Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-09

JACKs0H February 23, 1852

EDITOR CTriZEN Your editorial Of yesssr.
day under the shove title. concludes By asking
a response from the governor or myself Ths
dignihed and corteous tons Of your article,
apart rom the fact Of jour being an Old friend
and nelgab7r makes e compliance with YOU
request not ca unpleasant duty.
As germaIn to this subject and as touching
on some points Of complaiEs ia ihs community
l beg to cal your attention TO a letter cf mine
publ heG in che MississlYpiGa Of last Tbursdav.
which herewith send yen for publication il
the Citizen.
you very properly say:
Without provision crops, and immense Onas
too, cur soldiers cannot Be be fed, and IF not fed.
they eauuo fgbt, but viii have 20 submit fron
sheer starvation. 1t is absolutely necessary,
then, that a sumci5Dt number Of white mau
shoald b exempted or detailed hom service to
insure the larges. crops that can be raised.
Hence, the militia now in the field, or a portion
Of it at least, shouid be disbGnded, OF fur
Laughed, Or detailed for that purpose.
IconeuT with you fully aud entirely. Everg
acre of tillable land IN the State, not in posses
SIGN Of the enemy, ought 10 Be in cultivation
tbs year IN provision crops. I trust no oua
viii be SO foolish and unpatriotic ss to plant a
single scre Of cotton. A sufficient number Of
white men should 30 exempted 10 insure the
largest crops that can be raised. Here q simple
question eiises. Is il Necessary to disbsnd the
entire militia ia order to accomplish this object ?
! Probsbly you VIII fnd, on examining the sta
sistic5 OF our population, that il is not neces-
ssry. On this point YOU can form conclusions
approximating correctness, by referring to the
number Of votes cast IN the several counties last
October fsince the~militia were called into the
field snd comparing il with the highest mum
Der before the war. Ihs7s not a. hand the vole
Of Madison, but a neighboring comfy, which
] has fTrWfnnaH as farru q nmw1nar of f.rukaHrrnfa
and State troops IS Msdison, aud whose usual
vote before the war was ab0ut 100. gave last
October over zoo Then, If this course be no.
necessary, ysu wiz probably coneuT with the
governor IN d~eclioiug 20 disbaud the militia, as
you end every other sensible man must admit
that, in this critical j%uncture, too grea. prsean
tons cannot be taken-too great e~Isrii0ns can
not be made, % prevent our State being over
run by The enemy.
Bat you have heard, you say, from inte'l-
gent planters thss 'ths agricultural interests Of
tbs Ssste are grestiy suffering aud VIII be
aimOst ruined, II the militia AID imDressmeut
laws are not m1et modified, or II they are rig
IDLY enforced" Sow, Il IS probable that nuch
Of this at7rm and Apr bensiOu may Be sell
founded But you WI s3miE that when we are
compelled to resort 70 involuntary services fer
the defense OF our couatry, men viii always be
found, who. looking 0llF 90 iheir own pEiYste
IilaElG-ta uA4E EHaAaLla " IA SEEK 80 ELalleI eN.l
service uasome aid unpopular BY clamori1g
zgaiust he insTamsnt8 OF tho laT, by WHOM
such service is demanded. They are frequently
uoscraFulous, aises ia their statements, and
sometimes succeed in ceessing vey erroneous
impression IS % the necessity log such service,
and as 20 the suffering occssioHed by their bzirg
forced iEeo the def rise Of their country. Sill
It ngY be that individual cases exist where 0ur
agricultural ead ether interests would suffer By
calling certain men 20 the field Onr law has
aHply provided for saeh cases. The l45h sec
ton Of TIE late uiti.ia lsW provides that when
ever, upon s sHmcieot showing in writing, the
Governor s5sil bsiye thst ths pu0ii6 interest OF
safety Of sny part Of the people would be
promoted By relieving say dgaf.ed men
from duty, De shail nave power 80 excuse such
men E0m service IN the army" stzie the
g9bsta-csof tb6 law, not having the acs before
me.) Now, under this law, in view Of tha
present. and prospective scarcity of provisions,
1 believe 1t to be the s3iema duty Of tho gov
eEn0r u rstaia g sufficient number of men q,
home % EecaTe The la gsss pTac cable provision
to believe that tes governor himself entaItsins e
different opinion. Tsst be is July impressed
vita the critical condition Of the State, and
with tho grave responsibilities Of his position, Z
have no doubt. I would, therefore, respectfully
suggest 10 you end other friends of Maiisoa
ceuniy, inslesd Of listening 10 general com
plants Of pTobaais distress, Arising fiona calling
Out Che militia, % peeseif 10 ta6 governor any
aud every sell susa5aacassd case, where the
agricultural interests Of the country would suH-r
~ taxing q drafted man to the iald, and ask fI
his release under the law. If, then, .he governor
sdeuld faii 10 release him, or To- suggest some
reasonable remsdy, ycu would know where %
place she responsibility. AS for myself, sl who
know ne know Te1 thss L would net BE- viii
ing instrument for the oppression Of my coln-
tFymer, or lsopsrdiug th1ir sststV BY taking
essy their means cf sUp305l CT comPoTt.
You very perhnents ask why the Prssident
does not call for tie conscrptS up 20 tie ace OF
forty-hye, as the law authorizes him to do. I
trust and believe this VIII soon be dcns. Ii is,
ia nay o~pinien. the true policy, and is should be
when Congress shaI modify Us I unders.s and
they ere row doiag) tie exemption law, there
Hil BE- $50 good resson for longer retaining the
militia in aetiTe service.
For $50 present, however, I feel quite conf
den. that could ihe people Of Asdison county
reslizs the really critical condition Of cur State, /
and appgscisHs tae services slready rendered by /
Of the Stale troops, they would themselves /
ba opposed 70 9 gsHeral disbaldmsnt. / may (
without i~mpropEiaty, thss some of ihs troops, I
considering Che limo tbay have been in Ehe Geld, 4
hsve injured the enemy and served the State
quite IS ehssIY IS th8 same numDee Of FOops
81 any portion Of the Confederate army Iwul
instance MgjaT Biytha'a battalion, Cspssin Aax-
veil SID Sueots compsuies, and other crgaa-
cations In the northern part Of the STATE.
/ should be borne n u0ind shat sacg ices
srest aeriee-mu5 b ineuTrad Tassa are THE
Of our independence. Taese saciiees. iu
he nature o~fteings, eit 3a horns cbaartally by
.om5 ana inv0lunta1ly by others. But / truly
)siev5 1lat whea ow independence shall have
achieved, aad when TIE blessings Of peace
.baH again dawn upon o. taoss who ha7a SUIT
cred m9st in eur cause-Enosa who have best
.eTYed their couf tfy-wHl meet q jast reward at
b. hand Of q g~rstsful Teopls
Very respectfully, etc,
q TITPPER