The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-09

jnents for service. The Secretary of War
adopted the suggestion, aud decided to appro-
pirate the avails of the then approaching draft,
to the recruiting of the old regiments. 1t was
hoped that sufficient men would thus be realized
to meet the demand. The result of the Graft,
however, shows that only about ore-fourth of
the requisite number of men has been furnished.
Opportunity has more recently been offered
by the Government, through the agency of re-
cruiting officers, to enlist men to fill these regi-
ments, offering as inducements, large bounties
both to veterans and new recruits to enlist. 1t
becomes therefore, more imperatively the duty
of the State, and of every patriotic citizen, to
aid this efoIt by every means in their power.
THE DRAFT.
Under the Act OF Congress, approved March
Sd, 1868, providing " for enrolling and calling
out the National forces, and for other purposes"
the militia of this State were duly enrolled in
June last, and draft was ordered to be made,
under tn direction of officers appointed by the
U. S. Government. The consttu tonal right of
the Government to adopt this method of raising
troops, has been called in question, and serious
embarrassments have arisen, in consequence of
organized efforts in various parts of the country,
to resist the draft. Studous efforts have been
made to throw odum upon the measure, by
means to deter citizens from yielding that cheer
full compliance to the demands of the law,
which more than ever, in this terrible crisis, it
was their duty to do.
The law SO far from being CONSUMPTION, in
any sense charged against it, is relieved entirely
of all thlt was odlous under the old French
system, and only provides, in the mildest form
known to history, the simple and most equitable
form of a draft, with the addition of reason.
able and mild cOmmutation, SO moderate in
amount as to place it within the power OF men
OF limited means even, to avail themselves of
the provision. There can be no doubt, under
any fair and reasonable Interpretation of the
Constitution, but that Congress had the clear
and obvious power to resort to this mode of
raising men to replensh the wasted army. In
dependently, however, of all questions of con-
stitutonal authority, it is the law of the land,
and as such, is entitled to the obedience and re-
spect of the citizens of the Government, until,
in the proper and legitimate method, it is judi
cally determined to be unconstitutional. and
therefore void.
The quota assessed to this State, 10 be raised
under the Act. was AIS. Of this number,
only 948 have entered the service or furnished
substitutes, and 1888 have paid the commuta-
ton. There has thus been paid by citizens of
this State, into the treasury of the United
States, about Fve hundred and fifty thousand
Dollars.
The men raised by the Draft have been sent
to the End, 81, and 4th regiments, excepting
l64, performing duty at Braltleboro'.
STATE MILITIA, AND MILITIA LAW.
The Legislature at its last session passed an
act for the organization, regulation and gov
eminent of the Militia of this State"
Tha oot ,I,, for 6
persons liable to do military duty, between the
ages of Is and As, and for the proper exemp-
tions. In case of - war, invasion, the proven
ton of invasion, the suppression of insurrec ton
or riots, and to aid civil officers in the execution
Of the laws of the State, the Commander-in-
Chief may order for actual service, by draft or
otherwise as many of the enrolled militia as
the case demands. =" In the event the militia
are called out upon the happening of any of the
contingencies named in the act then provision
is made for the proper drafting, the system OF
substituting, the mode Of organization, and
such other measures as are necessary to render
the military power of the State, efficient and
servceable.
For all immediate practical purposes, there
fore, beyond simple enrolment the law is
wholly without value, and really affords to the
State no protection, nor present available means
of defence.
In pursuance of the act the proper instruc-
tions, forms, blanks, &c. were prepared and
distributed to the selectmen OF the several
towns, and the militia of the Stale were duly
enrolled in the month of January last. Medi-
cal boards were appointed, furnished with the
necessary Instructions, and held sessions iu the
different counties, for the purpose of examin-
ing and exemptiDg such as we're not liable to do
military duty. Commissioners were also ap-
pointed to enroll the militia in the Cores and
unorganized towns in the State.
The result of the enrolment was as follows
Number enrolled 4,Is3
Exempted by Medical boards 1884
Ia United States service 136s7-l7,07l
Total number liable to draft 3o,n2
OF this number there are known to be many
who are wholly unfit for military service, being
VIGOROUSLY disabled, and who from that fact
refused or neglected to attend before the medi-
cal board for examination, and pay the fee pre-
scribed by the Act, because they felt certain of
being exempted, If drafted AS result of
this, the quota of the State is largely increased,
and additional burdens are imposed upon those
liable to draft, ana injustice is thereby done to
the State,
would call your especial attention TO this
subject, and would recommend that the law be
modified 80 as to guard against such result in
the future. The best mode of remedying the
evil is left to your judgment. Whether it would
be better to abolish altogether the fee required
to be paid TO the board by the applicant for ex-
emptlOn, or whether it would be sufficient to