Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-04-12
CONSUMPTION.

an able aud interesting article the subject of con-
scription This writer protests as we do against
CONSUMPTION, as an invasion Of the rights of the
States, and as an engine of military despotism.-
North-Carona, like Georgia, has responded with
ala:rity to every call for troops by the President
Our State will soon have raised fifty regiments;
and of these thirty eight to forty will soon be in
the field for the war. If the President wants forty
more for the war, he get them but we must
insist Uolunteers and not conscripts and these
volunteers must be guaranteed the constitutional
right of choosing their officers according to the plan
adopted by the State Volunteers for the war are
simply militia for the war; and by the Consttu-
tion Of the Confederate States, the appointment of
the officers" Of the militia is expressly reserred to
the States.
Consumption was recommended and attempted
under the old government in the war of 1912. In
October, 1914, it was proposed by Mr.. Monroe, act.
ing Secretary of War; that the free male population
of the United States should be formed into classes
of one hundred men each-each class to furnish a
certain number of men for the war, and replace
them in the event Of casualty if any class proved
delinquent, the men to be raised by draft on the
whole class. "This plan," says the Statesman's
Manual vol. l, page S73, twas considered con-
scriptlon, intended to be equally eficacious with
the CONSUMPTION established in France by Bonaparte
1t was opposed as unconstitutional oppressive and
absurd, and when modified and introduced in the
Senate, by Mr. Giles, in the form of bill for the
raising of eighty thousand men, after long debate
and great efforts BY the friends of the administra
tion the measure could not be carried through Con-
gresS, and of course failed" 1t is stated, in Hill
dreths History of the United States, VOL 3, page
Sal, that Mr.. Wright of Maryland and other vehe-
ment war men were as jealous as the Federalists
in their opposition to this measure. Indeed, it was
defeated by Republicans and Federasts combined,
many of the former being hostile to it the lat
ter. And yet the necessity for CONSUMPTION was
much greater then than it is now. large party
not only opposed the declaration of war against
Great Britain but continued to oppose it during its
progress and with difficulty that troops could
be raised in some Of the States. Such is by no
means the case in this war. The people generally
in favor of it and the States have Wed with each
other in raising and arming troops for both State
and Confederate defence There is, therefore no
good reason for urging levy nlasss on the peo-
pie; and it is both wicked and dangerous to at
tempt to force free men to do what they have been
doing, and will do voluntarily. We are ihfexibly
opposed to calling into the field, hirellng SOL
diers, all our fighting men between eighteen and
thirty five and then disarming the remainder of the
population proposed by the President in his
request to Maj. Ashe. Our liberties might not,
in the end, be destroyed by such course; but we
are not willing to trust any man, or any govern
~ tod md
with the exercise of such power. THE price of
liberty is eternal vigilance"
We are glad to find that the press o: this State is
generally opposed to CONSUMPTION. The last Fay
ettevlle Observer says:
$50 far as North Carolina is concerned we can
say with pride and pleasure, that she has gone ahead
of all calls upon her for troops The late requsiton
is a glorious example of this The Governor by
direction of the President called for fire regiments,
and more than ten have sprung forward Is it no.
cruel under such circumstances to impress all:
Is it not unjust to require, when more than are
needed ready to go upon a mere request! We
have reason to know that in some portions of the
State fnot all almost every man who ought to go is
already enrolled, and gone or going Here and there
is found with wife and half dozen to dozen
children dependent upon his labor alone for bread
and his presence for protection; shall such men be
carried off to the army2 God forbid. If they all go,
who is to raise food for the family, to nothing
of the armyP We tell the authorities that there are
already serious and alarming apprehensions upon
this latter point We lately received 4 letter from
upper county, begging to call attention to the
fears felt there that there will not be la5orerS enough
left lin section where there few slaves) to reap
and save the crops of small grain nearly ready
for the sickle.
Again: This measure proposes to retain, by law,
all the twelve months volunteers now in the service
between Is and 35) in violation of the solemn OBJ
lgation the pghted faith of the State and the Con-
ederate States that they should have right, to
discharge at the end of their twelve months. The
mere statement of such proposition brands It as
we are unwilling TO use the term But what sort
of soldiers would men make who are thus treated
We say, beware!
We would have said something on this view-the
political vew-but it is so well ana forcbly said
by an eminent statesman in letter just at hand, that
we take the liberty of substituting his language
instead of our own. 1t occurs at the end OF bust
ness letter, as follows
liam gratitied to see that the Observer has indie
pendencc enough to object to the proposition to
pudiate the paroles of released soldiers. 1t pro-
poses a process of dissolution, scarcely less than
Papal But regard the recent message of the Presi-
dent asking for the power OF consumption, as IN
effect looking to a military despotiSm, and | am
| greatly surprised that the Richmond Wing, which
has maufully raised its voice against the prescription
and favortisn of the administration, and the lnoe-
cility in Office which has been its natural result,
should have yielded its acquescence in the policy.
Give to the President standing army consisting Of
all male citizens between the ages Of IL and 30, with
power to call into the field as many as he peases
| and when and where he pleaseS without saying to
| the Governor of State "by your leave" and not
only is the Constitution subverted, but personal
liberty is no more The power to declare and en-
force martial law, and imprison citizens indefinitely
without the right of haboaS corpus to inquire into
| tha e sc thnr VII
same direction. A panic prevails in the country,
anu those in authority have but to ask for power
the ground of military necessity" aud the oldest
and most sacred safeguards of freedom are yielded
without question.
| We must retain self possession, and our lib.
critics too in the progress Of this war, or we Will
! look in vain for them at its close"