Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-04-16
Conscripti0n.


scription This writer protests as we do against
conscription, as an invasion of the rights of the
States, and as an engine Of military despotism-
North-Carolina, like Georgia, has responded with
aacrity to every call for troops by the President
Our State will soon have raised fifty regiments;
and Of these, thrty-eght to forty will soon be in
the field for the If the President wants forty
more for the war, he can get them but we must
insist on counters and not conseripts 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 Constitu-
ton of the Confederate States, the appointment of
the officers" Of the militia is expressly reserrsd to
the States.
Conscription was recommended and attempted
under the old government in the war Of 1872 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 !, page S7S, twas considered con-
scriptlon, intended to be equally effcacious with
the conscripton 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" It is stated, in Hill.
dreth's History of the United States, vol. 8, page
BAL 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 Federalists combined.
many of the former being hostile to it as the lat
ter. And yet the necessity for conscripton Asas
much greater then than it is now. A large party
not only opposed the declaration of war against
Great Britain but continued to oppose it during its
progress and it 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
other in raising and armiag troops for both State
and Confederate defence. There is, therefore, no
good reason for urging levy en- masss 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 roluntarily. We are indexibly
opposed to calling into the field, as hireling SOL
diers all our fighting men between eighteen and
thirty FIVE and then dsarming the remainder of the
population, as proposed by the President in his
request to Maj. Ashc. Our liberties might not,
in the end be destroyed by such course; but we
are not willing to trust any man, or any govern
ment of delegated powers, under any circumstances
with the exercise Of such power. "The price Of
liberty is eternal vigilance"
We are glad find that the press Of this State is
generally opposed to CONSUMPTION The last Fay.
ettevills Obserrer says:
$50 far as North Carolina is concerned, we car
say with pride and pleasure, tn she has gone ahead
Of all calls upon her for troops The late requst'or
is glorious example Of this Tho Governor, by
direction of the President called for re regiments
and more than ten have sprung forward. Is it 10:
cruel under such circumstances. to impress all
Is it not unjust to require, when more than art
needed are ready to go upon mere request? We
have reason to know that in portions of tn,
State, fnot ALL almost every man who ought to so is
alr ady enrolled, and gone or going Here and there
is found man with wife and half dozen to oozer
children dependent upon his labor alone for breat
|
carried off to the army? God forbid. If they all go
who is to raise food for the family, to nothing
of the army? We tell the authorities that there ar
already serious and alarming -apprehensions upol
this latter point We lately received letter from
an upper county, begging us to call attention to tn
fears felt there that there will not be la5orers enough
left lin section where there are few slaves to real
and save the crops of small grain now nearly read,
for the sickle.
Again: This measure proposes to retain, by law
all the twelve months volunteers now in the servic
(between Is and 35) in violation of the solemn Oh
legation, the plighted faith Of the State and the Con
felerate States, that they should have right to
discharge at the end of their twelve months. TIL
mere statement of such proposition brands It as
we are unwilling to use the term. But what sor
of soldiers would men make who are thus treated
We say, beware!
We would have said something on this vew-th
political view-but it is well and forcibly sal
by an eminent statesman in letter just at hand, ths
we take the liberty of substituting his languag
I instead of our own It occurs at the end of bus
y ness letter. as folow's:-
II am gratified 10 that the O6ssruer haS inds
psndence enough to object to the proposition to IT
pudiatc the paroles of released soldiers. ltpr.
poses q process of absolution, scarcely less tha
Papal But regard the recent message of the Pres
dent, asking for the power Of conscriptiom, as !
:. effect looking to a military despotisV, and al
! |
has lnaufully raised it's voice against the proscrpo
and favortism Of the administration, and the itub
a cility in office which has been its natural rcsul
r should have yielded its acqqiescence in the polio.
Give to the President standing army consisting
all male citizens between the ages of l8 and S. wit
power to call into the field many as he pleas'
" and when and where he pleases, without saying
o the Governor of a State "by your leave" and nj
only liz the Constitution subverted, but persons
liberty is no more. The power to declare aud el
force martial law, and mprson citizens nde6nite
e. without the right of ha6sas corpus to inquire n
the cause of detention, is another wide step n Il
IT same direction. A panic prevails in. the countr
ana those in authority have but to ask for power
the ground Of military necessity" and the ode
and most sacred safeguards of freedom are yields
% without question.
We must retain our self possession, aud our Ill
critics too, in the progress Of this war, or We WI
a look in vain for them at its close"