture greatness of the country. Therefore.
the pension given them was but n small
return for what they had done for the
Nation.
But If they were so we'll deserving. how
much more deserving are the Union vet
Grams? 1t is not for the purpose of BELT
ting the Mexican volunteers that we
make comparisons, but TO show how in
cOmparably more deserving is this act of
National Justice to the Union veterans.
There were. including the Regulars"
1O1 .2S2 men who can be said to have par
ticipated in the Mexican war. There We're
never at any time 10000 men on Mexican
Soil-0r not One-fifth the total enlistments
The term of service was for one year. but
tens of thousands of these did not serve
more than One-fourtl of that time There
were not many battles. and in these only
small bodies of men participated. Whole
States did not lose single man Ala
lsama had 3.O26 soldiers. of whom not
man was killed or wounded Neither did
California. Florida. Iowa. Massachusetts.
Michigan. New Jersey. North Carolina nor
Wisconsin lose a man i'm battle Louisiana
had the enormous number of 1.94I in the
war. of whom but - were killed. Texas
had Il still greater number. S.01S, of whom
hut 46 were killed. The total loss of the
whole 101 .2S2 men was but / .O49 killed.
and 5GS died of wounds. making total
of 1.11I. or less than were killed out of
Grants little army of $4,000 in one battle
Shiloh. The most of these men received
land warrants. and the fact of their hav-
ing received land warrant was made
the strongest proof in their application fo-
pension. Since the passage of the origi-
nal act there have been amendments
which have increased the scope of its ben
efitS. The same period has now elapsed
since the close of the war of the rebellion
Mexican war and the passage of
TIE pension act. At the time OF
the passage of the latter it's JUS
tice was 80 evident that it went
through beth bodies of Congress with the
least possible opposition. In the House
there were 2IS ayes tn > noes. and Presi-
dent Cleveland promptly signed the bill
The Republicans and Democrats-men
from the extreme East and those from the
far South and West-united TO vote for
the bill. which did simply what the Nation
should have done for those who had done
80 much for it,
There Should be exactly the same una
nimity of sentiment for the proposed Serv-
ice Pension Bill. The mea and women
whom it Will benefit suffered incomparably
more fer their country than those who re.
ceived the benefits Of the Mexican pen
sion. They represent IN UNNECESSARILY
longer service, more hard fighting, more
dangers encountered. and equally immeas-
nrabe benefit to the country. While the
Mexican war gave us Il most valuable ad-
ifion to our territory. the snccess of the
Union army gave us our country itself
AMI all which we now enjoy. If such an
act Of National Justice and gratitude was
cminently fitting for the Mexican veter-
ans in 1887, how unspeakably is a similar
act due the veterans of the Union army
in 1904: