Year: 1876

The Pension Committees in both Houses
of Congress have reported favorably the
old proposition of General Rusk, with but
slight notifications, to make all pensions
granted on account of the war Of 1851 date
from the time of the occurrence of the
death or disability. This has been done
from motives of equity and upon the hypo-
thesis that if the benefciaries are entitled
to pension at all, they are, under the prln-
ciples of the law, deserving of the full sum
which would have accrued if their spplics-
tioRs had been made and proved at earlier
dates. When we consider that the delay
in making proof is not always-if indeed,
it is ever-the fault or negligence of the
applicant, but is possibly more frequently
that of some Government official, it sp-
pears exceedingly unjust to make the tardy
grants date from the passage of a special
act or the date of application. There are
many pensioners who scorned to apply for
Government aid so long as they possessed
the means to live without it, but who, hav-
ing lost their all by the business depression
now prevailing, have felt obliged at last to
make the application which the laws au-
thorize and which necessities demand.


These men did not hesitste to peril their
lives in defense of the Government when
it was menaced with dissolution. They
did not wait to ask whether they would
survive or perish. They did not stop to
stipulate for bread for their little ones if
they should never come back to labor for
their subsistence. They did not halt to
dicker with the stay. at home politicians
for the guarantee of stipend for their pos
sible widows and orphans. But they went
boldly. rapidly, gallantly and unflinchingly
to their iates, trusting to the affection and
gratitude of the American Union people
for the guardianship and protection of
those whom they left behind.


In the haste with which they were
packed off to the front in those days-alas
but too often to their deaths there was no
red tape to delay their departure. Re-
cruiting officers did not have to Gallo two
or three examining medical boards to as
certain whether their physical condition
was perfect or not. Enlistment papers did
not have to go to Washington for inspec-
tion before a man could be mustered into
the service as food for rebel powder. There
were no difficulties, no vexatious delays,
no dotting is or crossing of is, the omis-
sion of which would prevent the accept
ance of the widows son for recruit.
These nice little precautions are all re-
served for the day of requttal of service
rendered. One man could take hundred
day into the service, without any query
OF trouble, but it takes one hundred clerks
and officers and agents and adiutant gen.
erals to pension one man who has been
shot to pieces, or to pay his widow, his
mother or his daughter. During the war
it was chow to get men to the front
quickly enough" Now 1t seems to be
chow to keep them out of their just dues
the longest" We are glad that the COM
mittees of the Forty fourth Congress have
performed their duties in this matter. We
would be glad to be able to add that Mr..
Sherman's tactics in the Senate savored
more of desire to expedite justice in
this pension business than of a diplomatic
effort to delay it.