Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-06
worse than the $. B.

The Adjutant General of this State has re
Gently issued an order, based upon the UNANIMOUSLY
slanderous assertion by Republican journals, that
the Democrats intend to resist the conscript law
by force Ii provides for the organization and
arming by the State of an Abolition regiment, to
enfore the drafting of Democrats to 90 South
and fight Rebels, while these Abolitionists stay at
home for the purpose of guard and protection of
the State of Illinois against hostile aggression. .
The order designates an Abolition Colonel, and
he is to appoint three line officers for each com
pany, who are to go out and enlist men, who will
then be furnished with arms by the State.
Gen Fuller should have worded his order diff
ferently. not to render his meaning palmer. but
for truths sake. He should have said: "Col. r..
NJ. HOugh has authority to raise a regiment of
Aboliticnists to force Democrats 20 serve i'm the
ranks of the army fighting Rebels" For that's
the way the thing will work. Suppose Illinois is
called on for ten thousand men: five thousand
Abolitionists will be allowed to remain IL these
home regiments, in which Democrats will not be
enlisted. while FIVE thousand Democrats will be
drafted and sent South. That is precisely what
the order means; nothing more, nothing less.
Adiutant General Fuller and the War Depart
ment have no right to assume that Democrats
will resist the draft. During this whole war, no
act of unlawful violence has been pcrpetrated by
Democrats, whilst their antagonists have con
stantly broken the laws of the country by mob
assemblages. General Fuller knows that the
statements of the Republican press that the
Democrats intend resistance, is a base, deliber-
ately c~ontriyed falsehood. He knew, too, that if
any course of conduct could provoke armed COLI
sion, it is this very plan Of the Abolitionists for
the avowed purpose OF coercing the Democracy.
That there is a deep seated and righteous in
dignation against the Conscript law. we do not
wish to deny. But the authorities cannot fail to
have observed that Democratic journals and ora
tors have been exerting all their influence to pre-
vent forcible resistance to its execution, If any be
contemplated. Full of horrors as a draft would
necessarily be, it would be as nothing to the aw-
full terrors of an intestine war IN the North. Free
citizens of Illinois will with difficulty be brought
to tolerate the idea Of being dragged to battle at
the point of the bayonet, like sheep to the sham
bles They are bound to obey this law as one of
the laws Of the land. But When Democrats see
their own neighbors enlist in one Of these stay.at.
home regiments. and even employed in forcing
themselves to Southern battle fields, the old
Adam will tend to display itself.
We implore those in authority to pause a while
and consider the end Of ali this. Why employ
cold steel and brute force when conciliatory
measures are all sufficient? Why try to drive
men who are willing to obey the laws quietly, as
they have ever done2 From the tone of some
Administration journals. it would seem that they
would take n fendish delight in provoking resist
ance to The Government, that its bayonets might
be used against the "Copperheads," as they term
the Democracy. But can it be that the Admin
~isiration itself shares in this most horrid appetite
for bloody Its disciplined phalanxes might finally
triumph over unorganized resistance. but at what
COST No armed regiments are needed in Illinois
to enforce the draft, and their organization can
only tend to bad feeling and mischief. Spring.
field (IIl.) Register.