Mr. ROGERS. I speak of General Mc Clellan in particular, and to the able generals belonging to the regular Army, and to the men whose recorded acts of bravery are unparalleled in the history of any war in the Old World or in this. Sir, I should be recreant in duty to myself and in dutyto the descendants who are to come after me did I not sustain the men who have upheld our flag and followed in the footsteps of Washington, who drova the British from these colonies. Sir, after a conflict like this, when liberty is once more secure, it is no time to attempt to take away one cent of that which is justly due to these gallant officers of our regular Army. What is the use of this bill? Who asks for it? Not a single general in the Army. Every single one of them is opposed to it. All the reports made to this House from odicial sources arengainst it. And yetgentlemen, because of their admiration of the volunteer corps and preyudice against WestPointers, are trying to take away some part of the glory which belongs to the regular Army. They want to make a dive at them and take away some portion of their pay and compensation. I so, sir, it is dangerous to interfere now with them. What re ward is it to be a man belonging to the regular Army, who left a situation yielding him 10,000 a you and returned to the service, to give him this compensation? Suppose he be located at Washington, or at some other place where his rations cost 500%. more than at other points. Is not that officer punished by a fine to the extent of 500%. on acconnt of the location in which he may happen to be if you make no allowance for rations according to location 1 I believe that it is dangerous to interfere with the law which has been in existence for so many years. This law, sir, was in existence when our fathers were not ruled by passion, but were animated by a love of perfect liberty and united in principle and purpose from one end of the Umou to the other. But now, when t? Union is divided, when the stars of 11 States are blotted off that fiag, when ten or 11 million people who are equally interested with us in this great Army are not represented here, when passion rules the hour, I am not willing, for one, to interfere with the pay of that Army which was established in 1795. What army is there that will compare in mag nificence, in splendor, and in efhciency th our American Army? Sir, you may go k over the history of the darkest ages; you may turn to the histor of modern times, and no where will you fin an army in which the morale is so complete or which has performed its work so faithfully as hasthis Army of ours. I must say, and take pleasure in doing it, that the volunteer soldiers and officers have been brave, gallant, and efficient. Yet, sir, their efficiency was in a great part derived from the discipline acquired by them through the instrumentality of officers educated at WestPoint, and I do not hesitate to say that an army without disci‘pline can accomplish no more than a mob, an it was the discipline of our volunteer soldiers and officers that made them an army able to compete with any army in the world. Why, sir, there is no pay that will compen sate a man for periling his life on the battle field. The poor soldier who leaves his native hills ando005 to the field of battle for 12 or 15 dollarsamonth and perhaps 600 or 800 dollars bounty is not compensated for the risk of life and limb that he runs. And with the exception of a few members, there is hardly a member of this House who would have gone into the Army during the late war if he could have hired a substitute to take his place, even though he sold his farm to get the money to pay him. He thought too much of his wife and his family, of his home and of his own life to risk it, if he could, b selling all he had, obtain money enough to uy him a substitute.