The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-09-18

StS3o have convened you at this time
in order to lay before you several mat
tiers Of great public Importance, which,
in nv opinion, require immediate &C
ton on your part. In this time OF PuOllc
commotion and danger 1t behooVeS Us
all. and especially those who are piac-
ed at the head of the commonwealth TO
examine carefully and closely our Sit
uatlon, and if possible, to guard against
dangers that may suddenly arise, and,
finding us unprepared, bring upon US
endless troubles and misery. In tIl'
respect we have learned much Will
in the last year. ,oe4b.
Had the full extent and power OF Che
Southern rebellion been UNDERSTOOD py
the Ioyal people--had their tuli strengIh
been sooner called into actlylty-We
sbonId not now have to lament the re-
cent reverses of our armies, and again
see our capital beleagured and in dan
ger. When, prior to your adj ourn,-
ment, the President Of the United
States had called for an additional 49,
600 men to strengthen our national ar
nv, we all fondly hoped that that
would be the last call for troops, and
rested in perfect security, relying up
on the army then in the fold and the
latent power of the North. We were
sadly mistaken. 100000 more men
have since then been called tor, ana
while every exertion is made to Send
them to the rescue, our army Is coins
PEELED to retreat before an enemy SUI
perior in numbers.
It is evident that, 10 meet further
calls, it is necessary to rely upon 2
system Of drafting or conscriptlon,and
whatever may have been the popular
prelude againsts this ystem, itwlll soon
be generally conceded that 1T lsthe true
and best mode of speedily calling out
the militarypower Of the country. But
in order to make this system Just,
eouitable and effective one, Legislation Is
necessary. When the call of the press
dent was made for 5000 drafted mill
tia no law existed,o does now exist IN
our State, for drafting, and hence | had
to rely upon regulations ofthe war de-
partment to answer the call The ems
rollment of the militia had for years
been neglected In cur state, and all
though | had long before called upon
assessors to make the enrolment as re-
auired, found that, in the absence OF
proper regulations for that purpose,
such enrolment would be utterly in
confp1ete and inefficient. Prompt ac-
ton was necessary, and hence, in
strueted the sheriffs of the counties to
make the enrolment, which is proba.
bly, now completed throughout the
State.
The apportiontment of the number
of men required from each town, city,
ward, or county should have been baS-
ed upon the number Of men liable to
military duty therein, but in the abb
sence Of any enrolment, | could only
make snch appointments according
to the number Of inhabitants Volun-
teering being permitted to a given date
only by the genera! government to APP.
ply on the drafted militia, it became
necessary to assign at least to each
county its quota of men Immediately,
and that could only be done according
to the number of inhabitants; and even
now it will not be practicable to make
another pportiontment, as that would
require returns of the enrolled militia
from the entire State, which have not
vet reached us, and further delay than
is absolutely necessary would not be
warranted by the critical condition OF
our country. Whatever number, there
fore, may be required to fill our quota
for the past calls of the government,
will have to be drafted under regula-
tions already made.
1t seems also hardly proper, and
certainly is contrary to the regulations
dictated by long experience Of other
countries, where CONSUMPTION has all
ways and does now exist, that all able
bodied men between the ages ofeight>
teen and forty five years should be
called upon to draw lots without any
regard to other circumstances. In my
view,men between eighteen and thirty
five years of age should first be called
out and that class exhausted before
men between thirty-fYe and forty>five
should be compelled to go. A distinc~
ton might also properly be made be-
Nv CSh Ald1llGNl anu uEIJtdIiltu IIlGD. GA
emptions should be maed, as in all civil,
lied countries, in certain cases where OF
the same family several are already in
the service and one has remained at
home as the supporter of the family.
A few weeks ago the public was star
tied and shocked by the news Of an
Indian raid and massacre IN one of our
neighboring States. This attack of the
saVages in Minnesota, was followed
Immediately by calls upon me from our
own frontier In the northern and north
western part of the State, for arms
ammunition and men. So far as lay
inmy power, ] Immediately andprompt.
ly answered those calls by sending all
our State arms and all the ammunition
at my disposal, into the regions threat
ened with danger; but in the absence
of any military organization under
sanction of law, had to trust these
arms to some relible man in the differ
ent localities. There are thousands
of Indians in our State lowering upon
the frontier settlements. Evidence has
been furnished to me that leaves little
doubt IN my mind that all the north
ern tribes of Indians, including those
in our own State, have been tempered
with by southern emissariesin the ems
ploy of the rebels, to induce them to
form league and to commence wars
fare upon the border softhe loyalStates
The recent outbreak in Minnesota, /
am well satisfied, must be ascribed to
rebel influence.
The fearful consequences of an un>
eXpe cted attack of these savages upon
oar peaceful communities can hardly |
be imagined; but the recent panic in
some of the most densely populated