The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-26 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR 'IN AMERICA.

(From the limey. Correspondent.)

• NEW YORK, March 13.
The question of the conectiption begins to occupy
all men's minds. 'Tine exempt and the non-exempt
are equally inter.rsted. The exempt are anxious
because if the '.'onscription fail, or be wisely re-
sisted, the Ga r:ernment will be without an available
army in thre' e months ; the non-exempt, especially
that large -class who have not 300 dols. to pay for a
substitu'te, not only dread the draft, but condemn it
on principle, and threaten to resist it. The wealthy i
non-exempt take the matter easily, and are ready
with their money whenever it may be called for;
but, as t hey will fcrm a comparatively small mino-
rity, unless the Government can so arrange affairs
as to pick them out for first duty and leave the
working men alone, the question is one that cannot
but exci to as much uneasiness in Washington as it
does among thoughtful men in this and other cities
who no ce the course of public events and watch the
temper of the people. The President must have an
r my, or th e Southern Generals will occupy Washing-
ton and dictate peace from the Capitol. The volun-
tary system is an admitted failure. The compulsory
system must therefore be resorted to, or the war
must end in a manner humiliating to the pride of
the North. But whether the North and North-
West wiil submit to the conscription in any shape
is a question. that will speedily be deeded by events.
The working population all over the country are
forming themselves into secret societies to resist it,
unless the Government shall compel the rich to
serve as well as the poor. But how this is to be
done in the face of the law just passed and without
the authority of Congress is not stated. The whole
subject is full of peril. To draft the working classes
may excite commotions difficult to allay; and to
force the rich to serve when the law allows any man
to procure a substitute for a prescribed and not one-
rous payment may excite an equally dangerous dis-
affection on the part of the trading and professional
classes, to whom a small money payment is a matter
of no importance; but who will not run the risk of
ruining their business or their profession al prospects
by personal service in the battle-field. The Polish
insurrection has inopportunely aggravated the per-
Vex.ities of the Government ; and many Democratic
jnarnals which have not yet pronounced against the
conscription in their own country are making the
Polish Revolution and the ruthless conscription
which drove the people to violence the text of com-
ments which cannot be pleasant or consolatory to
the President and his Ministers.

Another difficulty exists in the notorious cooling
down of the once overboiling enthusiasm of the
Irish and Germans. These people have had enough
of fighting, and have lost heart in the cause. The
Administration, governed by political and personal
influence, and appointing Generals to command
for other than military reasons, has not had sense
to see that it was unwise at such a moment
to throw slights on the Irish and German
officers whom it had thrust into the heat of
battle at a time when its need was the sorest. Of
the three leading German generals who offered their
services to ►he Government at the outbreak of the
war, and were gratefully accepted, not one remains
available. General Sigel, the best and bravest of
the trio, has resigned in disgust. A large number of
his men have followed his example. General Schurz
lies dangerously ill, of disease contracted in the field,
aggravated by vexation of spirit at the treatment
he received from the Government. Gen. Blenker's
tase is different. His savage notions of " beauty
and booty" were derived from the traditions of a
past age, and disgraced the cause he defended. He
is to be brought to trial for his offences against dis-
cipline and prop iety, and will probably be cashiered.
In a case so scandalous the Government could not
act in a different manner; but the result on the
Teutonic mind is none the less fatal to any hope of
much further successful recruiting among the Ger-
man population. The Irish generals are not in
greater favour at head-quarters than the German.
General Meagher, whose brigade is reduced to little
more than 1,000 men, has always been placed in
positions where the escape with life of a single bat-
talion was all but miraculous, yet he has in vain
memorialised the Secretary at War that his little
force might be relieved from duty in the front, and
sent for a time into quarters where it might have
an opportunity to recruit the health and strength
of its survivors. His request remains totally un-
heeded. His memorial is published in the Irish
America newspaper, with the indignant commen-
tary of the editors—" that it is an eternal disgrace
to the War Department to keep gallant men who have
served the country well and truly in such a position as
Meagher's Brigade now occupies—especially in view
of the unmistakable favouritism exhibited towards
other corps in no way more deserving; and that
there is a strong feeling in the public mind that if
this brigade were not so distinctively Irish it would
not have been treated with such injustice and ne-
glect." Gen. Corcoran's brigade is not yet in so bad
a plight, but neither Corcoran nor Meagher can
calculate on the favour of the War-office. American
born generals are alone to be intrusted with the
duty of saving the republic. When the Govern-
ment next appeals to the patriotism of the Irish
Americans to march against the South it is likely
to be reminded of this fact in a manner more em-
phatic than agreeable, the more especially if poor
men be compelled to fight when rich men are
allowed to stay at home.

The probability that Mr. Lincoln will enforce the
conscription has alarmed vast numbers of people. An
exodus to Canada has already commenced, com-
posed of peaceful and peaceable citizens, who hate
the smell of gunpowder, have no relish for the
mouldy bread, the putrid bacon, the shoddy clothes,
and the fever and malaria of the Rappahannock or
the Mississippi, and who perhaps would rather the
South than the North should win the victory. It
is probable for these reasons that every steamer
bound for Europe during the next two or three
months will carry a much fuller complement of pas-
sengers than it would have done under other circum-
stances, though, as exemption may be procured for
money, the number may not be so considerable as it
would have been if the conscription were more strin-
gent and more equitable. The greatest alarm pre-
vails among the poorer classes of English, Scotch,
Irish, and Germans, to whom the payment of 300
dole. would be ruin. There are thousands of these
people in New York,Philadelphia, Boston, and other
great cities, who expressed their intention immedi•
ately on arriving in America to become American
citizens, who took out what are called their "first
papers" with this object, but who, not having com-
pleted the full term of residence required to give
validity to their claim of citizenship, are still quasi-
aliens in the eyes of the law. Congress has decided
that for military purposes under the new act these
persons are to be considered full citizens, and there-
fore liable to serve. But these persons themselves
are of a different opinion. They are determined
neither to fight nor to pay ; and are in great crowds
claiming the protection of the Consuls and Ambas-
sadors of their native countries. There is, however,
but small hope for them. If they desire to return
to the allegiance they have expressed an inten-
tion to abandon,—and which, but for the war, they
would, no doubt, have abandoned—let them leave
the United States and go back to Great Britain or
Germany, which will call them to no account for
their abortive attempt to denationalize themselves,
That is the only chance left for them. If they re-
main here they must either serve, if drafted, or pay
the exemption money. There is, however, another
alternative,—that of joining the secret societies
which are springing up among the mechanics and
the working population to oppose an organised re-
sistance to the law. But this may be dangerous to
resort to in any case, and especially in the case of
hybrid citizens, neither Europeans or Americans,
and w:eo may be caught on the horns of a dilemma,
of which either horn may be fatal. Whatever hard-
ships may result to them personally, their native
Governments owe them no protection on American
soil, and are not likely to disturb the existing re-
lations of amity with the Government of the United
States for the sake of sneaks and deserters who
have virtually committed treason against their
native land by taking preliminary steps to become
citizens of another. Those natives of the British
Isles who have come here as foreigners, re-
mained as foreigners, and made no application