The New York herald., 1862-08-27
Volunteer. yersu. conscript..


Volunteers Versus Conscripts.
The government at Washington have appoint
ed the Sd Of September for the draft in all the
States; but as many of the States will have
ready by that time their quota Of the 100000
volunteers for three years or the war, and their
quota Of volunteers for the draft Of 10000
militia for nine months-and some have the
double quota ready even now-it is deemed ex-
pedient, for many reasons, to defer drafting for
short period, till it Is ascertained whether all
the States will not send to the war thejnpropor
tions Of the 600, 900 men required a. volunteers,
instead Of half of them drafted troops Several
Of the Governors have, for that purpose, already
postponed the draft, by permission Of the go
vernment For instance, the Governor of
Maine has extended the time to the 10th
of September; the Governor Of Indiana to the
18th, and it is understood the Governor of New
York will extend it to the 18th. IHdeed, 1t is
impossible to have the roll for this State
prepared sooner than the middle Of next
month.
The feeling in favor of volunteering, and
against the draft, is almost universal in the
loyal States; and there can be no doubt that, If
the government get all the men they want as
fast as they need them, volunteers would be in
fnitely preferable to conscripts. More troops
are now being offered Than the government can
properly organize, arm and equip; and If they
continue to pour in at the same rate the draft
probably will not be carried into effect.
All that the government can desire
is to receive men as fast as they
are in position to use them; and, for the supe-
rior efficiency of the troops and the credit of
with an army Of enlisted recruits than an army
of drafted men forced into the service The
effect in Europe, too, would be very different.
If, within ninety days from the time that the
President called for 100000 men, that number
should be enrolled, armed and equipped, the
nations would stand amazed at our military re-
sources, and at the same time be fully con-
vinced of the unalterable determination of the
republic to put down the rebellion, and of the
certain success that must attend the rapid de-
velopment of such power.
The chief objection to volunteering in prefe-
renee to the draft is that the abolitionists, who
have been equally active with the Southern Sc
cessonists in bringing on the war, would be
thus exempted from the perils of battle, which
they will take good care to avoid as long as
they can. But they will answer for a reserve,
and when the government needs men it must
take them without scruple. Greeley says there
are 100000 Of them who have never yet smell
ed powder or pulled trigger. If it be neces-
sary to fall back on them, they must be taken
in preference to niggers; and if they should
never be needed to fight, future
Congress will consider the propricty of
imposing special war tax upon every able
bodied man between eighteen and forty-lve
years Of age who has not volunteered to fight
for the Union. Meantime, democrats and con-
servatives, who have their hearts in the cause
and hold the salvation Of the Union paramount
to The success Of fanatical idea, or even TO the
triumph Of a party, will fight far better than
those who have devoted their lives tQ the de-
structon of the glorious political fabric erected
by Washington, Jefferson, Madison and their
compatriots.
In the next place, as regards the interests Of
the country pending the rebellion, the draft
will bear no comparison with the volunteer
system. The indiscriminate draft adopted
makes no distinction between the unmarried
man and him who has wife and children to
support This is manfestly contrary to sound
policy. In all European countries where there
are large armies and conscription is necessary,
there is the incest distinction made between the
different grades of persons liable to be drafted.
First, the young unmarried man, who has no
relatives depending upon him for support; then
the unmarried man who may have a mother or
sisters or infant brothers to take care of then
the married man without children; then the
married man with only one child, and the mar
ried man with two or three children. BY these
wise gradations families are not ruined and
made paupers of by taking their heads away,
and the country is better served; for the young
unmarried man makes the best soldier. Here
regulation for the draft if ever drafting should
become necessary again.
There can be no difficulty in getting the
second levy of 100000 as volunteers for nine
months; for the farmers and agricultural labor
ers-the very best fighting material-have now
for the most part done with their work, and by
enlstng for the fall and winter months, when
they have little or nothing to do, the rebellion
will be crushed by next spring, and they can
then return to their farms again in time for the
sowing and planting of the next crop, and that
with the proud consciousness that they have
saved the republic. With the overthrow of re-
belion and disunion South and North, prosperi-
ty will come back, every interest will revive,
trade aud commerce and manufactures will
flourish again. and America will continue to be
in the future, as she has been in the past, ''the
envy Of surrounding nations and the admiration
Of the world"
IN L.1,I IIur,x