Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-05-17
For the Standard.
CONSCRIPT DISEASES.


| Mr. EDITOR: From the reading of the cOnscrpt
law, the supplemental act passed by Congress, and
the regulations Of Mr.. Secretary Randolph it would
seem that the President and his Secretary clothed
! with unlimited power, either for veal or for woe
Under the law, the President has the right to place
IN service all male persons between the ages Of
eighteen and thirty-five years. who are not legally
exempted by law. Just here, a very important in
quiry arises, what constitutes man unfit for mill
tary duty-and whether the discharges given by
Physicians without the authority of law, and dis
charges given by Surgeons under the authority Of
State laws will be regarded by the proper author
ties under the conscrpt act as legal exemptions p
The regulations of the Secretary not explicit on
the subject and hence great abuses will be prac
ticed by thousands of persons who ought to be in
the service, who will skulk behind some imaginary
feigned disease, and thereby escape their just
responsibility
Under the supplemental act exempting certain
persons &c, the Secretary is clothed with wide dis
cretionary powers. In the first part of the act he
is authorized to determine b. prescribed rules who
unfit for military duty; in the latter part of the
act, after the words superintendent, operatives
&c, the Secretary is clothed with powers and re-
soonsibilities more comprehensive than those dele
gated to him in the conscript law itself; and unless
he exercises his authority to the extent of the law,
frauds and abuses innumerabe will be pracced up
on the government.
crate on those only who in office at the time
of the passage Of the law, whether il intend
ed to be prospective in its operation? Unless the
Secretary closes the door against abuses offices and
officers, employers and employees, preachers and
school-teachers, those employed in foundries, fur
naces and factories, will be multiplied dd infnitum.
will enumerate few of the many instances of
, abuse that have heard Of from responsible gentle
men, and that have come under my own observa-
ton. Gentlemen, with all the requisites for good
soldiers have turned schoolteachers since the pas
sage of the law; one Of them, so ignorant Of the
rudiments of the English language, that doubt
whether be could spell crucfr correctly; another,
man of some position in society, has turned mail
boy; third, real sxfooter, who has been en-
gagged in the disreputabe business for years. of de-
moralizing and corrupting the community, by sell
ing mean whiskey, has been trying to become gov
eminent agent in putting up wagons fourth, is
anxious TO engage in the manufacture of leather,
at season of the year when no sane man would
engage in the business, and doubt very much
whether he has yats hides or bark Magistrates
and conStableS claim exemption upon the ground
that they are judicial and executive officers. In
iact every body-fathers, sons, nephews, and cous
ms TO the fourth generation, seem to have been
thought of and provided for, but the poor lawyers
and doctors. Why they should have been made
scape-goats for every bodys sin is passngly and I'M
accountably strange. do not mention the fact by
way of complaint, but simply for the purpose Of
showing Mr. Secretary Randolph the injustice Of the
law and asking at his hands even-handed justice to
all-the high and the low, the rich and the poor,
| alike
| There is another class Of persons not likely to
come IN tor their just share Of the burthens of the
war, unless President Davis and Secretary Ran
dolph take them under their special care it is the
rich fathers sons, nephews aud cousns-men high
| IN power who have undermined and broken up
their health by prohigacy and high living, who are
petitoning for discharges upon the plea of bad
| health. They should be required to furnish sub
stutes deposit the usual price of substitutes in
the county Treasury for the support Of the families
OF the volunteers or go into service themselves
This is no time for favoritism.
The hydraheaded monster (disease) mild and ma
lgnant internal and external, whether of solids or
nulos, OF the BRAIN bones muscles, ligaments ten
uons OF blood, has made fearful strides upon the
male part OF the human family since the passage of
ee cohscript law, and more particularly among the
Smon-pure secessionsts who were going to leave
the old North State in double-quick time and water
the eonsecrated soil Of South Carolina with their
precious blood. Judging from their physiognomy
and cadaverouS complexion about this time one
would hardly suppose there was much FIGHT in them
and less blood The vital fluid has been converted
INTO serum or rum, and their bravery into coward.
ice oy the conscript law and the name of a Yankee
! know one boiling-hot gentleman who declared
'pas ne could swallow seventeen Yankees at dose
without nauseating his capacious stomach-who il
no" So chilled with fear that he would do for a re
H'Seralor 10 make ice-cream in the month Of Au
gust announcer declared that he would live under
no government where Tom, Dick or Harry had no