True Democrat., 1863-01-14
For the 1rue UtmUCTat. CONSCRIPT EXEMPTIONS

Now for the hardest oath and biggest liel I see the exempts come in long array, And To- the heroes of this martial lay! To those who warp the law to their own use, And those who free their freedom still abuse, Long life to them say, and may their fame Stall shine on earth as bright as Arnold's name, And never shall their fair renowR be shaken, Who saved their country not, but saved their bacon I see him come; his eyes in fat are hid, And by his strength know the inyald; The invalid in soul, but not in frame Whose pantiDg heart is weak, and spirit lane He tells bis tale, and ne'er in prose verse, Did suffering man a sadder tale rehease Along lifes swampy. weary, dreary track, He bears body huge and feeble back; The fat you is dropsca-mere hush The glow upon his face is hectic flush; And he is vexed with tortures diabolic Has coughs and corns and sometimes has the cholc And such the pains that through his carcass sweep, He fin Is no rest awake nor vet asleep: Awhile before he went 10 bed last night He merely eat six eggs, and biscuit light, Together with twelve saus .-es and he Till dawn of day from pain was never free; But was all night pcrpexel with dr adful dreams, or muskets, battle, smoke, and blood in streams; And eke his father of consumption died And many remedies his grandSire tried
 Ere gout his weary spirit gave release: His ma, too, died of some female disease So let him pass and him you may meet, Upon the road, in the idle street; You'll know him by his form and loud gnffAw, His censures on the army, the law, His curses on the public men, the sinners, Who are not altogether worth their dinners. Then comes the venal troop in many swarm, Who live for their good the country harm' The tanners first and those whs make our shoes, Who turned mechanics just before the news About the conscript act came out: and they Wilt work at forty times tseir usual pay, And still will daily start some new deyice To slight their hasty work and raise the price, And gentle farmers planters, virtuous race, I here to you will not refuse place We know that when the present war began, Where CT you met, you talked, and every man Condemned the merchants prices, rising higher Till they would plainly break the honest buyer And twas not patriotic in them, 80 To beap their gains from out their countrys woe; But now when famine has the people hemmet., You follow in the steps you late condemned; When corn's dollar you have none to sell, Your own necessities must now compell To keep the quantity you have on hand, For you have hardly to seed your land, And for your bread; but when it gets so high The poor can't buy, their wants you will supply, At prices somewhat higher than the highest And to their vain demands quite cool replie't, That much you gave, and have no more to gve | And cannot lower sell for you must live | That high you give for everything you buy; l ,;.,l,, bras is hipb | o hypocritic dog what hast thou given | Compared with him who meath the rainy heaven, | Lies down ill clad to sleep, perchance t. die, 1 Perhaps to rise, and hear the foeman's cry: And as through all the battles bloody tides ! With spirit proud and steadHast soul he rides, How sweet the thoughts that OCT his fancy come | Of wife and child in their humble home, | With whom he f,in would be, but duty's call, | And pride of soul his countrys voice. and all The nobier feelings placed where he is: | And what your vnunted gifts compared with his? | And yet think it meet that there should be This curious difference 'twixt i'm and thee, That giving all he still in silence wrought.
 Whilst thou with all thy boasts fulfilost nouSht. The law exempts you for the common good, l And will your twenty hands twas understood, That for the countrys cause you still would work | Nor your due share of public service shirk;
 That you would be man, patriot, not
 A miscr, villain worthless IIottentot'
 Who still in what you have or what is sold
 Continue to coin your country's blood to gold
 Shame on your heartess race. that still dost feed Upon your country's vitals, and her need
 Is your advantage; devsh spectators,
 Obsccnest vultures, hes peculators,
 With Yankee heart, and southern tongues and faces. Will nought reform you when you the traces | Of ruin your native land, or will
 Your sordid souls increase your country's i'll
 When nobly, bravcy struggling for her life
 In all the land in all this deadly strifc
 Most b,se of all the crowd with brow elate,
 The coward has my pity, you hate | And think not that try to find flaw l In that which rules us, or condemn the law: | All cannot be where'er our soldiers stand, | For some must stay at home to till the land: l The state, the arts, the press will some demand; But if at home the field of blood | We still should labor for country's good | It is cause and cursed be he | Who talters in this combat of the free.
 But of the needfu laws will strain the sense, And shun their calls by cunning and pretence; If such there be, o ladies of the land, 1 Whose word is law, whose frown is a command, Whose step is love, and Ills with sweet surprise, | Whose eyes are brighter than the evening skies, Whose glorious smiles have still my hopes maintained | Whose love always sought, but never gained, Smile not them, but from your presence ront them Brown them shun them hate them, talk about theI And treat them sourIy, anything but civil, And soon they'll wish that they were at the d--l-se