Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-07-30
The Conscrintiom.

Well disposed people will not for a moment
sanction opposition to law. This restrsins
wise and enlightened Legislators from fasten-
ing obnoxious laws upon tho people. And
when discretionary power is given to suspend
or enforce, tho enforcement Of obnoxious
laws, when the necessity 10 not imperative, is
simply the needless and wicked defiance Of
public sentiment.
The enforcement OF the cOnscripton, in the
present excited state of public feeling against
1t, can only lie justified upon the grounds that
the additional force Il will bring into the field
is necessary for the suppression OF the rebel
lion, and that il cannot be raised by any
other means Being now, we have been
from the time the proclamation was issued
skeptical as to whether any force we could
employ would prove sufficient to compel
peace under IT, VIC readily grant that more
forces than We have now in the field will be
required to successfully prosecute the war
to such close as is demanded by the declared
terms OF the administration. While those
terms exist, and the nation is assured by the
members Of the Cabinet and tho ianatical
press that they will not In "any event be set
aside" there can be no hope of raising addi-
tional troops except by conscription. Con-
servativo men Of all parties have opposed
these terms from their incept ion, and those
who have been most forward in clamor ng for
their adoption have been most backward in
taking the field for their defence.
One fact is undeniable. Until the war was
al ga thn l,ni i,;y 10,
was furnished, upon call, with all the forces II
demanded, and more than it had capacity to
employ. The people forgave Its want Of sue
cess, and we're generously charitable towards
its blunders and mismanagement. The spiri
OF party was forgotten, and each State, will
patriotic rivalry. strovo to furnish the quotI
required, and several States largely exceeded
their quota. The people are not less devoted
TO the Union now than they were then. no
less disposed TO risk and sacrifice in its de
fence. Why, then, is conscription necessary
torecruit our armiesi If it is a fact and who
will dispute iti-th the patriotism OF the
people is undated, why are the bayonets o
our armies turned from the Confederate forces
against our own citizens TO force them int q
service which few months ago thoy will
voluntary cheeriulness assumedi
Tho President, in his speech 20 the delega
tion OF border members, more than intimate,
that should he adopt the ultra policies OF abo
litionism, il would be the result Of "pressurc,
and fiom fear of losing the support Of tn
abolition party. What support has he derived
from iti Where are the volunteers pledged b.
tho abolition leadcrsi They and their parti
sans, after fastening upon the nation polio
which Il but thcmselve abhorred have, wit
shameless cowardice, refused to enter the flel
in defence OF their measures, and demand IL
enforcement Of .he conscription upon conse
vatlve men, whom they have driven from I'll
support Of the administration, but who woul
cheeriully engage to bring the war to an hor
orable close II the insane terms upon whc
II IL now conducted were Withdrawn, I'll
conscription Is announcement to the wor
that we have not enough Of patriotism in Il
nation to uphold the government. As sucl
IL is libel upon the American people
the war is placed upon basis which the m
jorlty OF the people have uumistakably d.
mandcd, they W i'll be responsible for its speed
close upon terms which will restore the go
ernment TO its original strength and grcatnes
Drafts and conscriptons will DO unnocoss
~. Tho unity of tho South will DO brok,
up by majority of tho people instantly al
boldly proclaimng for tho old Union, aud II
divisions Of the North will be healed on Il
glorious platform of tho "Consttution as
is, and the Union as II was" Then will vic
tory perch upon our banners and peace b oy,
upon our borders.