Year: 1866

rades such ample and full provision as
will give them not only the means of ek-
ing out an existence, but the means OF


fairly living on an equality with their
brothers and sisters in the land. The


husband and father has earned that with


his blood. 1t is a right this country has


ever been and ever will be able to pay


without feeling it. Applause.1 What


ever other demands you may compro


mise, whatever else we may sacrifice, this


is demand which 1 think we can ask,


not with " bated breath and whispered


humbleness," but boldly ask of our rep


resentatives IN this Hall and at the other


end of the Capitol, for the widows of our


deceased comrades. We may ask that


this be not doled out to them by pennies,


but be given out generously, literally,


and above all, Justly. Applause. What


is the pension of the widow of volun-


teer officer of the highest grade? Not


one-third of what her husband could


have earned at any honest employment,


however humble he may have BEEN


What is the pension of disabled officer


of whatever grade-of an officer totally


disabled, entirely deprived of the means


of doing anything for his own support,


or the support of those who are dear to


him? Not one-third of what any me-


chanic can earn in any workshop in this


country. And what shall we say of the


bounty given to the enlisted man, dis


abled in the service of his country p


One tenth of what he could have earned
if he were q mechanic and had not been


disabled. Why is this injustice? Let


us recoIect that the law which gave


eight dollars a month to the soldier of
the Revolution, gave him a competency


for life. The eight dollars month at
that time was much more than the S24 a
month now, which your resolution asked
for. Your resolution demands that in


this matter of pensions the country snail
do full and ample justice to its soldiers ;
and it seems to me that no man can turn
a deaf ear to that demand.


EQUALIZATION OF BoUNTIES.


Let US stop a minute here, in this Cap
tol won from the desecration of the enc
my's foot, to reflect what is the true type
of the American soldier. Without hope
of reward, save the reward of well-doing,
with patriotism, with ardor, with hope,
with Joy, he enlisted in the service of his
country, following its flag, seeing only
that and the enemy he was to strike
making no conditions, driving no bar
gains, taking nothing, expecting nothing,
anxious only how he could best serve his
country. As the war went on, the need
of the country called for other soldiers,
aud they had time to do what the earlier
soldier had not time to do. They had
time to strike a bargain with their coun-
try-to deal with its necessities, to ascer-
tain what they were worth-to get boun-
ties, pay, emoluments and rewards. Now,
what are we here for to-day? 1t is that
the rights of the former soldier-of that
true American soldier, who went forward
without bounty, without reward, and
without hope of reward, save what he
might receive from the gratitude of his
countryman-shall be protected; that
his bounty shall be made equal to that
of HIM who made terms with his country
who took advantage of its necessities
to receive bounties and emoluments.-
Applause.


We ask from the Justice of the coun-
try the same price that it has conceded
we were worth when it made terms with
others. We ask that we who went first
shall receive the same as was given to
enlisted men. The latter.
have served no longer than we have. We
have served through the whole war; the
Others have served only part of the war
and although we are contented that the
parable of the vineyard should be carried
out, and that he who came in at the elev
enth hour shall have his penny, yet we
have never read a word in that parable
which did not also give the penny to the
man who bore the heat and the labor of
the day. Applause. Nor, fellow-sol-
diers, haYe heard from any respectable
quarter any reason why this should not
be done. of course, l do not include in
my remarks that respectable class of men
lin numbers) who, as substitutes, sold
themselves at price; for whether they
get bounties or not, is a matter about
which 1 shall not concern myself here or
1 am speaking of those sol
diers who went before and we ask that
the emoluments of those be equalized.-
1 have heard no respectable class of peo-
pie anywhere denying that our claim Is a
Just one.


1 was glad to see that while you stand
here demanding justice for yourselves,
you are also willing to concede Justice
Then what is the objection Why have
you limited in your resolution the money
value to $50, ,000,0 900, in the face of the
declaration of the Paymaster General,
and probably a correct one,s that it would
take from $500, 100000 to 500, 0,000,0 600 to
equaIize these bounties 1t is because
you have felt as feel; because that you
as the whole country appreci-
ates, the great burden of debt imposed
upon US by this war-a burden which l
have no doubt will amount to 81, 900, ,000,-
900 when all accounts are adjusted and
all balances settled, You appreciate, as
/ do, the great extent of taxation falling
upon all men to an extent which no 9TH
er country ever yet bore; for our taxes to-
day are more than those of any other
country in the world of whose civil list
and budget we have any knowledge; and
yet the burden Will be borne gracefully,
willingly, provided we can get the result
which should come from such great taxa
ton. 1 can easily understand the feel
ing which made you, who have sacrificed
already so much, ready to lay down your
own just claims once more upon the al
tar, sacrifice to the good of your coun-
try, taking but a modicum of what you
OugnG 10 nave.


It is the feeling that the credit and
currency of the country would suffer if
this burden, so large as S500,000, 900 or
500, 900, 600 were thrown on it. And l
am bound to say, in all frankness,- for in
whatever else have ever failed, l have
not yet failed in frankly expressing my
sentiments-tha much as feel the jus
tice of your cause, yet were 1 represen-
tative of the people, | would pause long
before would vote to pay, in money, al
sum which would equalize the bounties of
soldiers. 1 should doubt whether l did
not sink my patriotism in a desire to do
Justice to my brothers in the army. But,
there is a fund in the Uni
ted States from which your bounties can
be paid and equalized, leaving the coun-
try no poorer, but, on the contrary, rich
er. You have the right to demand that
the true men who have fought the battles
Of the Union and preserved the nation
if the United States has any kind of
property to dispose of-shall have their
Just dues, and these just dues can be paid
out of the public lands of the United
States.


coNFIscATIoN OF SOUTHERN LANDS.