Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-08-30
5ftni-H)efktu gtanaarh,
REMAkKs OF MR.. GATHER,
Or NoRrH.CARoLINA,

Dslioerea IN the Rouse Of Representatives., on sse
esd Of A4gust, on the f'ropOsit'o" to e1te"a ees
Cdnscripti0R Iato. -..
Mr.. Gather said, he did not wish to discuss the
ponsttutionality or policy of the CONSUMPTION law
of the last session at this time ss he had on for
1ner occasion given his views upon that question,
and had voted against the passage OF the law mat
although he had voted in the negative and believed
the CONSUMPTION law to be in violation of the Con-
stitution he had at all times and upon all occasions
since its passage advised and advocated obedience
to its provisions This manner of raising an army
is by no means q favorite mode in North-Carollna-
Many of her most distinguished men and ableSt
lawyers doubt its her people,
generally, greatly prefer the usual mode by volun-
tary enlistment Her people, however, have silent
" acquiesced in its execution, and have made no
factious opposition to its operation And | now do
not wish to interfere with that law further than to
amend some of its provisions to make 1t more ell.
f1cient for the purposes intended. The law coulo
not now be repealed without disorganzlng our army
and greatly preudicing the public interest, and en-
dangering the defence of the country. The ques-
ton before the House is not the repeal or modifca
ton of that law but the enactment OF new law on
the same subject The resolution before the House
proposes to refer that part of the Presidents mes
sage in relation to the conScrpt law to the commit
tee on Military Affairs and the honorable chairman
of that committee, Mr.. Miles, having heretofore IN
troduced bill to extend the provisions of the con-
scription law to all persons between the ages of 50
and 45. which was referred to the same committee;
the honorable gentleman from Tennessee by his
amendment which is now pending, proposes to in
struct the committee to report adversely to the bill
introduced by the chairman of the committee, but
to ascertain what additional troops the present ext
gencies of the country demanded, and to report
bill directing the President to call upon the respec-
tive States for their proportion of such troops to be
raised, organized and differed under State laws.
Mr. Miles, of South Carolina, interrupted Mr.
Gather, and asked him the question, "lf We do not
extend the CONSUMPTION law how do you propose to
fill up the regiments already in the field, many of
which reduced to mere skeletons"
Mr.. Gather, in reply, said that question presents
no difficulty The present law, if faithfully execu-
ted will fill up the most if not all the regiments to
their maximum number. And we have law now
upon the statute book authorizing the recruiting of
the different regiments, which has not been gener
ally executed, but need no conscript law for
that purpose. If the committee on military affairs
shall decide that We should raise two three hun
dred thousand more troops, let them report bill
for q requisition upon the States for that number,
and let the committee either in that bill, or by
another, provide that at all times hereafter, in all
cases. when the ments of any State shall become
reduced and decimated by disease or the casual
ties Of to destroy impair their efficiency,
that i: shall be the duty of the President to make
requisitOn upon the Governor Of the State from
which the regiment has been sent for number suf-
feent to restore the regiment to its usual efficiency.
am pleased that this proposition to instruct the
committee has been introduced, and that the vote
upon it will test the opinion of the House. The
question is presented directly whether the raising
of our armies by CONSUMPTION is to be the permanent
policy Of the government, or whether We will again
return to the mode adopted by the Provisional Gov
eminent and the one adopted on all occasions by the
Government of the United States from the days Of
the revolution to the period of separation. The
late law was FASTENED through Congress at its last
session upon the plea of absolute and overruling
cessity, but no such plea can be urged now. The
President and Secretary of War; both indicate clear
ly in their recent communications to Congress- that
there is no present or immediate necessity for this
call for additional troops. | am of opinion that we
should make some provision for additional troops
before we adjourn, but there reason for unnec-
essary haste The original mode of authorizing the
President to call upon the States for what troops
were necessary to be raised, organized and differed
by the State authority and State laws is familiar to
our people, and all such calls heretofore have been
responded to promptly by all the States of the Con-
federacy. This new mode by Consumption, is high
ly distasteful to many, and tends to produce excite
ment and dissatisfaction with the government. 1t
does not appear to be just TO citizens to coerce
them into service which they are willing to enter
voluntarily; that because the citizen is between Ger
tain ages he is to be enrolled, willing or unwilling
without being informed that his country needs hi>
services, and without any opportunity given him to
tender them. In the debate on this subject on yes
terday, 1t was insisted by gentlemen that there
was no odlum or disgrace in being conscrpt; and,
perhaps there should not be- but public opinion has
attached odlum and disgrace to it, and each con.
script feels that he is degraded by the manner H.
which he has been brought into the public service
and that he is doomed receive the taunts of his
feiloW-soldiers who have been fortunate in en-
terlnS the service volunteers. The Convention
State 70 tfa
conscrpt upon an equality with the volunteer as
Tar as possible, by ordaining that each conscript
should receive from the State the like bounty with
the volunteer of fifty dollars In my State We have
a law authorizing the Governor to respond to any
call for troops by the President during the war, and
upon such requlstion it is the duty of the Governor
to cause to be ordered out each regiment of the mil
lila, and If the necessary number of volunteers can
not be obtained, to draft for the remainder
ms appears to be the true and just mode of rails
ing troops Give the citizen the opportunity of vol
unteerlng, and if ne will not then draft. The gov
eminent has right to call for the services of all
her citizens and even their blood if necessary to
sustain its honor and safety; but in doing So the
rights the interest," honor and character of the cit
zen should be observed and respected as far as DOS
slble. am not opposed to this call for additional
troops, but to the proposed mode of raising them.
II IS necessary to call for three hundred thousand
men, Will Touch for my State furnishing her pro-
proportion soon as any other State in the Con-
1ederacy But Mr. Chairman, cannot vote for the
extension OF the conscript law SO as to embrace all
OF our citizens over the age of thiry6ve and under
iorty five, for the reason that do not believe that
we have the constitutional power to pass such {.
law and if we had, would not surrender the au-
ttnorlty which the Constitution gives the several
otateS over their militia to the Executive Depart-
ment of the Confederate government Let the States
retain the power and authority over their militia
winch Is retained and reserved in the Constitution
Tor their own security and safety of their citizens
For the Standard.
Mr. EDToR:-Nould your readers like pro-
mlscuous communication from old Buncombe |? If
80, here goes Wheat is badly injured from the Of
fectS Of SiI,I,k ..l,-SS u -