Year: 1877

There being political objections on the part of
some Republicans to the passage of bill restor-
ing to the pension rolls those soldiers of the war
of 1912 and the Mexican war, who were residents
of the Southern States during the rebellion, we
consider the speech of Hen. Martin l. Townsend,
of New York, as a sufficient answer to them Mr.
Townsend is as radical Republican as there is in
Congress When the bill was under debate in
the House, he said:


Mr.. Chairman, of the committee who reported
this BILL made this matter subject of serious reflection.


had doubt TO what ought to do, but reflection
taught me that ought TO reslSre far my vote would
90 these old men TO the positions that they occupied before
the They every Of them invads, every
of them old men. There is not a of them who has
not seen more years than myself They could not have
rendered. from their age and condition. any considerable
service to the of the rebellion They have simply
been guilty OF participating In the feelings of the neigh
borhoods in which they were born. am man OF pretty
strong preiudces, and feel the wrong of the rebellion
about strongly any man can feel it, and yet know
that who does not feel degree his neigh
bors feel in times OF excemen either less more than
a man; and do not appreciate very highly the crime
which these old have committed in sympathzing-
my friends on the other side must not find fault with it.


in the of 1861. feel now, sir, that doing not
what the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Banks
paying debt-no, not debt for the of these
forfeited all their claims such upon the Government
but feel that in going for this doing act
of kindness that owe to myself that owe TO the good
men OF the negnD0rnOOu represent, that
the feelings of the North Representative here represent
ing northern men and wish it may be that those
sympathzng with me in my politics might vote as our
friends voted in the last Congress- that shall come for
ward and do act of magnanimy these who, in
the dark days of our Government, forward and
struggled manfuly for the right then, boys who
the blue stood up manuly in the OF the Gov
ernment yesterday. to do this act act OF
right and having done it act of right, want to ask
my friends the other side of the House, coming from
the southern side of the Potomac when you get
the husngs more, do remember, among the hard
things you charge upon usyou do not charge us often
with hard things here but TO your peopledo tell
them that sometimes the northern heart is not quite as
hard as 1t is often represented to be.


Now sir, believe this due the part of the mi
nority due ourselves. 1t is duty to ourselves and
duty to constituents to vote for this BILL What is it
OF the money give these men, the money which had
been suspended; but amounted to s5 00 would
am not of those who believe that the country
much distressed everybody Is representing 10 be-


1t s distressed by the bowling OF men here the
one side and the other than from any other


felt the other day when the salaries OF foreign min


listers cut down below the position they ought 20
cupy In the which send them 10 represent the
country lfet that the country not much distressed
as that 1t could do wrong We too poor TO afford
that and to this Of money proposed TO be paid
these old men, afford TO go without paying
it, And should wish in honor OF the country, In honor
the country from which come, that should
representatives did in the last Congress and the
Congress before To pay to these men the money the,
would have had but for the excited condition OF affairs II
which they lived and participated but in the wrongdon
that occurred they could take no active part.