The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-11
ALBANY, August 8, 1868.

ALBANY, August 3, 1863
To MAJOR General John 4. Dir, Coosn.audng
Eastern Department. &C.:
SIR: received your letter on Saturday I
have this day sent TO the President of the Uni
ted States a communication in relation to the
draft In this State. l believe his answer will
relieve you and me from the painful questions
growing out OF an armed enforcement of the
Consumption law in this patriotic State. which
has contributed so largely and freely to the
National cause during the existing war. When
L receive the Presidents answer, will write to
you again upon the subject of your letter.
Truly yours. &c.
HORATIO SEYMOUR.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE EAsr.l
New YORK CITY, Aug. s, 1868.
His ErceAency, Hoyutio Seuuou,. Gore,aor of
tie State of Nec Yogk:
SIR: had the honor to receive on the eve
ming of the 9TH inst, your letter OF the Sd. in
reply to mine Of the 30th ult informing me
that you had made communication to the
President of the United State in relation to the
draft in this State, ard expressing YOUR belief
that his answer would relieve YOU and me
" from the painful questions growing out of an
armed enforcement Of The CONSUMPTION act"
&c.
Your Excellency promises to write to me
again on the subject when you have received
the Presidents answer. 1t will afford me great
pleasure to hear from you and to receive an
Affirmative answer to the inquiry contained in
my letter. But | owe it to my position as
Commander of this Military Department to an
tlclpate this reply by some suggestions arising
out of your answer to me-
You are, no doubt, aware thatythe draft has
been nearly completed in the nine Western
Districts, and that it has also been completed
III several Districts, and is in successful pro-
gress IN Others in the central part of the State
under the orders of the Provost Marshal Gen
eral. 1t is my duty now as Commanding Off
Ger of the troops in the service of the United
States IN the Department, if called ON by the
enrolling officers, to aid them in resisting forci-
bic opposition to the execution OF the law;
and 1t was from an earnest desire to avoid the
necessity OF employing for the purpose any of
my forces, which have been placed here to gar
rlson the forts and protect the public property
that l wished to see the draft enforced by the
military power of the State in case of armed
and organized resistance to it. But holding
such resistance to the paramount law OF Con-
gress to be disorganizing and revolutionary,
leading, unless, effectually suppressed, to the
overthrow of the Government itself. to the
success of the insurgents of the seeded States,
and to universal anarchy, l designed, if your
cooperation could not be relied on, to ask the
General Government for force which should
be adequate to insure the execution of the law,
and to meet any emergency growing out of it.
The act under which the draft is in progress
was, as your Excellency is aware, passed to
meet the difficulty of keeping up the army
through the system of volunteering to the
standard of force deemed necessary to suppress
the insurrection. The service Of every man
capable of bearing arms is in all countries,
those specially in which power is responsible
to the people, due to the Government when its
existence is in peril The service is the price
OF the protection which he receives, and of the
safeguards with which the law surrounds him
in the enjoyment of his property and life. The
act authorizing the draft is entitled IAN act for
regret that your Excellency should have char.
acterized it as ''the Consumption act"-a phrase
borrowed from foreign system of enrolment
with odious features, from which ours is wholly