Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-08-12

the reply of Governor Seymour to the
Presidents letter
"ALBaNY, Aug, 8, 1868.
- To the President Of tie United States:
. received your communication of the
7th inst, to-day.
While ! recognize the concessions YOU
make, | regret your refusal to comply with
my request TO have the draft in this State
suspended until it can be ascertained if the
enrollments are made in accordance with
the laws Of Congress or with the princi-
pies of justice. | know our army needs
recruits, and for this and other reasons [
regret a decision which stands in the way
Of a prompt and cheerful movement to fill
up the thinned ranks Of our regiments.
= New YoIk never paused in her efforts
TO send volunteers TO the assistance of our
gallant soldiers in the field She has not
only met every call heretofore made,
(while every other Atlantic and New Eng
land State except Rhode Island, have
been delinquent but has continued liberal
bounties 10 volunteers when all efforts
were suspended in many other quarters.
Active excnlons are now being made to
organize new and fill up the old regiments
these exertions will be more successful if
the draft is suspended, and much better
men than reluctant conscripts viii join the
armies.
son the 9TH | advised you by letter
that | would furnish the strongest proof
OF injustice, if not fraud, in the enrolment,
IN certain quarters. ! now send the full
report made to me by Judge Advocate
Waterbury.
. am confident when you have read
1t you will agree with me that the honor
of the nation and your Administration de-
mands that the abuses which it points at
be corrected and punished You say we
are contending with an enemy who, as
you understand, drives every able-bodied
man he can reach into the ranks. very
much as the butcher drives bullocks to
the slaughter-pen.' You viii agree with
me, that even this, if impartialify done
to all classes, is more tolerable than anv
scheme which shall fraudently force a
a portion of the community into the mill
tary service by dishonest peryersion Of
the law.
. You will see by the report of Mr..
Waterbury, that there is no theory which
can explain or Justify the enrolment in
IN this State. wish to call your atten-
ton to the tables, pages five, SIX. seven.
and eight, which show in nine Congress-
ional Districts in Manhattan, Long and
Staten Islands, the number Of conscfipts
called for is 33, 72o, while in nineteen
other districts the number of conscri,ts
called for is 80, 626 This draft is TO he
made from the first class-those between
the ages of twenty and thirty-fve. 1t
appears by the census of 1860 that the
hrst nine Congressional Districts there
were l64, 797 males between twenty and
thirty-fiye, and they were called upon TO
supply 53,729 conscrlpts In the OTHER
nineteen districts, with a population of
males between twenty and thirty-five. of
279, 7S6, only 80, ,626 are demanded.
:" Again, to show the partisan character
OF the enrolment, you will find on the
2lst page of the military report if the
first nine Congressional Districts. the total
vote in 1860 was l5I,243. The num-
Der OF conscripts now demanded is TH3ty-
three thousand Secen hundred and t,reat,s-
ainc In the nineteen other districts the
total vote was 457 ,257.
. Yet those districts have maiorities in
favor OF one political party, and each of
the nine districts gave majorities in favor
OF the other party.
GU cannot and will not fail to rirbt
these gross wrongs. Truly. yours.
''HoRATro g SEYMOUR"