The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-11
How shall it be Done !?

out 300 900 militia TO aid IN putting down tfea
son, was received with enthusiasm by the whole
country, the emotion was excited mainly be-
cause of the evidence that the order gave OF The
purpose of the Government to % ahead imme-
dlately with the war, and at last make short
work of treason. few persons who are ex-
empt from military duty for any reason, and
yet who would be expected to pay bountIes
while volunteers were being called fol-, may
have rejOiced in expectation of u draft tor other
: motives than the patriotic one, hut such peraons,
we are glad to believe, are not numerous, But,
as general thing, the order for draft, while
not feared, was very soon seen to be wholly an
necessary in this vicinity, if any opportunity
Z had been first given for volunteering for nine
/ months service, and for that reason it was re.
GREETED that the alternative had not been pre-
sented, SO that those who chose might still have
had the satisfaction of feeling that their service
of their country was in no sense a compulsory
one. And it is quite evident that this opinion
is gaining ground rapidly, and that ten men are
to-day satisfied that no draft is necessary in
Vermont, where five men held that opinion one
week ago In fact, so far as our observation
extends, there is confident belief that the
quota of this State can be raised in less time, and
bv infinitely less complication and trouble, by
the system Of voluntary enlistments, as hith
erto, than by the compulsory process.
But the laws Of this State and the laws of
the Uni'ed States, and the terms of the call for
the militia, present obstacles in the way of vol
unteering which may determine our State au-
! thartles to call out the militia by lot. We
trust the Governor will avoid this. however,
il possible. We are confident if the Legis.
lature were now together they would in one
hour, so modify the act of last session as to
authorize the Governor to raise our quota of
militia by recruiting, onl y presenting the
draft as the alternative proposition. And the
Governor neta have no hesitation in acting as
though III were 5he law and the people will
with entire unanlmlty, sustain his action
1t seems to US that sur State authorities. 10
meet this general desire Of the people for an
opportunity TO volunteer, should 90 ahead with
recruiting for the militia in the same way they
have done for the three years men, fixing as
short limit of time as they may choose in
which the quota OF each town shall be filled. In
the meantime they can also get the machinery
for a draft in readiness, and use it upon thoee
towns where it may become necessary. If it is
a. ~, e. i
a course, we answer as before, that the people
will ratity the act, which will make it as good
as though authorized in advance. Besides, if
the strict letter of the law is to be followed the
process OF drafting may present obstacles as
great, or greater than the plan of volunteering.
If volunteering were resurted to, the quota Of
each town might be assigned at once, aud the
selectmen OF thu towns notified of the time when
the men must be at the rendezvous The re-
cruiting officers could then 90 to work with
field of operations distinctly defined, and with
the knowledge that the authorities of each town
were earnestly at work cooperating with them,
If ten days or two weeks time were given, We
don't believe there would be the least occasion
to use compuIsion. And if Vermont could thus
have the good name Of oeAdi 4 into tie fed,
as volunteers, her portion Of an army Of 200,
600 men, we think the number of men in the
State tina t would object 10 any little anticpa-
ton of the will Of the people in this regard.
would be too contemplate to be afraid ol
Weare aware that there is, in tie minGs OF
some pr0 demo men, another objection to yolun-
teering, on the ground that volunteers wOuId
doubtless be entitled TO, or st least receive the
State pay and aid now by law given to our three
years volunteers But we believe the State viii
not only pay all its volunteers, for any time ct
services in this war but all ts drafted men, i.
no opportunity for volunteering be given them,
the same pay and aid that it gives its soldiers
already in the field. The State may become
bankrupt but it will not, while it can raise
dollar, refuse to the men who uphold its honor
in battle the seven dollars month which it
was the first, and is still the only State to pay
to its soldiers.
And We think there need be no apprehension
hit four regiments cannot be raised in the State
at once by voluntary enistments. Two reg-
ments of three years men have been raised in
less than three weeks, and four regiments of
nine months men could be put in the field in less
time Recruiting in this State has never been
so rapid and successful as within the past