The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-02-03

i war is progressing; but those who press the pas
sage of this bill make r perfectly proper to do SO,
inasmuch as they organize the force to be main
tanned at the State expense, now when the ferces
of the Confederate Government afford MS ample
protection and because in doing so, they place the
State in conflict with the Confederate Government
by Withholding from it those troops to which it is
entitled by the conscript law of Congress.
| 1t is argued and relied upon as having much
force. that Virginia, South Carolina aud Georgia
have their respective corps of State reserves, aud
it is stated that they contain troops subject to
and will read the first section of an act passed by
the Virginia Legislature the 18th of May, 1862,
entitled s'ap act to authorize force of ten thous
and men to be raised for the defence of the Com
monwealth."
/ "SEc. l. Be it enacted by the General Assem-.
bly, that the Governor of this Commonwealth be
and he is hereby authorized to commission John
Ii. Floyd Major General of the State of Virginia,
with authority to raise by voluntary enlistment,
force not exceeding ten thousand men, who are
not in the service of the State of Virginia or of
the Confederate States, liable to draft under
the act of Congress, commonly called the "Con-
scrption Law" approved the sixteenth day Of
April, eighteen hundred and sixty-two: Irori-
drd, That the Governor shall have authority to
appoint to the Office hercina fter authorized to be
filled by him, any persons in the Confederate SER
vice, or liable thereto under the conscript law
aforesaid, whom the President of the Confederate
States may consent to discharge from the Confed-
crate service"
This is the authority for raising Firgna's corps
of State reserves, and it will be perceived that the
Legislature strictly guarded against that conflict
with Confederate law which had been charged to
her. and so far from furnishing example for the
notification of this important law of Congress by
Statp nd for her plo in Of
with the Confederate Government Virginia points
US to line of duty which / trust it Will be her
pride to follow.
| am also prepared to show how South Carolina
provided her State reserves, and it is obtained
from authority as worthy of confidence the
. Governor of the State himself. | ask the atten-
ton of the Senate to the course pursued by the
thorlties of South Carolina in regard to her
SCRIPTS her State reserves and the Confederate
| thorities.
On the 9th of March last, the authorities Of
the State ordered a CONSUMPTION of her citizens
between the ages of Is and As, for the purpose
Of placing them the disposal of the Confederate
Government for active service in the field. When
the c6nscrpt act Of the Confederate Congress
passed on the 10Th of April, 1862, the State was
engaged in executing this CONSUMPTION. The
Confederate nterfered with the State conscrip-
, ton and the latter at once abandoped and all
claim to her citizens between the ages of Is and
35 was yielded up. Thereupon the State authori-
ties determin to organize all citizens over the
conscript age of IS aud under so years of age to
be held corps of reserves for State defcsce.
! This organization was commenced in July last,
and by the middle of August completed, the
companies being formed into eleven regiments
all regularly enrolled and oficered These reg-
ments in this condition of organization when
the CONSUMPTION act of the 9th of September
was passed. Very soon after its passage, aud
before any steps had been taken for the enrolIment
demonstration made upon the coast of South
Carolina by the enemy, which induced the belief
that the threatened attack upon Charleston was
about to be made. In this emergency the autho-
rites Of the State rendered to President Davis the
regiments of reserves already organized and armed,
eight of which accepted for 90 days and
were forthwith ordered into the Confederate ryce
their term of service dating from the 4th and
9th OF November last. The acceptance of these
regiments with the express understanding
that they were to be received 10 their organized
condition, and that they were to be disbanded
at the expiration of their term of 90 days, the
Confederate Government retaining tn serOice
those who subject to the CONSUMPTION, aud
returning to the State authorities those uho
rere not These troops are still in the service of
the ,Confcderacy, and this understanding still
exists.
This is the history of the South Carolina State
reserves, to which reference has been so often
made Let Senators who have been pointing us
to her as furnishing precedent for oue actions
in this matter; follow her noble and patriotic
example.
Georgia is the third State which we are told
furnished an example worthy of our imitation in
disregarding the laws of the Confederate Govern
ment IN the organization of our State reserves.
All that | know in regard to what she has done
in this matter, has been furnished me by some
unknown to me, who seems to be endeavoring to
proselyte the Senate to Gov. Browns notions of
the consttutionality of the conscript law, by
placing upon our desks a compilation Of his
correspondence with the President upon the sub
ject, and speech delivered in the Senate of
; Georgia upon the same subject by of its
members.-The reply [ would make to Governor
Brown and his Senator is that given by the Hon
b. Ii. Hill, Senator in Congress from his own
State, viz: That it is enough For me to know
that the Confederate Government needs these
soldiers to defend against the invasion of foe
whose declared purpose is our subjugation. This
is not the time to discuss the consttutionality of
the law by which they are to be raised"
In one of these pamphlets find slip contain
ing what purports to be the authority upon which
the State of Georgia proposes to raise her corps
Of State reserves. The proposition is to raise the
uhoie Of two regiments for the defence of this
great State.
The second resolution asserts that they shall be
r,;.ed ufrom all the militia eYcnnt rho mart IN