The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1863-08-21
Gov. Seymour's Rejoinder to
the President.
The Monstrous Enrolment Frauds in
New York Exposed.
Albany, August s.

To thu. President of the United States.
] received your communication Of the
18th instant this day. While recognize
the concessions you make, | regret yQul
refusal to comply with my request tn have
the draft in this state suspended until it
can be ascertained If the enrollmcnts are
made in accordance with the law Of Con.
gress or with the principles of Justice. |
know that our army needs recruits, and
for this and other reasons I regret deci-
sion which Stands in the way of prompt
and cheerful movement 10 fill up the thin
| ned ranks of our regiments. New York
has never paused ia its efforts to send vol
unteers to the assistance of our gallant SOL
diers in the field. /: HIS not only met
every call heretofore made. while every
other Atlantic andthe New Eng land States,
except Rhode Island. were delinquent, but
it continued liberal hounties to volunteers
when al, efforts we're suspended in many
other quarters. Active exertions are now
made to organize new and fill mp old reg
iments. These exertions would be more
successful if the draft was suspended, and
!ilutll DSttci tlcll tUhu tC uClVuL COuSCTlDtS
would Join our armies
On the 7th inst advised Won by lette,
that l would furnish the strongest proof
of the injustice, if not fraud, in the enroll
ment in certain districts. [ now send a
full report made to me by Ju1ge-Advocate
Waterbury.
am confident, when you have read it,
that you viii! agree with me that the hon.
or Of the nation and of your administration
demands that the abuses it points Out
should be corrected and punished,
You say that we are contending with ar
enemy, who, as you understand, drive:
every able bodied man he can reach into
the ranks, very much as butcher drives
bullocks into slaughter-pen." You vii
| agree with me that even this, if imparti
.,.ly done to all classes, is more toerable
than any scheme which shall fraudulently
force a portion of the community into mil
itary service by dishonest perversion O
the law.
You will see by the report of Mr.. Water
bury that there is no theory which car
explain or justify the enrolment in this
state. | wish to call your attention TO the
tables on pages five, six, seven, and eight,
which show that IN nine congressional dis
tricts in Manhattan, Long, and Staten Is
lands. the number of censci pts called for
is 80, 729, while in nineteen other districts
the number Of conscrnts called for Is on.
" 1925. This draft is to be made from
the FIRST class, those between the ages OF
twenty and thirty-Eve. 1t appears by the
census Of 1860 that in the first nine con-
gresslenal districts there were 164 ,797
between twenty and thirty-fve; they are
called upon for SO, 729 conscripts. In the
other nineteen districts with population
of males between twenty and thirt, five OF
go, 7SG, only 80 G26 are demanded
Again, to show the partisan character OF
the enrolment, you will find in the TWEEN
ty-first page of the military report that in
the first nine congressional districts the to-
tai vote of 1860 was Isl ,242; the number
Of conscripts now demanded is 1920
In the nineteen other districts the tota
vote was 457, 1851; yet these dist. lets are
called upon to furnish only 80 .626 draftec
men. Each of the nine districts cav,
majori'ies in favor of ono political party
and each of the ninef cen districts gave ma
jorities in favor O. the other party.
You cannot, and will not, fail to RICH
these gross wrongs.
Truly yours.
HORATIO SEYMOUR.