Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-05-12
: The Yankee Draft.


matter.
The Yankee Draft
Seward and Lincoln are shrewder than we think. In
rsbir Hooker across the Rappahannock, they had de-
lens not visible on the surface. The confidence Eight
r0.n had in his own geueralship, andsin "the finest
>, ., the p,apet was not felt by them. That army
4 too onen been whipped, and the boasIings oil It's
.u,,erous commanders had been too often repeated
r., hon Hooker announced that he had SO maneu-
or, as TO compel Lee either to fly ingorOusly or to'
-, ON, from behind his defCnces and attack him on
,Da of his own choosing, where certain destruction
.i,sd him Seward knew full well that the inspiration
g ,., announcement was intended for the army, and
-, Co. tho cool heads in Washington. He was quite
ncp,red to hear the next day. that the braggar' Ao0
80. commander had been ANONYMOUSLY kicked back to
The mace whence he started and his bOasdngs crammed
down lis lying throat.
His dcCeat was expected, aud was part OF Welllhd
Man which any considerable success on his part would
,ber have marred than promoted. 1t Is not TOO mucn
70 cav tbs, this defeat bloody costly aud shameful as
80. COS secretly welcomed by the subtle schemers at
the White)uOuse. -...
G thai ssagslS Eon Washington that The dr, had
cen indefinitely postponed there being necessity for
It, THIS was the general conviction throughout the
North From first TO last, twelve or fourteen hundred
thousand men had been enlisted; Of whom seven or
eight hundred thousand men ought now 10 be in the
field Why should there be draltf Perhaps, too,
there was opposition in the Northwest which could no.
we'll be combatted. An excuse was wanted. The
fat of Hooker il Just the excuse needed.
Lincoln and Seward, doubtless, reasoned thus: If
Hooker succeeds well and good success and the hope
OF plumber which attends success, encourages enlist
ments Ii Hooker fails well and good also. Suppose
he is so signaly defeated to leave Washington in
peril the danger Of losing the National Capital will be
ground enough for enforcing draft Suppose he is
Initiated and Washington is captured; the necessity for
, dran is still stronger Any way, succeed or fail,
battle on Hookers part do no harm, but only good
bv encouraging enlstments, by giving excuse
for carrying out the draft But his defeat is better than
ans success by so much drafted better than en-
listed men, The one in for the war, the other can
be induced to enlist for short time only. The one can
be used in enforcing the National authority over NAL
contents at home and in perfecng the consolidation of
the government; while the other, knowing that they
are soon to return to civil life, MAJ desert or throw
down their arms at the moment they most needed
drafted army is standing army and standing army
Is lust what we want and all that we require to establish
the supremacy of the Federal Government and to de-
strcy the last vestge of the troublesome dogma of
States Rights. Hooker must, therefore, fight Come
what may Of that fight, the issue but benefit u.s.
Hence there need be surprise Lincon's call fer
the whole transferring population Of the North or at
the assertion of his organ the Chronicle that this call
of the nation, in her hour Of great urgency, should
reach every heart" So many men are not needed to
replace Hookers loss estimate it highly as we may
They are needed however to OIL the vacancy soon to
be made by the 100000 expiring enlistmento. Above
all they are needed carry out the scheme of CONSOLE
dation which has so long been mediated and so faith
fully AID ably executed. II this consolidation be per-
tgcted we repeat what said in article some avs
ago the Coniederacy will for the first time, be in some
real danger. A despOtism firmly established over the
twenty millions Of the North, with immense regular
army ard the resources of the whole world at its COM
mand, and with no opposition at home which could not
be crushed in an instant,-such despotism is to be
feared even by the men who have already beaten back
nearly thrice the half million OF men Lincoln is now
calling for Such despOlisin if it bOde no greater evil
has in its power tie indefinite prolOngaon of the war
aud that an evil to be dreaded by the South not ony
because OF the boOdshed and devastation involves
our something far more fearful-the erection Of an an
acon,t despom ut the South as the readest means Of
thwartng that at the North. 1t is to the interest Of
civil liberty that should end quickly as possible
tor the essence Of military rule necessitaed by war is
despoism and the duration Of that rule implies wider
and stIl wider departure from liberty and law
The time suspicious fer prompt energetic and saga
cous action on the part both of civil and our mill
hry authorities. There great numbers of people,
aud lot few leading men, at the North who are bitter
IL opposed to the draft The people fear the hazards Of
battle, and the men of influence see the despotism to
which the draft leads inevitably. There are Northern
armies demoazed by defeat aud soon to be depleted
by expiring enlistments. Now or never the South wi
discover what capacity their Statesmen and Generals
possess The ability of our Generals is not doubted