Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-17

doing service for which the regroes may be found com
prt-nt
Certain duties performed throug hout the country
oy details from the army which could be we'll ed
by pers"ns above the present couscrpt age An extension
81 the limit tO embrace forty five ypara
aud physically fit tor service in guarding posts
ana OF dee IN apprrhehdng desrrters and where pract
c"o assuming th- place ot younger detailed for duty
WIN Tue hl'rr ordnance c"mnissary and
bhrrau- OF the War Department. would Il is hoped add
ar2y To IN" effective forge IA the f4d without undue
burden the populations
IT to the ab,ve be added law to enlarge the
policy ut the act of the 2st April -g 80 as 70 enable
tn Department to replace not ony enlisted cooks but
"agIers and other empoy in army by negroes il is
9oprh that the ranks Of the army viii b sreng henpd
% me ensuing campaign as to put at defiance the utmost
efforts of the enemy
In nIder TO maotn, uuimpsred, the existing Grgaaza-
no" of the army until the c'o # The your legislation
contemplated frequent supply Of recruits, and it was
expected that before the expiration Of the three years for
men The men were enrolled under the act of 6 April
l-6 the majority Of men n "a n company would consst of
those who ,ined il at different dates subeuan to the
original muster Of he company into service and that the
1l"charR" Ut those who had completed their term would
a 40 time be sufficient to leave the company with less
nnmoer than required to enable it to retain its organi
Z,ton.
he difficulty Of obtaining recruits from certain locaIi-
tes ard the large humber OF exemptions from military
service granted hy different laws prevented sufficient
hcceS.ls IN many Of toe COMPANIES to preserve their
organizations after the discharge of the oreual meufrs
In cases where II may be oud lmprsctcabe maintain
regiments ia suhci"nt strength justify re.eut,on of
tae present organizations economy and efficiency would
wouli involve the necessity Of dbandng part Of the
9th ers aud making regulation for securing the most Judi
cloIs selection OF those who retained, while least
Noundng the feelings Of those who discharged
i he dsorderad condition Of the currency 10 which
have already alluded has imposed The Government
system OF supplying the wants Of the army which il 50
daequt IN ts oprfatJn vex4ous to the producer niuri
GUS t. the lndus'rm interest aud productive If such dis
intent among the people only /" be justified by the ex
scnce ot an ab oIue nec-ssy. The report Uf the Sec
eary on tins point establishes concusvrly that the necas
5y which has oTcad he bureaus Of supply provide for
the army by lmpressment has resulted Fl the mposs-
blltty o purchase by contract the open market
except at such rates would have rem
dr"d tn" appropriation lnadr qate the wants Of The
army Indeed II believed tuat temp on ia hoard
supplies Tor the higher prices which could be anticipated
vito certainty t been checked mainly by far OF tho
% ,aton for the mpressment law and couo dities
nave been "eTed IN the markets prime pay to escape
pr"asl"nt aud obtain higher than those fixed by
aFpral-rmeut.
he complaints against this vicious system have been
well uunded but the true Of the evil has been mis-
apWehendrd The remedy /. to be found not in change
@ the mprrssnrn law. but n tle of the cur
rrncy 10 such basis viii enable the Department to
puchs" necessary supplies the open market aud thus
rehder lupre~snrnt aud excrptnal process The
same remedy will effect the result varsAy desired of
~ augmentation o he pay # thu army, h. proposals
made Al your previous sessions t. thr pay the
"licrs by M addonai amount OF Treasury would
Ahve Conferred htla heut them but radical reform
at the currency will restore the pay 10 value approx
mating that which originally had and materially improve
their condition.