Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-07-20
Letter from Archbishop ~Hughes-Ap-
peal TO the of New YORK.
H coNscRIPrIoN-rHE RIOTS.

1.-THE first man we ever heard advocate a gen.
eral CONSUMPTION for the prosecution of the war
for the Union was Archbishop Hughes, in his ser
mon directly after his last return from Europe
last year. He condemned the reliance on volun-
teering as hazardous. and as placing too large a
share of the burden on the generous and public
spirited. urging that. since the obligation to serve
rested equally on all. the liability or risk should
be apportioned accordingly"
EDITOR HERALD: The foregoing paragraph is
taken from the Tribune of this morning. 1t is
the latest malignant article against the under
signed with which the Hon. Horace Greeley has
been in the habit of favoring him for some time
past.
Permit me to request of you the insertion of a
few remarks in the Herald, which may throw
light upon the subject which Mr.. Greeley misrep-
resents and affects to misunderstood. He says
that / condemned the reliance upon volunteer.
ing as hazardous, and as placing too large a share
of the burden on the generous and public spirited,
urging that. since the obligation TO serve rested
equally on all. the liability or risk should be ap-
portioned accordingly"
/. | did not condemn volunteering.
2. | did not recommend "A coercive conscrip-
ton, but that the people of the North, who stand
bv the Federal Government, should demand con
scription by their own voluntary choice and act
This would be their own system of volunteering.
The main object of my remarks on the occasion
referred to by Mr. Greeley. was to bring the war
to a speedy conclusion. The last and decisive
battle in every war is necessarily the most mer-
ciful in its results. since it puts an end to the
further shedding of human blood.
This was the main object as regards the inter-
ests of the country at large. NY remarks were
not intended for the congregation whom I was
addressing. but for the whole people. Since that
time many most sanguinary battles have been
fought, in which blood sufficient to float a ship of
war has been shed; and vet il seems that many
other similar battles are vet to be fought before
we come to the final struggle which shall decide
the question.
l have been attacked by three Catholic laymen,
editors of the Baltimore Mirror. ard by . priest
of Bedford, Pennsylvania, as if | we're a man OF
war. and as if the idea of bringing the war to a
speedy termination was a cruelty, instead of al
lowing il to %fertilize the fields Of Tennessee, OF
Virginia, Maryland, and even Pennsylvania, with
periodical supplies of human gore.
This is the idea of mercy and humanity enter
tanned by the proprietors of the Baltimore Mirror
and the gentle shepherd of Bedford as to what
constitutes humanity and mercy.
3. Another reason that influenced me on the
day on which | preached the sermon referred to
BY Mr.. Greeley, was the fact that on my return
from Europe | found the number Of able bodied
men, fathers, brothers, husbands in my congrega-
tons vastly thinned. and the widows and orphans
multiplied all around me. How could this have
happened? Was it all voluntary on the part OF
those who abandoned their homes to defend
their country? know that to a great extent il
was voluntary and patriotic, especially at the
commencement Of the war. There were militia
regiments in New York who felt that. whether
they were Catholics or not, whether they were
natives or foreigners, deemed with honorable
chivalry that having donned the national uniform
they were bound to rush and rally for the defense
of the country, which they did. This would be
one class; and they were numerous enough to
leave not u few destitute widows and orphans far
from the field on which they were slaughtered OF
taken prisoners. But there was another class
it was composed Of those Irish and Catholic citi-
Zens or laborers employed by men of wealth in
factories or in other establishments of honorable
industry.
What | am now about TO say is more than ]
can vouch for OF my own personal knowledge.
Ii was stated to me on my return that the EN-
pioyers of these men. Immediately after the wal
bruke out, suspended their factories and Other
departments in which human labor had been en-
ployed, to compel these Irish and Catholic ope.
ratives to enlist, in order that their families
might not starve: and that all this was adroitly
accomplished under the plea that war had rem.
dered it necessary to suspend all manufacturing
establishments; that this pretended necessity wa'
only for the purpose Of sending fighting men tC
the Geld, by which the neighborbood weuld b,
relieved from the presence of workmen of for
eign birth; that, in point Of fact. as soon as ne
cessity drove that class away. their places were
promptly supplied by other operatives, whilst, il
in the meantime, such manufacturers and traffic
ers upon the public calamities Of civil war have
been vastly more prosperous than ever before
Sooner than witness such mean aud base tricks
upon unfortunate laborers. / was then, am now
prepared to approve of n thousand conscriptions
openly appointed by the Government; provided
however, that the same shutting and low tritker.
shall not be employed to expose the poor to tn,
dangers of battle and leave the W. ilthy to be
come weather. in their quiet homes.
4. No language of mine could ever be inter
preted as recommending the Government 10 enac
a ~coercive CONSUMPTION; but, judging by my owl
feelings, l supposed that the people OF the North
if they had a Government such as their father
instituted-a government of which they would b
worthy, and which word be worthy of them
they would have patriotism enough to stand III