The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-08-05
A COPPERHEAD COUNCILMAN
AGA1NST THE DRART.
Proposition or Aldsrman Harhes. and
Action Of the City Council
Thereon.

were introduced by Alderman Hughes in
the City Council in pursuance of the fol-
iowibg section Of the circular of LeGrand
By'ngson, Chairman of the Coppsrhead
State Central Committee.
1t was a very appropriate proceeding
for the only Copperhead member Of the
City Council. and the only act he could
we'll do in his official capacity to show his
hostility to the Government aud his sub
servieney to Msbony, Byington and 9th
Or enemies Of our Govsrnuent.
The following paragraph Of the Bying-
ton Circular 10 that sought to be carried
ont BY our young Coppsrhsad Alder
man:
Resolved, That. ~ . means of miti9s-
ting the abominable inequalities of che
unconstitutional oonseriptiea ~, By which
DEAocRASs are sought to Be FORCED
INTO AN ABOLITION WAR WHICH
THEY DETEST, it is recon- mended that
tho ratification meetings to be held
throughout the State, on or about the Let
OF August, do petition the county author
tiles to appropriate . suficiency Of the
public money to commute the military
service, or in other words, purchase The
freedom (as the rich are provided to do
for themselves, of each white man who
may be drafted in Iowa, and upon whose
labor family may be dependent for sup
port.
Thus orders LeGrand Byington, and
the dutiful Cicero Hughes presents the
following:
In times of war. either for the repelling
Of foreign invaders of our country, or for
the suppression OF domestic insarrectop,
it is the manifest duty Of alI citizens
alike, who are capable of bearing arms.
to perform military duty in defence of
their country. their liberty. their lives
and their property. And if there is a
higher duty in this respect imposed on
one class of citizens more than another it
is ON the rich, who have property to de-
fsnd, rather than the poor, who have
none. And whereas. by the terms and
conditions OF the conscription passed by
the Congress of the United States, and
which 10 now about to be enforced. ANY
citizen who may be drafted may evade
performing personal service in the arm
ol the United States by the payment OF
three hundred dollars. whereby the rich
| property holder is privileged to shift
from hls own shoulders the hardships and
tolls OF actual service ip the army to those
of neighbors who have the misfortune o,
being poor and unable to raise the three
hundred dollars. and consequently nc
property TO defend; aud
Whereas. the families of these poo,
persons must suffer to a much greater ex
tent il deprived OF their only supporter.
through their daily labor, either by be Ing
taken from their homes and by the easu
aities of war. than the families of thos.
who have property; and,
| Whereas, in many of the incorporate {
cities measures have been taken to equal
iIe the hardship of the draft and Unequal
ity OF the Law Is much a. possible BY pro
viding sufficient sum Of money bya gen
eral tax to be levied on the property of al
citizens alike within the corporate lin
its OF those cities. The same should b,
done here and money raised in like man
ner, TO be appropriated in u. pay ymAnt q
the three hundred dollars exemption 70
such citixens Of Keokuk who may be un
able to pay tho same from their individ
ual means, and who may be unwilling t
serve personally in the army, and whe1
the forcing them to 60 would infic
great and special hardships on their fam
lilies.
Therefore, be IL ordained by the Com
mon Council Of the city of Keokuk tha
| the sum of fifty thousand dollars, or 8
much thereof as may be necessary, i
/ hereby appropriated for the purpose o
paying three hundred dollars exemp ptiol
; in lieu of personal service for each IN,
> all citizens Of the city of Keokuk VIII
/ may be drafted and who shall bo unwil
, ling to pay the said sum of three hun
dred dollars from his personal means
and whose family may be subject to E.
4 pecial hardships by reason of such cit
: zen being compelled to enter the army.
: And be ii further ordained that a spe
cial tax be levied, and forthwith collect
: ed, on oil the taxable property in tn
Q city of Keokuk for the purpose OF NEE,
o ing the liability incurred by this act.
i And be it further ordained that spe
k cial committee Of this Council be appoin
ed with full power and discretion to ca
vey into effect the objects and in,ents
d this ordinance. That all our citizens uh