, 1863-12-10

- The Rer. DR.. Elliott, Of st. Lonis, proml
nent and influential divine. writes letter to
m Eastern friend, whereof the following
extract appears in the Boston Daily Adoe7-
tiser:
- ST. Louie, Oct. %, 1863.
Ton cannot possibly mike me radical,
except in the most conservative style; but I
can meet the edgencies as they rise, and
cannot but think that in Missouri they are
rising very fast, and that under the Presidents
new cnll and prospective draft, (Which I
st59ngly aRpR1ove dselded e ,e6 change Of
the loyal citizens arc suffering the penalty Of
disloya1ty, and non-slayehollsrs are held to
= tighter rulo than shareholders OF slaves.
See how it stands: I haye TWO boys, q and
20 years old, we'll educated, actiye, Loyal.
They are too1fh IN saoneyto me more than any.
Slaves that ever lived I cannot find It in my
heart to advise them to volunteer: for they
are the life Of my house; yet they talk Of 1t
and shall not say one word to discourage
them. When the draft comes, as it must II
they are taken they must go. Now, one Of
my neighbors has two slaves, stont, stalHart
gladly volunteer. But the master is loyal, or
goes for such, Q1is loynlty was At Camp
Jackson y and the men cannot be accepted.
When the draft comes they cannot be In
cluded. Are his slaves better than my sons?
|. Again, the quota from Missouri Is based on
Congressional Representations e. with
slares are not drafted, and who Is their SUBJ
etitutes but the white population from whom
the required number is drawn? Why should
not the draft reach the slaves In three-ffths
| proportion? Is it a premium on slavery
Some ef our factories Win T., ee almost a. stopped
ey esycfesS ss drain on then is the plantation more
Again, nearly Il Of our white population,
especially the shareholders, have either be-
conc rebels or are too notoIiously disloyal to
be trusted. Why should not their slaves be
drafted, and why should their consent be
asked, If they can manage to make fair show
Of loyalty, before they can be accepted.
Why ehould the loyal men Of the State
hayc the burden thus doubled and
made CALLING to them ? contend that
der military la,o and in military exigency.
The draft should reach slaves us well as free
men, either under the two-thirds rule, because
they are 80 represented, or under tho divine
Tulo, because they are men. And any able.
bodied man, slave or free, who wishes to en-
Ills service is needed. No consent Of the
master should be required: but If loyalty is
clearly proved, the bounty might be paid to
him, though Of this am not c1ear. It would
be perhaps the best way to settle the legal
doubt; but think the indncement of boun-
| II EuQu1u UE OuE1E4 ~ LAt A4Af1 ~ CAEOAA-
age his enlistment. Where tho loyal OF
semi:loyal muster brings the slave as sub
stitrte, believe the bounty goes to the mas
ter. What Imean is that this discrimination,
in the Border States, against free men and
non-s1a,eho1drx, should cease, and now that
the policy Of negro regiments has been ac-
ccptcd, that the rule Of enlistment should be
made equal and just The point Of compen-
cation to 1oyal owners is Of secondary i'm.
portance and under civil law may be no more
than Justice requires. Under military Law It
mag properly be granted, but the main thing
Is to get the men, and to give to all who are
willing to do their part as soldiers the op
| portunity Of service,
If had my influence Mt Washington,
would use it to this end, and you may uss
what / have written in whatever way yo1
please
Slavery as 1t now exists in Missouri Is NJ
unmtxed evil, and the sooner it disappear
from us the better It is most mistaken
tenderness to do anything to prolong its day
or 10 foster it into renewed life. Every at
tempt to do it lesscns the loyalty Of the Stat
and prevents its recuperation from the crush
ing evils Of civil war.