The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-08-12
The Conseription

The conduct Of the cOpperheads toward the
CONSUMPTION las is fair sample OF the treat
meut which TIE Administration has from the
first received at their hands. When Gen. Nc
Clelan was in command Of the army OF the
Potomac, bis incessant cry for more troops wa
taken up By copperheAd presses throughout the
Northern States. IL then fashionable Tor
them to decry he system Of volunteering a.
too expensive, Glow and uncertain a process =
be relied upon in filing up the wasted ranks OIL
the army Loud aud repeated calls were made
BY them for the government TO resort to draft
ing It's neglect TO do so was charged as es-
dence of the weakness and imbecility OF those
intrusted with It's ADMINISTRATION. We might
Gil the entire space allotted to this article with
arguments from copperhead papers of that time
in behalf Of this policy.
Time passed on, aud at length the subject
came up for the consideration Of Congress II
had been all the while foreseen by the Admins
tration that, if the war continued. this measure
must al length be adopted, but it was thought
best TO defer it as long a. possible. The nation,
as well as the government, was on trial before
the world. While the strength Of the govern
ment was certain to be tested before the war wa.
over, il vas equally important to furnish proc
Of the patriotism Of the people. Such a grand
exhibition Of the latter the world has never be
fore seen. Our enemies at home and abroad
staggered back before the modern deluge, anC
croakers were compelled to defer the period o
the dissolution of the Republic until the water
had subsidized When that period arrived, and 1
conscrption law was uuder discussion, copper
heads we're free with their advice as to the form
and feature Of the law. IL was not their polio,
to oppose the making Of such law, but the.
hoped some odious feature might be adopted
contrary TO their advice, out of which the
could manufacture party capital. Gov. Sey
mour, among others, offered his suggestions
which are as well embodied in the law as b.
himself could have done it.
When the time had come to put the law il
operation, these shameless malcontents, presum
ing their record had been forgOtted, commence
the most fierce onset upon it and its trainers
At FIRST the Secretary of War was disposed t
consider the 500 clause a nulity, and make IN
draft binding on ali non-exempt persons. Thi
was met with howl of Indignation by these fac
tonists They denounced il as an attempt 4
enforce despotic power, aud urged the binding
force of the $500 clause. When the Secretary O
War Welded his opposition TO il, and this claus,
carried INTO erect as part OF tuc la-,
was made the point Of attack by the copper
heads who dilated on its injustice toward tn
poor man and its fsvoritism toward the rich.
We have not space, neither do we propose
TO notice the thousand lies and misrepresenta
tons set aAoat by northern rebels to stir up a
the fountains OF bitterness against this necessar,
war measure. The terrible riot in New Yo-l
City, and the mobs elsewhere, attest the vigo
with which they have carried on their hellisl
work. Bot these results Of the labors of ba'
men are local and ephemersl in their nature
We have an abiding confidence in the ntei
genee as well as patriotism of the American
people. Though this measure may occasion
much Inconvenience and hardship, the humanit,
and justice of its provisions are too well under
stood, and its necessity to preserve our nationa
Institutions too clearly seen to permit any gen
eral want of scquiescence in its DEGREES.
Asa people We are now giving to the nations
Of the earth the most convincing proof pOssibl,
of the stability OF our republican institutions
In spite of ignorance and prejudice, in spite o
the artrtion OF faction and the bitterness of party
strife, in spite of a rebellion, the most gigantic
that has arisen since there was war in heaven,
the great problem that has so long pazzled the
world is being wrought out, and We are deter
mining with a mathematical precision that vii
hereafter leave no room for cavi or doubt, that
. free, enlightened people are capable of gov.
erning themselves.