it had ever before been thought men could not do—after all this, this same President gives a long message, without showing us that as to the end he himself has even an imaginary conception. As I have before said, he knows not where he is. He is a bewildered, confounded, and miserably perplexed man. God grant he may be able to show there is not something about his conscience more painful than all his mental perplexity.
Remarks on Bounty Lands for Soldiers.
Made in the United States House of Representatives. March 29, 1848.
Upon report of a bill from the Committee on Judiciary for raising additional military force for a limited time, etc. (similar bills having been previously reported from other committees), Mr. Lincoln made a few remarks. The bill amended existing legislation so as to grant bounty lands to such persons as had served for a time as privates, but had never been discharged as such, because promoted to office. This amendment he endorsed, and to it he desired to add two further amendments. The first of these was, that bounty lands should be given to the surviving volunteers of the War of 1812. His friend from Maryland said there were no such men. He [Mr. L.] did not say there were many, but he was very confident there were some. His friend from Kentucky near him [Mr. Gaines] told him he himself was one. The second additional amendment was, that persons entitled to bounty land should by law be entitled to locate these lands in parcels,
