Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-04-05
PRESIDENT. messas,-con,crin,iop.

via alluded to in our last the subject of conscrp-
ton. The messagew was briefly debated in Congress,
and then referred to the military committee. with
instructions to report 80
In the Senate Mr. Clark, of Missouri, Mr.. Spar
row, of Louisiana, aud Mr. Wigfall, Texas advoca-
ted the proposition contained in the message, and
Mr. Oldham, of Texas, opposed it. The latter said
he did not believe that Congress had the power ex
cept through the Intervention of the States to force
citizens into the Confederate army. Mr. wrgfall
replied maintaining that this power in the Confed
crate government was full and conclusive He said
the volunteering system had failed, and that b" no
troops can be effectively carried into the field who
elect their officers" He said:
We need large army. How are you to get 1t:
Take these conscrpt soldiers and put them into the
old regiments This was Nspoleon's plan. No man
has any indiyual tights which in conflict with
the welfare of the country. The government has
as much right to exact military service as it has to
collect tax to pay the expenses of the government
The people will not volunteer to fill up the old reg
iments We want no new regiments-we hav'nt
time to train them. We want trained troops and
the only way to bring an effective force in the field
is to fill up the skeleton regiments by cnscription,
and keep them full The safety of our liberty and
our homes require that shall do this 1t will
not do to talk about the justice OF cause the ia
YOUR of Providence or the aid Of foreign nations
We must have heavy battalions. We have to con-
tend against powerful nation, which exhibits the
desperation of gambler who stakes all that he pos
sesses. We are waiting here for Providence or for
elgn governments, TO help us. We lean upon
"broken reed"
Mr.. Oldham, in his reply, said:
That it the was object and theory of our gov
eminent and preserve the liberties the peo
pie. If they are to be destroyed. he didn't care
fig whether it effected by the General or State
Government. This system of CONSUMPTION prevailed
only in the despotisms Of Europe. England never
did and never will resort to it If Parliament were
to attempt to establish It the result would be the
overthrow Of the government. Ours is free gov
eminent, resting upon the consent Of the people
and to require that every man between eighteen and
thirty five should perform military service without
the consent Of his State would be destructive of the
liberties OF the people. Was it ever conceived of
before, by the widest imagination, that such power
was conferred upon Congress? The gentleman
Mr. WigfalD says that Washington, Jefferson and
others favoured the exercise Of this power. He had
heard great names called up before to sanction great
sins. Did Washington ever propose to convert this
country into one great camp? Mr.. Oldham said he
had great confidence in the President, but if Wash
ington himself were living and endowed with all
the virtues ascrlbed to him. he would not put the
liberties of the people into his hands. Our PreSi-
dent might not abuse the power, but some future
military chietain mig ht avail himself of the prece
dent to do So"
The plan proposed is thus: "All persons resi-
ding within the Confederate States between the
ages of eighteen and thirty five years and rghtully
subject to military duty shall be held to be in the
military serricc Of the Confederate States" This,
then, includes all the volunteers now in service
for twelve months, whose terms have not expired.
As the terms of the regiments expire, all thir
tYfve years of age are to be released and all be-
tween the ages Of eighteen and thrty-ive to be
forei6y retained and the regiments to be filed
up by the conscripts, who to have no voice in
the election of their officers North Carolina, for
example, has some thirteen to fifteen thousand
troops for the war; and some twenty three or twen-
ty-four regiments for twelve months, whose terms
will expire within the next four or five months :;
and her authorities are engaged and success
fully engaged, in putting in the field her full quota
of thirty. seven thousand FIVE hundred for the
war; expecting to raise and retain at the same time
some twelve thousand troops for State defence
| When North-Carolna raised her regiments for twelve
months and rendered tn EN- to the Confederate gov
| eminent, she made solemn contract with those
regiments that they should be discharged, if they
| should so desire at the end of the time specified ;
and tue Confederate government in accepting these
! regiments, became party to this contract Now
it is proposed to eak this contract to the great
er portion of the men composing those egiments,
! and to force them to serve during the war We
protest not only against the bad faith involved in
this proposition but against the blow aimed at the
rights of the States by this attempt to reach out the
arm of Confederate power, and take citizens for
/ ~ fhaS fata
authorities without consulting those author
tiles. If this proposition should be adopted it will
disorganize the existing militia systems of the
States, put stop to all volunteering and far
the cooperation of our State authorities with the
| Confederate government in raising troops is con-
cerned it will arrest that at once and the latter
| government viii raise troops and conduct the war
without regard to State lines or State authority
! The Confederate government it is true, possesses
| the power to "raise and support armies" But it
| was never supposed for moment that this power
included the right to call en- for men for the
war, without regard to the cooperation authori-
| ty of the States themselves. Such a power was
never before exercised or claimed in this country.
If claimed and exercised now, it will be done in vo-
lation Of the spirit Of the Constitution and in dero-
CATION of the rights of the States This is our judg
ment and we do not hesitate to utter it. This is
| the peoples war, and not war to be waged by
forced levies. If the people will not volunteer
su1icienknumbers to carry it on, and to repel the
| invader, then let them bear the consequences But
they hare volunteered and they ~iH volunteer in
greater numbers than can be armed and managed.
If the President the Secretary of War, or those
who have the management of the war, had acted
with that foresight sagacity, and energy which the
country had the right to expect of them, we should
now have FIVE hundred thousand men in the field,
ready to meet the foe. But twelve months ago. it
is said, the President thought that fifteen thousand
men would be sufficient; and the Secretary of War
and others high in place. were constantly assuring
the country that the blockade would soon be raised