The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-08-01
The Reasons why Enlistments Progress
so Slowly,

Great concern is felt here at the slow
manner in which the 10000 troops are
coming in. At the rate at which enlist
ments have been made, we will have only
100000 men raised by the end Of October;
200 900 men bv the end of next Februa-
~ and the whole 100000 will no; be in
the field before this time next year. The
following are some of the reasons which
deter men from eniisting:
1. The practice Of keeping military hos
pitfalls in large cities. Jn all the large east
ern cities, there are hundreds Of manned
and sick soldiers congregated. The sight
Of these unfortunate men, without arms.
without legs, with their eyes put out or
their noses cut off, or hobbling about on
crutches, has a very depressing effect up
on the spirits Of ardent young meu, who
would otherwise enlis.. All such sights
should be kept out of the public view.
., Because the good old practice Of send
ing around the recruiting officer, with his
banner, his music and his band of recruits,
all dressed in new and handsome uniforms,
and the drums, flies, clarions and trumpets
making the air resonant with the notes of
glory and the battle field is no longer kept
up. Ifthis gittering representation Of the
pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious
war was continually presented to the sight
and hearing of our young men, i. would
again. as it did once, draw thousands to
The national standard.
3. 1t is generally understood that the
administration has decided in favor Of
emancipating and armng the slaves, and
of eniSting negroes to serve on the same
footing az white soldiers to give them
the same uniform, the same arms, the same
pay, the same bounty. and the same pen
sions, as :he white soldiers. This NAV be
very w.e and sagacioUs, but the white
men of the country don't see it. and
hence .heir unwilinguess to be degraded
by serving side by side with negroes.
4. The people of the North have seen,
at first with amazement, then with anger,
and now with disgust, that the administra
ton, has not taken the necessary measures
to release from captivity the thousands of
their brothers. sons and neighbors who
nave Ucci iOl il'ollHS t'JuliItNI III IpASil>
some dungeons at the South. Every few
months the public is deceived by lying
bulletin from the War Department an
nouncing that "the government has decid-
ed upon plan for general exchange Of
prisoners - but only few days elapse be-
fore it is found out that the 6 agreement
was only made by one party, and that its
terms were so absurd that the other party,
the rebels, rejected it. Whenever the al
ministration can comprehend the vast pro
portions Of the war, and can have sense
enough to see that we really ere at war.
and to carry on the war according to the
rules Of war. then It will be seen that we
must exchange prisoners with the rebels
on equal terms. man Cor man, rank for
rank The rebels have always been wills
ing to do this, and viii do it row. But
the men who are now in power here, in or
der to CRAFTY their maiignirv against one
or two southern Generals whom the for
tune of war has placed in our hands have
proclaimed that under no circumstances
will these men be exchanged, but that they
will be kept, and hung, when. really, these
men are no more guilty than many other
prisoners.
Only few dars ago, in order to en-
courage enlistments. the administration
caused to be circulated the statement that
" the government had decided on a gene
raj exchange Of prisoners There was
not word of truth in the statement
No arrangement for general exchange Of
prisoners has llcen made, nor is it likely
that any will be made as long as Mr.. Lin
coin is under :ha Influence Of Mr.. Seward
and Mr. Stanton. Seward will never con
sent to recognize the rebels as beligerents:
he cannot vet comprehend that we are at
war. 1t nearly Killed him TO be obliged
10 give up the southern priyateers. whom
he had pompously announced were 10 be
regarded as pirates and hung rs such.
Bat as long as the young men Of the
North see that the government don't seem
to care ANYTHING about them after they
have been taken prisoners, and will take
no steps to release them, they will not feel
Ike enlisting. They are willing TO brave
the dangers of the battle field, and :he
hardships and privations Of camp life; but
they are not willing to rot for years in
southern dungeons.
5. Another thing that Giscourages en-
!stments is the fact that, although the war
has now lasted fifteen months. it is, appa>
rentIy, as far from being ended now as it
was when it began.
6. Finally. enlistment IargIiahes be
cause the administration has 10 defined
policy, either in the conduct Of tie war, or
in the manner in which the States are 10
he treated after they are restored to the
Union. Up to this time, no less than a
million Of the young men Of the North
have entered the army, of whom probably
900 00G are in arms now But the men
who are now called on to enlist are the
men who, for six months past, have been
ponderirg on the question, Whist is this
war for :" For The restoration ofthe Tn
ion as il existed before the war began -
Yet they see that the administration
and the dominant party in Congress have
been steadily pursuing a course Of policy
which viii forever prevent the reconstruc-
tion Of the Union. The men who are now
depended on to enlist have seen with dis
NAV, for months past. the persistent at