Not Yours to Give - By Colonel David Crockett

Oct 17, 2026

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A legislative speech and subsequent personal story explain why Colonel David Crockett opposed a bill appropriating public funds to aid a widow and other sufferers. He argues Congress lacks authority to use money as charity or repayment, warns against injustice to the living, and describes how a Georgetown fire led to an earlier relief bill. He recounts a confrontation with a voter who challenged his constitutional understanding, emphasizing that sacred constitutional limits must be rigidly observed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Not Yours to Give

The Congressional Speech

Crockett’s Later Explanation

The Georgetown Fire Relief Bill

Confrontation With a Constituent

The Core Constitutional Principle

Not Yours to Give by Colonel David Crockett; Compiled by Edward S. Ellis One day in the House of Representatives, a bill was taken up appropriating money for the benefit of a widow of a distinguished naval officer. Several beautiful speeches had been made in its support. The Speaker was just about to put the question when Crockett arose: “Mr. Speaker--I have as much respect for the memory of the deceased, and as much sympathy for the sufferings of the living, if suffering there be, as any man in this House, but we must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for a part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living. I will not go into an argument to prove that Congress has no power to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member upon this floor knows it. We have the right, as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right so to appropriate a dollar of the public money. Some eloquent appeals have been made to us upon the ground that it is a debt due the deceased. Mr. Speaker, the deceased lived long after the close of the war; he was in office to the day of his death, and I have never heard that the government was in arrears to him. Every man in this House knows it is not a debt. We cannot, without the grossest corruption, appropriate this money as the payment of a debt. We have not the semblance of authority to appropriate it as a charity. Mr. Speaker, I have said we have the right to give as much money of our own as we please. I am the poorest man on this floor. I cannot vote for this bill, but I will give one week’s pay to the object, and if every member of Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks.” He took his seat. Nobody replied. The bill was put upon its passage, and, instead of passing unanimously, as was generally supposed, and as, no doubt, it would, but for that speech, it received but few votes, and, of course, was lost. Later, when asked by a friend why he had opposed the appropriation, Crockett gave this explanation: “Several years ago I was one evening standing on the steps of the Capitol with some other members of Congress, when our attention was attracted by a great light over in Georgetown. It was evidently a large fire. We jumped into a hack and drove over as fast as we could. In spite of all that could be done, many houses were burned and many families made homeless, and, besides, some of them had lost all but the clothes they had on. The weather was very cold, and when I saw so many women and children suffering, I felt that something ought to be done for them. The next morning a bill was introduced appropriating $20,000 for their relief. We put aside all other business and rushed it through as soon as it could be done. “The next summer, when it began to be time to think about the election, I concluded I would take a scout around among the boys of my district. I had no opposition there, but, asthe election was some time off, I did not know what might turn up. When riding one day ina part of my district in which I was more of a stranger than any other, I saw a man in a field plowing and coming toward the road. I gauged my gait so that we should meet as he came to the fence. As he came up, I spoke to the man. He replied politely, but, as I thought, rather coldly. “I began: ‘Well, friend, I am one of those unfortunate beings called candidates, and- -’ “’Yes, I know you; you are Colonel Crockett, I have seen you once before, and voted for you the last time you were elected. I suppose you are out electioneering now, but you had better not waste your time or mine. I shall not vote for you again.’ “This was a sockdolager . . . I begged him to tell me what was the matter. “’Well, Colonel, it is hardly worth-while to waste time or words upon it. I do not see how it can be mended, but you gave a vote last winter which shows that ei

FAQs

Why did Crockett oppose the appropriation bill in the House?

He argued that Congress has no right to appropriate public money as charity or as payment of a debt to the deceased, because doing so would be an injustice to the living.

What event led Crockett to support a previous relief appropriation?

A major fire in Georgetown left women and children suffering and homeless; a bill was introduced to appropriate $20,000 for their relief, and he supported it at the time.

How did the voter challenge Crockett’s views during the later election period?

The voter said Crockett had given a vote that showed either misunderstanding of the Constitution or lack of honesty and firmness, stressing that the Constitution must be held sacred and strictly observed.

Oct 17, 2026

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