The Morgantown monitor. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1863-1864, 1863-06-20
The Draft on West Virginia.
from the Wheeling 1ntelligencer.-

militia 600 from Penn-
sylvania, 10, 900 from Maryland, 30
600 from Ohio, and 10000 from W,
Virginia-to be mustered into the U.
s. service and serve six months.
The first thing that will strike
every one is that the draft on West
Virginia is largely disproportlened
to our resources. Less than half the
territory of West Virginia can be
reached by our authorities. When
ever we so south Of the n. ". Va.
Railroad, We shall find but few conn-
ties, if any: in which draft can be
executed to do any good. So that
practically it must fall on some doz-
en- counties Of the Northwest. We
Virginia, from her loyal counties,
has semitic the field nearly 10000
troops already larger per centage
than any State in the Union accord
ing to the actual population from
which it was drawn. There are
ceuaties-say Wetzel, Tyler and
Richie-iu which there are this day
barely able bodied men enough TO
cultivate the soil and support the
rest of the population. In the coun-
ties threagh which Jones passed in
his late raid it will be difficult for
thA farmers to make crops in consc-
oaekce Of their losses in horses. In
many of them, there would be be-
yohd doubt actual suffering next Fall
if nothing worse happens than has
already happened.
About as fair an estimate we con-
ceiye as could be made of the male
population Of West Virginia, that
could be reached by its loyal author
tiles, is the recent vote cast for State
officers, which is trife over IS, 900.
In some places the State ticket was
not voted for by those who
voted for local officers, but there
were hardly more than two or
three thousand of them at the out
side. If we are to get at the popu-
latien subject to militia duty we must
deduct a very large per cent. for vo-
tiers over forty-fve. We gain asmall
per cent. for those under twenty-one
who will be liable to draft. Then
there is to be a large allowance made
for those who are not "able-bodied, .
"the lame, the blind, and the halt, "
who comprise large per cent. of
every population, but who are net
disabled from voting. The fact is
10000 drafted men will just about
sweep all the able bodied population
from the State. 1t may be said that
however ruinous this would be to the
interests Of the New State, a raid
through it by large rebel army
would be equally land we might as
well be ruined one way as the either.
This is true OF course. If we are to
be invaded every man who can carry
q mus!let ought to turn out to repeI
it, but it seems to Us hardship that
our entire population should be call
ed out for period, which from all
reasonable calculation, must exceed
by several months, the period Of i'm
iuent danger. Call all our people
away from their occupations for SIX
months, at Il season of the year when
they would he able neither to tend
nor gather the crops that are abso-
lutely necessary in some sections to
support the women and children, and
the prosperity OF the new State would
receive a very serious check, far more
serious than any it has yet received
to say nothing of the actual want
aud suffering next winter. Suppose
the raid is made as appreheuaed and
the border is relieved Of it in q month
or two mouths, here our entire mill
tary strength must remain in the
field four months more, while the
other loyal States would have per-
haps, not mare than % per cent, OF
theirs in tie field.
Only ten thousand are called from
Maryland, which has three times the
population that can be reached here,
aud has not furnished anything like
the number of troops West Virginia
has.
This appears to be m unjust dis
elimination against West Virginia
In truth, we do not believe it posi-
bic to raise 10000 men from our pre-
sent resources, but we must raise all
that it is possible to raise. We trust
the President may be induced to mo-
dify his proclamation, so far as it re-
lates to West Virginia, so as not on
ly to deal fairly with Us, but adapt
the requistion to our resources.
At the same time let rs DO every
thing that is possible to resist this
invasion. Beyond q doubt the rebels
are throwing vast bodies Of troops
northward and westward. The i'm
mediate prospect is that we must
either fight or be overrun, our peo-
pie beggard, and their country desc
lated. It is said the rebels intend to
avenge with fire and sword the rava-
ges of Stonemau, Grierson and others
who have lately penetrated their ter
ritorv in destructive raids. We may
Unll heliorn they will do so If ahla