Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-09-03
Tbt Stau9ar1. o
II, RKs OF MR.. GATHER,
Or NenTR. CARoLINA.

3eLlreTEl
ssS cf Iusrss, on the propositlsn to eztsnd the
Conscription lao.
Mr. q yer said, he did not wish to dis1116 the t
onsttutlo 6lity or policy Of the conscrip ~ law
# the last sion at this time as he had on for
ner occasion give S views upon that question,
md had voted againgl the passage of the law. That
although he had voted in the negative and believed
The CONSUMPTION law to be in violation OF the Con-
stituton, he had at all times and upon all occasions
since its passage, advised and advocated ooeolence
to its provisions This manner of raising an army
is by no means a. favorite mode m North-CaFoiha.
MANY of her most distinguished men and ablest !
LAWYERS doubt its constitutonality her people,
generally, greatly prefer the usual mode by volun-
tary enlistment. Her people, however, have silent
lv scouiesced in its execution, and have made no
fsctious opuosition to its operation. And now do
not wish to interfere with that law further than to
amend some Of its provisions to make it more ef-
fcient for the purposes intended The law could
not now be repealed without dsorganizing our army
and greatly prsiudcing the public interest and en-
dsngering the defence of the country. The ques-
ton before the House is not the repeal or moditica
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 conscript 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 80
and a. which was referred to the same committee;
the honorable gentleman from Tennessee, by his
amendment which is now pending, proposes to IN.
strucs 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 q
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, -" If we do not
extend the CONSUMPTION law, how do you propose to
fill up the regiments already in the field, many of
which are 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 we need no conscript law for
that purpose If the committee on military affairs
shall decide that we should raise two or three hun
dred thousand more troops, let them report bill
for a requistion 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 regiments of any State shall become
so reduced and decimated by disease or the casual
ties cf war as to destroy impair their efficiency,
that il shall be the duty of the President to make
requisitlon upon the Governor of the State from
which the regiment has been sent for number sui:
fcent 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 Tie
question is presented directly whether the raising
of our armies by CONSUMPTION is to be the permanent
policy of the government, or whether will again
return to the mode adopted by the Provisional Gov
eminent and the adopted all occasions by the
Government of the United States from the days of
the revolution to the period of our 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 present or immediate necessity for this
call for additional troops l am of opinion that We
should make some provision for additional troops
before adjourn but there is no reason for
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
y dstasteful 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
tain ages he is to be enrolled willing or unwilling
without being informed that his country needs his
tender them; I'm the debate on this subject on yes
terday it was insisted by some gentlemen that there
was no odium or disgrace in being conscript; and,
perhaps there should not be- but public opinion has
attached odium and disgrace to il, and each con-
script feels that he is degraded by the manner in
which he has been brought into the public service
and that he is doomed to receive the taunts of his
fellows soldiers who have been more fortunate in en-
tering the service as volunteers. The Convention
in my State very properly endeavored to put the
conscrlpt upon an equality with the volunteer as
far as possible, by ordaining that each conscrip
should receive from the State the like bounty with
the volunteer of fifty dollars In my State we have
\ law authorizing the Governor to respond to any
call for troops by the President during the war; anc
upon such requist!on it is the duty of the Governor
to cause to be ordered out each regiment of the mil
itia and if the necessary number of volunteers can
not be obtained to cause a draft for the remainder
This appears to be the true and just mode of rails
ing troops Give the citizen the opportunity of vol
unteering, and if he will not then draft The gov
ernment has right to call for the services Of al
her citizens, and even their blood, if necessary, t
sustain its honor and safety; but in doing So tn
rights, the interest honor and character of the cit
zen should oe observed and respected as tar as pos
sible | am not opposed to this call for additions
troops, but to the proposed mode of raising them
ft is necessary to call for three hundred Thousand
men, will vouch for my State furnishing her pro
proportion as soon as any other State in the Con
federacy. But, Mr.. Chairman, cannot vote for tn
extension of the conscript law SO as to embrace al
Of our citizens over the age of thirty five and unda
forty five for the reason that do not believe tina
we have the constitutional power to, pass such
law; and if We had, would not surrender the au
thority which the Constitution gives the sevcra
States over their militia to the Executive Depar,
ment OF the Confederate government. Let the State
reta'n the power and authority over their militia
winch is retained and reserved in the Constitu:io
LOT 'nsr own security and safety Of their citizens
For the Standard.
ME-. EDIroR:-7vould your readers like a pro
mScuous communication from old Buncombef
SO, here goes. Wheat is badly injured from the 81
fscts Of smut, rust, and other anim.al,-about hal
crop. Oats an entire failure. Don't know muc
about the 'backer crap" as never ate the .r;tss,
We have had an abundant crop of berries G" uss'
there will be scarcity of blackberry vine in .hes
"diggings" if, and if We are quite dron,hv ei :;
this section. Corn is suffering very much ~,