Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-12-11
MUsCATINE, IOWA FRIDAY. DECEMBER 1868
The Draft-The 4J0O Clause Will
Probably be Stricken ONt-Rebel
Prisoners AIT Rock Island, &c.

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The Draft-The S30O Clause Will
Probably be Stricken ONt-Rebel
Prisoners AIT Rock Island, &c.
| DAVENPORT, Dec. 4;h, 1868.
EDITOR MuscArINE JOURNAL - The rebe
organ Of your city seems to be getting very
nervous upon the subject of draft in this
State, and with his usual vehemency he warns
the poor, hard working men CT the county ia
make hay while the sun shines and be able to
leave their dependent families in as comfort.
able circumstances as possible. All this is
very commendable, even though it be uttered
in deviIish spirit Of hypocrisy. The $500
substitute clause of the Enrolment Act has
been very odious in the sight OF the Butter
nut family, and they have clamored against
it both long and loud. They have demanded
its repeal. that there should be no discrmi.
nation in favor Of the rich against the poor,
by the government Says Fernando Wood &
Co., the Aboitionists make the man who can
control $500 exempt from military service,
while they compel his poor, but unfortunate,
neighbor to enter the ranks and fight. For
tunately for this class of political'demagogues
there is strong probability, if not absolute
certainty, of Congress needing their clamors,
and repeating the odious $500 clause. It is
understood in well informed circles that bill
will be introduced as soon as practicable after
the organization of Congress for this purpose.
That there exists but little if any doubt Of its
passage is deducible from the following facts:
The House is very nearly equally divided, the
Democrats forming very respectable minor
Iity in point of numbers. They have repeat
edly in conventions, in their press, and upon
the hustings, declared themselves hostile to
that clause, and insisted upon its early repeal.
They, of course, cannot, with any degree Of
consistency, stultify the record they have
made. Having declared their party to be the
"poor mans FRIEND" and in favor of abolish
ing all legislative distinctions, they will not
dare, when such a repeating bill is introduced,
to vote against it. There are also in the
House, as well as in the Senate, Republicans
who favor striking out that clause. These
votes, added to the Democratic votes, will be
sufficiently numerous to strike out the ''rich
mans exemption And then we shall see
what we will see. If there be drafted in
Bloomington township forty men with $500
at their command, ready for substitute,
rather than go into the army, and forty men,
with only $500, or no dollars at all, who feel
as though they could not and would not enter
the army, common sense will dictate to every
man who holds himself as a substitute to
hire out where he can get the most money
Whether it be right or wrong, there is no use
in Disgusting the fact that human kind love
money, and their services are rendered where
they can receive the greatest amount of the
'flthy lucre." No man will work for one
dollar day when he can get steady employ
ment for two dollars. No man will go as
substitute for 800 when he can get $780,
If the poor man drafted can pay but $500 and
his rich neighbor, also drafted, can and will
pay $500, the rich man will unquestionably
find his substitute. But as the Democracy
want it SO, let them have trial of it, and if
the rank and file of that party can stand the
competition l am very certain that our party
will not complain. So say let us by all
means have the odious feature struck out, and
then have draft 1t is THEN we will see a
demonstration of that perfect love of Butter
nuts for the poor man. For one, rejoice
that this matter is being agitated and that we
shall have an open market and competition
for substitutes. l rejoice, because desire to
see this hideous ma k and cloak of hypocrisy
removed from as desperate and villainous q
set Of political demagogues as ever went un-
scourged through the world. congratulate
the Thayers, Hutchins, and Todds upon the
prospect Of an open market and rise in stocks.
| Gen. Roberts has been relieved from duty
at this post arising from some conflict Of au-
thority with the authorities here. General
Sully, of Indian Expedition fame, will be his
| successor. .... H-
A company of the Both Wisconsin arrived
here yesterday to guard the Indians.
The first installment of Chattanooga rebels
arrived at Rock Island yesterday. The re-
mainder of the first 5000 will arrive to-day.
l regret to say that by a published order from
Col. Rush, in command of the camp, the edi
tor of the Courier and his political confede
rates will not be permitted to visit their
numerous Southern brethren and wayward
sisters" who, by the unconstitutional acts of
Unconditional Surrender Grant have been so
inhumanly thrown upon the rigo1s of a
Northern climate. -..,..i "A. ..... .
The State Sanitary Board of Control ad
journed yesterday. ..- s..-,
Captain A. Palmer is here, on his way to
Muscatine, for the purpose of recruiting for
the gallant 18th Iowa. III
The 9th Cavalry is being paid off to-day,
and will leave for st. Louis on Monday or
Tuesday next .
| Quite number of persons have appeared
for exemption. Some claims allowed and
others not No list will be published until
the work be completed. My lameness having
disappeared, shall not be so successful in
having my name appear among the exempts
as in the fall of 1862. ought to deeply re-
gret, on account of my highly esteemed friend
at the Courier, who will be so much the loser
of material for the composition in his Office
and know the readers Of that sheet will
also be losers. ILL.,. D.
az tits q fact not generally known, but
| which ought to be known in connection with
the recent national ceremonies at Gettysburg,
that the killed and wounded in that grand en-.
counter was greater than the loss at Waterloo.
At Waterloo the Allies lost 10000 in killed
and wounded the French about the same
number. At Gettysburg the Union army
lost 1000 killed and $4,000 wounded, and
the rebels $500 killed and $1,000 wounded