Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-03-05
A Draft.


rounds Of the press, set ahoat by Washington
sensation correspondents, regarding an imme-
date draft, which it is stated has been decided
upon by the government. The variation in the
estimates OF the number to be drafted, is sufi-
clent evidence that the reports are all made
upon the usual " reliable authority" that is
no authority at ALL The number first stated
we believe, was two hundred thousand later
correspondents, vying to Guido each other
have already increased it to six and eight hun
dred thousand. 1t is not at all likely that the
President has yet decided upon so important a
matter. 1t is still more unlikely that he had
decided upon it before the conscription bill had
finally passed both houses of Congress. What
ever decision the government may finally reach
upon this question, all statements thus far
made are evidently premature.
Meanwhile it is interesting to note the com.
parison between the numerical force of the
loyal and disloyal states respectively, which
has been made in view of the passage of the
Consumption law. An estimate based upor
the census of 1860, shows that, besides say
100000 men now in the field and nava
force equal to half million Of men, we hay
in the loyal states militia reserved force O
three millions of able bodied men between &c
and As years of age, about equal altogether t.
the entire white population, men, women ana
children, of the rebel states. A similar calcu.
lation concerning the fighting population of the
South puts their aggregate militia force, be-
tween eighteen and forty-fve years of age, al
seven hundred thousand men, Of this num-
Der at least one hundred thousand have been
lost already since the beginning of the war
leaving force, including their armies in the
field, of six hundred thousand.
1t will be seen from this estimate that the
four hundred thousand men, which the rebels
are said to have IN the field, embraces about
the last white man e that can oe withdrawn
from the agricultural and manufacturing pur-
suits OF the rebel States, which are indispensa
DIG 10 Tue maintenance or their soldiers IN the
field, the subsistence of their families at home
and 1.-THE government of the slaves on their
plantations ..
1t is evident, at all events, from Fthe despe
rate resistance thereto accounts of which have
come to us from time to time from the South
that the rebels have pretty much exhausted
their power of consumption by having ia
ken about every able bodied man. In short
the rebels will be ending their terribly thor
ough conscription, from exhaustion, about the
time we shall begin, with resources scarcely
drawn upon; supposing the reports true thai
our government has decided to make draft
They have reached the highest point, and theiI
forces must now necessarily rapidly diminish
We can increase ours to any extent. Under
these circumstances, and with nearly half Of
the rebel territory already in our possession, il
is difficult to discover any grounds for north
ern croaking. If nothing else ends the war
the exhaustion of the rebel military power
must do it. But we trust that victories, tc
be won as soon as coming weather shall have
dried the mud, will hasten the submission o.
the Sonth to the laws of the Union, and its las
ting restoration.