Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-11-27
The Draft In Foreign Countries and Our
Own.

dniy OF citizen is due 10 tie state.
The term "jrst' signifies oply an oc-
casional call for men, while "conscrip-
ton" indicates periodical recurrence.
| The ancient Jews had very stringent
drafting laws, hich we find recorded IN
the Bible. All men were required TO
bear arms, and the lists of exemptions
we're very Hunted. In ancient Greece
the laws on this subject attained per-
lection which leaves but little to I'M
prove upon, aud many traces OF con-
scription system are iouLd In the pages
Of Homer.
Tho period when a youth Of those
DAYS attained an age TO bear arms In
defence Of his country was celebrated
| by festivities. II he was ar orphan OF a
citizen illed in battle, hcreceiyed com
plete snit of armor, but otherwise only
a spear and shield. The term OF SER
vice in Athens was from eighteen to
!ortv, and in times of public danger SIX
~ years. Soldiers we're first required
TO support themselves, and 1t was con-
sdefed disgraccfu to fight for pay. The
Cartons we're the first 10 pay their SOL
diers, and PeIicle5 afterwards adopted
the custom Of paying town soldiers.
Slaves were attached TO the army as
hight troops and servants. To prevent
escaue soldiers were branded on the
| hands. and slaves or the forehead.
| In Rome the system Of CONSUMPTION was
very rigid. All the male citizens who
were liable to serve. we're convened IN
| the Campus Martins, when the con ~uls
made the levy ont OF the several tribes
or wards into which the citizens were
| divided. Only men Of good character
were allowed TO serve, and the Roman
soldiers, like those of Greece, fought
without paw, for glory. The term OF
service was Tor twenty five years, or the
war. The Roman army was The best the
world has ever seen. II had no baggage
| train, and the soldiers needed little but
water or wine and corn for subsistence.
| This last was dealt out to them IN the
! car, and every man ground his own corn
in small portable mill, aud baked it.
| fhis is the secret OF tue prodlgous
marches of the Roman legious, which
rendered them moro than equal to ten
tines their number.
When the Roman Empire was over
run and destroyed by the GeTmanic ma
ton, the conquerors introduced new
system OF military service, winch had
the merit of being well adapted for re-
tanning conquered provinces III suflec
,ion. by this. the privilege OF setting
| Oh land Was made to depend upon The
| military service of the occupant TO the
rhiet military robber, who, in his turn,
vas subjected TO the higher authority OF
the hing. From this sprang most OF
the evils Of mod arn society. The ac-
| tual cultlyators OF the soil found it to
| their interest to compound Tor mill
teiy service in produce and money, and
with this the petty lords were enabled
to hte regular soldiers, who became in
stiumenls OF great oppression AMI cruel
| ty. This was the beginning Of the sys-
tenn Of ieuts and land-Iogdism 10 mo !ern
society, which is tie most |, nitiu! source
Of European pauperlsm aud degrade
| ton.
In France the first Napoleon organ
ICED the military system IN nearly is
present form. AL citizens between the
ages OF twenty and twenty-five are LA
| b e to serve. Registers ale annually
made out in every department OF France
Of the young men who arrive at the
ages specified, and these again are divi-
| dcd into FIVE classes for each succeeding
year. at present they serve for five
years. Absentees net appearing within
a month after having been notified, are
| treated az guilty Of deser.ion, the pun
ishment OF which Is public or hard la
Dor, the punishment of the ball, or
death. In the punishment Of the bali,
an iron bali Of eight pounds weight, fas-
tened to an iron chaia seven feet in
length, Is attached 10 the leg OF the de-
serter He first hears lis sentence read,
remaining on his knees, and ls condemn
! ell 10 ten hours hard labor daily, and
| in the Interval Of rest is chained In sol
t2rv coufin,m ept. The duration of the
| punishment is ten years, aggravated by
! every possible mark o! ignominious ap-
| 9carance, and in eases OF contumacy it
! il prol'ngel beyond ION years, with an
additional ball fastened to the leg. It
is most impossible to obtain suhsti-
tutes, owing to the severe discipline in
the French army. The exemptions,
however, are very liberal. No one
guilty of crime is accepted. The elder
brother Of orphans, the only son, the
eldest son, or, in default of sons, the ED
est grandson Of a widow, or blind
father, arc exempt; also the elder OF
two brothers called IN the same con.
scrption is exempt; one who has a
brother in the service who is not a sub.
s'ltute, and one whose brother shall
have died on the battle field, or been
sent home wounded or diseased, IS ex-
empt.
The military system OF Prussia, how
ever, ia the most perfec. IN EuioDe.
Every citizen is a soldier, and bound to
do military duty. Between the ages Of
twenty and ;hirty-nine, every alb o-bod-
led man Is, for two years, soldier in the
regular army. After the expiration Of
his term OF service, be is attached to the
laudwebr or piliiie, and is obliged to
give up four weeks every year to drili
aud camp duty. The standing army is
small, and the chief reliance is, ncces-
sarily, the militia aad by the iudicous
sy sten OF short periods OF servlce,the So
verify of the conservation and the forced