The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-08-01
The conscription--Not Money but Men.

From the Springfield Repnbiican.
The appropriation of two millions and a half
by the city government of New York to pur-
chase exemption for all the conscripts from
that city is in the first place cowardly con-
cession to the mob aud in the second place an
attempt to defeat the object OF the government,
and prevent the reinforcement Of the armies
OF the Union. The example of New York is
being followed by other cities in that State,
and may become so general as to make the law
nullity; for it is not money but men that the
government needs. There are doubts as to the
legality of the operation, but there can be no
doubt that it is unpatriotic and mischievous
If New York is so entirely at the mercy of the
few thousand ruflians, who filed its streets
with murder and rapine last week, that in no
other way can the peace of the city and the
lives and property of the citizens be secured,
there may be some excuse for the concession.
But even if the case were as bad as that, the
New Yorkers had better call for help from the
country and keep up the intestine war till
their desperate classes are completely exter-
minated, rather than thus to yield the vital
point OF the supremacy OF the law. A mob
bought off is still mob; the combat Is only
postponed. to be renewed again whenever the
mob is balked of its will.
But there is a course OF action by which
cities and towns may alleviate the hardships
of the draft without doing ANYTHING to defeat
1T. Provision may be made, and should be, for
the families and dependents OF needy con-
scripts, and for paying the exemption fees of
such as cannot go and have not the means of
paying for themselves. The course taken Inv
the town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. was both
sensible and patriotic. The people being called
together at the instance of some copperhead
arizans in order to get vote for the New
York plan OF buying off all the eonscripts, they
rejected it with great nnanmity, and voted to
pay 70 every drafted man who goes to the war
or procures asubstitute $3.50. That is the true
idea. ofer no inducements to men TO stay at
nome, out Increase the inducements for going.
Ahd, IN the present state of the war, with a
reasonao'e prospect, as there certainly is that
IL VIII terminate before half the three wears
term expires. $3.50 added to the government
bounty an6 pay holds out the promise Of largo
wages and little work, and we believe half tie
able bodied conscripts would prefer IN sarve
rather than be excused on snch eonditions
The copperhead politicians defeated in their
purpose to stopthe draft by mob violence. will
resort to all sorts Of devices to neutraljze ana
defeat it indirectly. Loyal citizens must meet
them at every point, and while they see to ID
that the law is enforced because il is law and
Is right, also make every proper effort and sac
rliice to equalize the burdens of the conscrip-
ton and remunerate those who go into the
service OF the country. In this matter we are
nghting through the most essential contest of
the Whole war, and II the conscription fails we
lose all that we have won from the enemy by