Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1863-02-13
FRIDAY, Feb. 6.


on the bill to encourage enlistments, &c, the
question being on striking out the provision
that drafted men shall, from the time Of draft
ing, be deemed to be in actual service and un-
der the articles OF war. This accomplishes
two purposes first. pay to the soldier from
the moment Of drafting, which is for his bene-
St and second, prevention Of desertion. Il
is melancholy fact that very large part Of
tho drafted men and substitutes. under he
draft Of last summer, pooketed hs bounty and
then deserted. A double crime--fraud and
desertion: and yet the opponents Of the Ad-
ministrstion in the Senate vote not to shut
the door against those crimes On striking
out. the vote was ayes l3--all Dems. and
slave state men, except CowOn noes 2s, and
not Democrat among them Nesmith
(Dem) doubtless would have voted No had
hO peen present.
Nothing Of importance in the House.
The blockade
The proclamations Of the rebel Generals,
announcing that Charleston and Galveston
are open ports, create amusement here. What
IL they should draw fleets to those ports
loaded with contraband goods, to be gobbled
up by our blockadersl 1t would be rich
for the officers and sailors, who will get the
prize money. The design was, Of course. to
raise dispute with foreign nations about the
blockade but it will turn out. | suppose.
that the interruption Of the blockade has been
TOO temporary to accomplish this design
Certainly so in the case of Charleston. More
over, trust that our forces will have actual
possession Of both Of those ports before any
question can be raised abroad. That is the
best way to settle that matter.
Warning to Invalid Soldiers
Look to your Surgeons for discharges
to members Of Congress, nor agents Indeed
employ no agent for any purpose, unless you
know him we'll. Cases are rare in which
agents do any good.
INVALID SOLDIERS
SuRsEoN GBNERAL's oFFicR
Washington, Jau. 81. 1858 (
IL being reported that various parties have Obtained
money from invalid soldiers under the pretense u
sting tn to their discharge from The service notice
IL hereby given hA, certificates Of disability f DISCHARGE
to soldiers IN general sptas and camps only given
BY the surgeon in charge Of such hospital camp and
the obtrusivr efforts Of persons claiming to be special
agents retard instead " hasten the preparation Of dis
charge papers All soldiers ",intd against giving
money on such plea to 'ny person whatever.
By order OF the Surgeon General
JOSEPH H. SMITH
Surgeon United States Army.
HILLARY Pot0er Of the Staies-Realh of the
States.
By my request, and TO be used with other
facts with a view Of doing justice to Vernon,
ultimately, for her services in the war. the
Superintendent Of the Census has furnished a
statement Of the number of males between
eighteen and forty-f years Of age in each
state--that is, the population liable to militia
~ duty. The number in the Union is s.
ga ,065; in Vermont, go, $50. The per cent
age in the Union is 20.ss Of the entire white
population; in Vermont, 1922. Thus it
will be seen that under apportionment Of
troops according to population, Vermont will
furnish about eight per cent. more than her
proportion according to her actual military
strength; and this | suppose she has done.
Vermont is State which contributes to the
other States by emigration; and emigration
consists mainly Of young men and middle
aged people. 1t should result that while
Vermont has less than the average Of men
capable Of bearing arms, the new states and
territories will have much more than the aver
age and therefore Vermont should furnish
fewer, and the new States more, men for the
war. Vermont has doubtless furnished mora
than her just share; and having smaller
supply to draw from. it is not without reason
that she has used strong drat0 g-plastsr,
by way Of bounties and seven dollars per
month extra pay. | do not know that Con-
gress will ever be just to our State but !
mean to have justice done to her, in history
at least, by record Of the facts. The table
from the census Office proves my theory. The
per centsge of men liable to military duty in
the total population. is as follows:
Average in the Union, 20ss
Vermont, 1927
New Hampshire, 1854
Maine, 1880
The foregoing are free states which con-
tribute to the new states by emigration. The
slave states show nearly the same results as
the three foregoing, slavery tending to repres'
free white population, on which the calculation
is made. Now compare the foregoing with
states to Ohich emig aton 9oos:
California, 5029
Illinois, 22.OO
Ion. (affected by emigration % 60
into Missouri & Kansas ! -O'''
Michigan, 22l7
Mnnesotn, 2432
Oregon, 1924
Wisconsin, 2059
Colorado, 1882
Dakota, 52.4l
Nebraska, 3l0S