The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1863-03-21
The Conservation Law,

]
tails for its operation. The States are eni
iirelv ignored in giving effect to the law
the President being empowered to appoint
Provost Marshals to each Congressional Dis
trict Of the United States to enforce the con,
scription. All persons betv cen the ages of
twenty and forty-fve are subject to its terms,
to be divided into two classes, and from
them certain number Of men may be
drawn for active duty, when specified NUM-
Der of soldiers are required. Conscripts
may furnish Substitutes, or pay $500 in
"greenbacks" in stead.
Upon the whole the law is one of the
most objectionable among the many odious
measures passed by the late Abolition Con-
Sress; and will open up another chapter of
misrhief,and trouble for the country. tits an
attempt TO ignore the rights of States and to
centralize power in the hands OF the General
Government. 1t conferss power upon the
President tina, viii enable him to usurp all
the legal rights Of the people if he SO dis
poses II is = monstrous law and was so
pronounced upon the floors Of Congress.
The Democratic Congressman from the
Northwest plainly in,inated that the law
could not be enforced in their S'ates-that
it was unconstitutional. and would rot be
obeyed. 1t has already provoked discussion
and hostility among the people-and we tind
that the Democra Y of Connecticut, in their
State Convention, resolved "that it was sub.
ver>ive of the sovereignty and rights Of the
States, and designed to make them mere
dependencies upon tho Central Govern.
ment; unconstitutional in its provisions, and
dangerous to the liberties Of The people, the
authorities of each Of the States should
sternly resist the operation of scheme SO
fatal to the just relations which should all
ways exist between the Federal and State
Governments.
notwithstanding such demonstrations
against the law Abolition writer's tell us that
it is popular am ng the people, and will be
effective in filling the ranks to number
ampl sufficient to subdue the rebellion. At
the same time. in speaking Of the operations
of similar act at the South, they tell us that
it is frequently resisted by force ofarms, that
hundreds are escaping into the Federal lines
to escape enlistment, and that the Davis
Government is encountering formidable diff
cuties in enforcing the law.
How is it that law of the kind will be
so effective at the North, when the people
are greatly divided in opinion as to the poi'
cy of prolonging the war-while AT The South
it provokes the ress'anc of the people, who
are united almost AS one man for the war.
until it compli>hes their complete sever.
ance from and Independence of the North
This is an inconsistency that even Abolition
chop logic will hardly undertake to recon-
ellie.
But we do not believe the CONSUMPTION act
can or will in seriousness attempted to be
carried into effect Upon the whole the
draft of last year was failure; and while
some States particularly the Norlh-wesl)
furnished their quota, Others sirnalIy failed,
and the dissatisfaction of the people became
so great that the draft WAS at length entirely
sus ended. When the draft created murI
murngsthe conscrip,on will raise "a storm,
AS men will MT he dragged from their bust
ness and homes and forced into the army to
carry out the dec AIRED policy of the A holiiion
lists, that the war must wipe out slavery, and
destroy the hope of restoration Of the
Union AS it VAS"