The Portland daily press., 1863-07-16
UNION NOMINATION.
FOR IGovERNoR,
SAMUEL CON Y
Duty to Conscripted Men.

Inc law oil the State has fully authorized
towns and cities TO be liberal towards those
who leave their homes and families to defend
the nations honor and TO fight its battles.
The authority to provide for the families of
soldiers without exposing them 10 the disabili-
ties Of pauperism, applies equally to drafted
men and volunteers. The language Of the
law is explicit. The "act TO make valid the
doings of cities, towns and plantations in
raising bounties and for other purposes" APP
proved Feb. 81, 1868, sets forth that, whereas
the various cities, towns and plantations have
been twice required during the past year to
furnish their several quotas OF soldiers, and in
order to obtain the men with the requisite
promptness, have found it just, humane and
necessary to offer bounties and hold forth pc
cuniary inducements for the purpose of re-
lieving in some measure, the hardships and
sacrifices incident TO a sudden separation
from their families, therefore it is enacted,
That the don gs of all such Cities towns and plan
tafions in offering and paying all such bountes and
presenting pecuniary inducements, Thefher re-
specfs volunteers drafted and including all
aid furnished to their families and dependents, all
notes, drafts. orders contracts whatsoever, made
by said cities. towns and plantations. their mu-
ncipa officers, or by other person or persons acting
in OF previous vote of said cities Through
their proper and usual board of aldermen and
Gill towns or Plantations all taxes assessed or here
after assessed to raise money for any of the purposes
mentioned in this act, or TO meet any pecuniary la
bily arising out of the Aforesaid doings, hereby
made valid IN as full and ample manner as though all
the proceedings had been previously authorized by
law.
We are glad to learn that a disposition ex-
.s~xa L.. % in
the State generally-to make prompt provi
sions, under the authority here given, to rem
der the separation Of men from their families
and dependents as easy as possible. The
conscript is entitled to the full sympathy of
the public, and his family should be made TO
feel that they are not to be forgotten or uncared
for. Whether bounties should be voted direct
to the drafted man is question in relation to
which honest men will differ. The first ten
regiments raised in this State received paltry
ihents and the cavalry received nothing. The
later regiments and the nine months men gem
orally received liberal bounties, either from the
State or their respective towns, which were
offered to stimulate rapid enlistments and to
ward off a DRAFT. As we have said, whether
bountics should be voted to the newly drafted
men Is question in relation to which there
will be wide differences OF opinion, but on the
question OF providing literally for the families
and dependents left behind there should not be
a moments hesitation. We should be glad,
personally, TO see suitable bountics provided,
for those particularly who are least able TO
bear the burdens of CONSUMPTION, and upon
whom pcnury bears with its greatest weight
DRAFT, and therefore are not entitled to the
same public consideration as the poor man.
He 1t is who should receive the lions share of
public sympathy.
While we are upon this subject word may
not be out Of place in relation to the very ques-
tionable course pursued by the Advertiser of
this city. 1t is the opinion Of very many Of
our best citizens, and those who have done the
most for their country, that the leading arti-
Giles in that sheet are well calcuated-what-
ever the intention OF their authorize produce
a state OF feeling here similar to that which
has been so fearfully manifested in New York
1t abounds with the most fragrant appeals TO
the passions and prejudices of the drafted
men and their friends, and with gross and in
famous Misrepresentation of the actions and
motives of the majority OF our population. 1t
charges the "abolitionzed Republican party"
with unkindness towards the soldiers; with
lodging the question OF bounties, and with
meanly lodging all the patriotic impulses
which last year and year before last they
made special merit of before the people,"
and the infamous author of such gross misrep-
Presentations goes so far as TO say the Republi-
Scans 1mean now 10 compel the poor drafted
"man to leave home, dependents and friends, TO
slight for negro liberty, without bounty and
without aid outside of the Federal egisation,
"while the act OF Congress most unustly SO
provided as enables the rich man who is
drafted, or whose son is drafted, TO buy him
"self off from the hard service, by paying $500
"of exemption money!
Who can fail TO see the object Of such out
rageoss language; or can doubt if by such
appeals TO passion a mob is melted and blood
is shed, who will be guilty OF that blood, aud
deserve condemnation? Why this appeal to
prejudice because the law of Congress-which
cannot be changed at any rate before another
Congress assembles-has provided for commu-
tation money? Why cheat and deceive the
honest poor man by such mischievous appeals?
Suppose the rich man could not possibly es-
cape service, would that make the conscrip-
ton any easier or any less burdensome for the
poor man? The compulsion of the rich man
TO serve would not exempt the poor man.
The poor man who cannot raise the $500 has
no harder time of il than he would have if no
one could get exemption and such appeals as
that referred to are therefore doubly malig-
nant and mischevious.
But it is not true-as intimated by the Ad-
vertiser-that the $500 Communication, proposed
to be raised by towns, aud which the Supreme
Bench have decided cannot be raised, is in the
nature OF bounty or comes within the mean
ing of the law from which the foregoing sec
ton is copied. That law authorizes towns
TO raise money, for volunteers and drafted
men. for bouuties or Inducements; not induce
ments to stay at home, but inducements to
20 into the service. For such purpose
towns already have authority TO raise money,
while the sole object of the combinations has
been to save men from the service, to leave
the government without delenses, aud thus
virtually to defeat the very object Of the con-