The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-10-17
THE ENROLMENT ACT.
Exposition Of the Law by Sena-
tor Wilson.

| III II speech at hcnneDnnk, Maine, senator
Wilson, the author of the law, gave an EXPOSE
| ton of the PROVISIONS of the enrolment act
from which we quote the following paragraphs:
| SUPERIORITY OF THIS LAW OVER PREVIOUS
ACTS.
| "Thc Copperhcad demagogues, who hiss their
poison into the ear of interest. fear prejudice
and passion who mistnte the purposes and pcrveIt
the provisions of the Enrolment act, fail to tell
| the men they mean to misead that the Govern
ment had full authority before the passage of
| that act to draft for nine months every man in
| the country between the ages of eighteen and
fortv-fiye not exempt by the militia laws of Con-
| greSs or of the States. In 1875 Congress enact
cd that any officer of the militia who should fail
to obey the call of the President should forfeit II
sum not exceeding one years pay, and be liable
to court martial, and that every private forfeit I,
| sum not exceeding one years pay and be i'm
prisoned one month for every five dollars of
| such fine
Every citizen between the ages of eighteen
| and forty-iive not exempt by the militia laws of
Congress or of the States is liable to be drafted
for nino months, fined, if falling to obey the
| call. q sum equal to years pay, and be
imprisoned until lie pays the fine at the rate of
one month Gor every twenty-five dollars. Under
| the militia laws of the United States. Govern
| ment officials the favored and fortunate, arc
exempted, not the poor toiling masses. The
| inequality and injustice of those laws stand
| confessed. Horat;o Seymour, in his inaugural
address in January last, pronounces the militia
laws in New York unequal and uni st - Ell
tircly defective - glarngly unjust $ full of
unjust distinctions and he commends the
principles and recommends some of the very
provisions, to mitigate the evils which a forced
conscription involves, now Incorporated into the
act for enrolling and calling out the national
forces.'"
THE LAW CAREFUL OF THE POOR
"Having secured in this act, as compared
with the old militia law, uniformity, equality
force economy, comfort, health and life having
framed the act so as to bear slightly as posi-
BILE upon the industries and social life of the
people, Congress desired to relieve the toiling
dependent poor, and to make National and
State officials, and the favored and fortunate
bear their share of the burdens of enforced mil
! itaty service. BY the National and State mill
tin laws, State and National officials, members
| of Congress, Custom House officials postmas-
tiers, clerks, Judges ministers of the Gospel and
| the favored and the fortunate, We're exempted
ed from military duty. The National and State
militia laws Disseminated against the poor and
in favor of the rich. The law, SO falsely and
| fercely denounced discriminates against the
rich and in favor of the poor. Members of
Congress, Custom-House officers, postmasters
and their clerks, ministers, National and State
officials, excepting the Vice-Presdent, the Cab
met Judges of the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States, and the Governors of the States, are
now enrolled and must fight, or get q substitute,
or pay the communication of three hundred dol
lars. While this law requires the favored the
fortunate, the rich, to bear its burdens, it ten
derby spares the poor.
| Never was a military law enacted in Amer
lea so careful of the dependent poor. In this
world of inequality no legislation can lift from
the toiling masses the burdens that too often
press too heavily upon them; but this law, so
bitterly assailed, seeks to relieve the inequali-
ties of life. This denounced enrolment act
exempts of the poor the only son of the widow
| dependent on his labor; the only son of aged
or intirm parents dependent on his labor; one
OF tho two or more sons of such parents the
only brother of orphan children not twelve years
old dependent on his labor; the father of moth
erIess children under twelve years of age de-
pendent on his labor. Under these humane
| provisions tens of Thousands of the toilinc de-
pendent poor are relieved from the burdens of
enforced military duty. Congress wisely ex-
empted, as an net of humanity, young men
| between eighteen and twenty. Thousands of
Immature young men have broken down under
the severe duties Of the service, and sank into
| the hospitals OF into premature graves Many
OF the young men of this tender age are fitted
| for the army and should enter its service but rs
|
them into the army and Congress in this, as in
other portions of the law, followed the prompt
ngs Of humanity"
| THE THREE HUNDRED DOLLAR CLAUSE.
but the Communication provision of $500
is denounced as discrimination against the
poor in favor of the rich. He. who utters
this sentiment insults reason and outrages
deeency. The man who believes it is m en-
tally contemplate. The man who utters it
IN ear of the people proclaims an ileg cal
| absurdlty. No man was ever forced into
the army by this $500 communication provi
sion, or ever will be, or ever can be- 1t
has not, it will not, it cannot force one man
into the service of the United States. 1t is
aprovison of redemption, not Of compulsion.
No man is held by it, tens of thousands, are
relieved by it. 1t was made for the sole
benefit of the poor, of the small farmers
mechanics and laboring men. 1t discrim-
mates in their favor, and will and must do
so. The National and State laws required
the service of the person drafted or an ne
ceptable substitute.
| This law, as originally drawn, required
the service of the person drafted or an &c.
ceptable substitute, within ten days. 1t
was believed that the pressure would be so
great for substitutes that the price would 20
up to ten or fifteen hundred dollars, up
beyond the ability of small farmers, mer,
xl,.