Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-16
The $500 Exemption Clause i'm the
COnscription Act-Public Meeting of
the Germans i'm Chicago.

On Saturday evening, Feb. 2Sth, the German
Workingmen's Association, of Chicago, assem-
bled at their hall in that city, and adopted an
emphatic protest against the COnscription Law
just passed by Congress. Over one thousand
persons were present, and the resolutions were
adopted unanimously, as follows:
WHEREAS. Section l3 of the Conscrption Bill
contains provision by which all persons who can
pay $500 are permitted to buy themseevs free
from the blood tax due to their country; and,
Whereas, BY such provision, $500 are placed
at par with the life-blood of the poor man, who
is unable to send substitute into the field; and ,
Whereas, Such privilege granted to money
is subversive of the fundamental principle of the
republic, in which all must have equal rights and
duties; and.
Whereas, Such building up of distinctions will
necessarily array one part of the population
against the other, and may ultimately lead to the
war OF classes, so much to be deprecated by every
true friend OF humanity and civilization; and,
Whereas, Nothing can be more unjust than
laying the burden of military service on the poor,
and exempIing the rich from it, though the latten
have more at stake in this war, and are, indeed
more interested in the preservation of this Union
in financial point of view; and,
Whereas, The right and duty of defending our
country is of such a holy and unattainabe char
acter that nothing can and should absolve from
it but old age and infirmty, and as it would be an
eternal disgrace to the American Republic to in
troduce sy stem Of military substitution, thereby
denying the great principle of universal liability
to military service, which ever in the mOnarcha
countries of Europe--as for instance in Prussia
is being enforced with iron rigor. that no citi
zen can escape doing military service, either by
paying money or in any other way
ReSoiced. /. That We, the laboring masses Of
Chicago, ask most earnestly our Congress, in the
interest of the Republic and their own, TO see
section l3 of the conscrption bill Immediately
repealed, aud in its place the principle of uni
versal liability to military duty Internationally
established, it is done by the conscription law
of Prussia.
2. That we request the President of the United
States to call back to his mind the past that it
was the laborers of the n orth who did elect him i,
and that they expect him to take care lest their
rights and interests are not sacrificed to the inter
ests and cowardy demands of capital and riches
and, ii necessary, TO veto the bill itself.
3. That we shall hold our Representative in
Congress personally responsible, in case that dis
graceful $500 clause is not repealed, and that we
shall bring them to account of their stewardship
of our interest.
4. That the neglect with which Congress and
the majority of the public press have been treas-
ing the peoples interest, during the discussion of
the conscrption bill, by not paying any attention
to its most odous features and defending the
poor against them, seems to fact significant
OF the corruption and OF the forgetfuness of those
duties which they ought to observe in regard to
the rights and interests of the laborIng classes.
D. That it is high time for the people to awaken
from their lehargy, and to make known their
will clearly and pointedlv their public servants
who seem to have become unmndful of their
masters. the sovereign people
The resolutions were adopted without dissent,
after which the assemblage listened 10 speeches
from Peter Shmp. Esq, DR.. Leredeke and Messrs.
Knoblesdorff, Strauss and others. explanatory of
the resolutions and commenting upon the import
ance of the 18th clause
At the conclusion of the addresses. it was an
nounced that the resolutions were being iee
graphed to the President at Washington, and the
Chairman read the receipt of the telegraph Office,
which cost S34. and was paid by the Germans
Workingmen's Association.