, 1863-08-19


The maintenance Of order and the enforcement
Of The laws, must themselves set the example
Of orderly and soldlerly conduct, nnd the At
tention Of all officers and men is specially
directed to this proclamation:
GOV. sEgMoUR's PROCLAMATION.
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, Aug. 19, 1868.
have receiEed Information that the draft
is about to he made in the cities of New York
and Brooklyn, and understand that there is
danger Of dts0rdcr1y and riotous attacks upon
those who ire engaged in executing the law
Of Congress.
Der Of citizons arc disposed to renew the
shameful aud sad scenes o1 the past month,
il which the figes Of 60 many, as well Of the
innocent Us Of the guilty, werc destroyed.
Our courts orc eonsiGnfng to ecyere punish.
mert many OF those who were then guilty Of
tleir fellow-citizens. These events ehoald
teach oil that real or imaginary evils can
not be corrected BY unlawful violence. The
liberties Of our country and the rights Of our
citizens can only be preserved BY just re-
a1d af LEI a1 IN
While believe 1t would have been wise
and humane policy to have procured Judi.
c5al decision with regard to the constitution
ality Of the conscription act at an early dAy,
ard By summary process, yet khe failure to
DO 50 II 10 t ~ any %y S1leit Il
=
set aside BY the decision Of judicial TIL
buna1s. It must be obc, cd like any other at
Of the State or national Legislatures.
The an'agonistic doctrine that men may
right1ully resist lava opposed to their own
ideas Of tight or duty, has not only led to
Tue chief causes Of the destruction a'.l civil
war which has wasted the blood and treasure
Of our people, Disregard for the sacrcduess
Of the Constitution, Tor the majesty OF the
is, at this. time the greatest danscr
which threatens American liberty. This
spirit Of dssloyalt5 must be put down. It Is
Inconsistent with social order and social se-
curity, destructive to the safety Of persons
and property. and subrersiEe Of tue liberty Of
The citizen and the freedom Of the nation.
Those who fear that there are designs in any
quarter to overthrow tho rights Of the citizen
or to obstruct the accustomed standardization
uf our laws, Or to usurp aDY power II Tlola-
fion Of constitutional restraints. should bear
in mind that az acts Of violence. all public
disorders, pave the way for these very nsarp~
ations, and that they will be rega1asd with
satisfaction By those who, for any cauzc, may
wish to destroy either the power Of our IA
Tic Constitution aud statutes Of the State
and nation contain ample remedies for all
wrongs which naJ be committed either b.
rulers or citizens, and those who wish u pre-
fervc their rights, or to punish offenders.
whether in public OF Ia private lie. sh I'D
themselves carefully perform tEelr duty, nb.
stain from al Illegal acts, generously support
the GorcTDMent, and then calmly Ind rc5o-
lntely clnim their rights.
1sgain repeat the warning which 1savc to
ycO during the rtotous proceedings OF the past
month TINT the olly opposition to the Con
6titutioa which can be allowed Is an appeal to
apa executive officers whose duty it IS to Gu
force the law, and p1cservs public order, that
they take vigorous and effective Measures to
put down any r1o:ous or unlawful asseG'
blageE, anu # they lnd their power insufl-
cient for that purpose, call upon the military
IN tho marner pointed out BY the ststut4s Of
the State. II these measures should p-ove'
insufficient, shall then exert the full power
Of the State, ia order that the pub!i: order
may be preserved, and the persons aud prop
erty Of the citizens to be fully pro tcctea.
{signcd,) HonAr1o SEYMOUR.
10 TIE CITIZENS or NEW YORK.
New YonK Clrr, Aug. II, 1861. .
The asatt q men in this city to lepls93is,t p3l,t.
mote mo speedily the suppression Of the insur-
1eetion In the South, having. in consequence
Of forclblc resistance to the execution Of the
law, been placed under my direction a9 con.
man5ing officer ct the forces OF the United
states ii thla military Department, have
thought it not out Of place TO present to you
fpme suggestions for your consideration as
friends Of the Union aud Of the good order
Of society,
tionl forces. It Is founded on the principle
that every citizen who enjoys the protection
[ Of the Government and looks to 1t for the 81
| curity Of his property and hts life, may be
called on in eeasons Of great public danger to
take mp arms for the common defense. No
1 In Aa3A
ills principle Is acknowledged as one to
which the Government may hare recourse
| when its existence is in peril. Thers is no
civilized country in which it is not recog-
The Inv authorizing the draft has been per-
who desire to make 1t odIous and dcfeat It's
execution. 1t is In no Just sense a conscrip.
ton like that which was put In force In the
sixth year Of the French Republic, md aban.
| doned on the restoration Of the Bourbons, on
account Of its oppressive .cxaction. It y 9
service the arms bearing population Of certain
ogcs, ard differs in no essential principle from
the law authorizing the militia to be called out,
except that in the at'er case complete oEsanl-
cations are brought into the field. The object
Of the very pIosislo1s of ths iaW @ which are re
! grossly perverted. If q drafted man finds It
| irconyen!cnt to serve he is allowed to furnish
a substitute, or to purchnse his exemption
| from service by paying the smallest sum Of
money for which substitutes are ordinarily
obtained. Both these provisions hare the
ship; and If either werc stricken ont, those
cases would be proportIonably increased II
number.
The draft about to be made is for one-1fth
= part Of all persons between twenty and thirty
i've years of age, aud Of the unmarried be
tween thirty.hye and forty -ayc. Tic cotlrs
class between eighteen and thirty Five va:
long slnce drafted in the seeded States, ant
The draft has recently baen extended to en-
brace nearly the whole arms-bearing popuia
lion. Compared with the burden they art
sustaining, ours lis as nothing. The contes
on our part is to defend our nationality, tt
uphold The Institutions under the protection
Of which we have lived and prospered, ant
to preserve untarnished the proud memories
Of our history, brief. 1t is true, bnt full 9
high achieEements IN science, N afts, and II
arms. Shall We, in such cause, shrink frou
labors and sacrifices, which onr misguidet
, ! brethren In the seeded States are sustaiDln!
! IN the cause Of treason and dsocial d1sorganiza
tion? For the honor Of New York, let u
take care that the history Of this rebellion
, | more vast than any which ever convalsed
nation, shall contain nothing to make ou
children blush for the patriotism Of thei
fathers.
Whatever objection there may DO to the 1a1
authorizing the draft, whatcycr defects It nm
have, It is the law Of The land. and reststane
teIti is revolt against tie constituted author
ties Of the country. II one Law may bo Sc
at defiance, any other may be, aud the four
dation Of all government may be broken uE
Q Those who. n the history Of political soc1t
: ties. hare been the first to set themselves q
against the lam, have been the surest victim
of the disorder which they have created I'll
poor have . fur deeper interest in naintainin
p fhn iny{nfabflftV of the Law than the r1cl
. Property, through the means It can command
Is power, But The only security for tlos
? WHO haye little more than life and the 1abe
A | of thnfr own hands to protect lie3 in the g,