The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-04-10
The Conscription Act Explained
by its Author.



LETTE8 FROM SENATOR Wi
SON TO FERNANOO WOOD.
1oies NA.rcx. MASS. March 80, 1859.
Hon. Fsys0sdo Wood iiiA'AA raA
Sra: You arc every where recognised a
the brain. the heart. the soul. the philoso
pher aud guide Of the Mosart Hall Demo
cratic faction Of the city Of New York
Your restless brain inspires its utterances
vour plsstic hand molds and fashions it's &C
tion.t Sarsly. then. it is % that you should
be held responsible for the uttsrsnces and
the acts Of your iege clansmen. Who are
wont 70 assemble in Aosars Hall and do your
bidding. -.
Inspired By yom councils. Mosart Hall
psouounces against the ''Act fov enrolling
and calling out the National Foross.n 70
preserve the unity of the republic aud the
life OF the as:ion. Mossrt Hall illumined
by your presence, proclains that this act
Tor the preservation of our perilsd country
makes IN infamous distinction between
the rich and the poor !" Sir, this accuse.
tioxt b fslss, wiokedly. wSntonly. and infa.
mously faise--a foul, shameless. and dam.
nsbls libel upon the law and its framers:-
The oet.sspeated Avowals Of ed-handed
traiioss. whose souls are stained with the
blood Of our murdered countrymen. that
this aocursSd rebeiicn now upon Us was
forced upon them by the aggressions of the
liberty loving. Law abiding. Godfearing peo-
pie Of the loysl States are not move shame.
lsssly, woutonly, and wicksdly false than is
this declssasion cf Mozart Hall that the
consorint;ou act makes distinctions in favor
Of the rioh and against the poor. -
e. sas~ Anpa ma M
coursc I cannot mean 70 accuss Mozart Hall
Of intsn sional falsehood Oh. no Surely
no ous would suspect Mozart Hall Of inten.
sional falsshood or misrepresentation It's
.considerate moderation, its lively sense of
Justice. its admitted patyiotism. its stainless
purity Of character. will rescue Mozart Hall
from the suspiciou Of intsotioual misrepro.
ssutatioa " falsshood J. soy 8so sai4ae
or course, sir. this shameless accusation
srsiust the provisions of the Conscriptlon
Act vas inspired BY ignorance. not by false.
hood. This exhibition Of sheer ignorance
couoesning shs provisions Of this prescribed
law Of the uati0n will. psshaPs, be excused
and pardoned in view of the manifestations
Of that iutsnse, passionate. outsPoken 10y
alty Nosart Hall b wont to put forth in be-
half Of the 0overnmsnt. 1t 10 nevertheless
NOT an agreeable spectacle to see you. sir.
and your Mozart Hall patsio,s. whose sx.
quisite regard for human rights 10 Only
soualcd by that deep ooncsrn for the coun-
nv which impels you TO delve into the mys.
Nsriss of negotiations With the Richmond
traitors. gsoping along 10 utter Ignorance of
the provisions Of . Law framed expressly to
more effsctually defend the endangered na-
Sioo. lichtsn the burden OF the Treasury
aud the people. eQualize the duties. and re-
lievs as far - possible the soiliog, depend
ant poor from the hard. If not harsh provis.
ions Of existing militia laws.
But cir, ie matters not whether this aocu-
sa,iou Of Nosart Hall against the Coasorip
tion act, was born Of ignorance or OF false
hood. Il u equally malicious, deceptive,
mischevous. IL 10 40 accusatioo dang be-
lore che people by The reckless hand Of ma
liQusnt dsmagogiso, 10 poisou the heart and
misleod the reason. Surely the heart. con-
science and reason Of loyal people will
mark and bsand the brain that conceived.
the hand that psnned. and the tongue that
proclaimed shis foul. wicked and shameless
calumuy against an act which bears the am
plsss evidence 10 every line. thai ito trainers
inssaded iss burdens should fall - lightly
- possible on the toiling masses. Sir, this
"Acs Tor sarolliag and calling ont the Ma
ionAl Forces" wss framed 70 Be moro effi-
eisat for var purposes than were The exist
ing militis hvs, lsss busdsnsoms upon the
Treasury Aad the people than were the ex-
iseing laws. and moro humane to the poor
Who have the agsd. the in6sn. aad the help.
less depsudeat upoa shsir lsbor for support,
than vsse the szissing statutsss TAsse OBJ
jscs.i sauctioesd BY patriotism. economy.
justice and huuanisy. were svsr kept stead
lily in vnvraad they have been astaissd -
nearly e the essqual bs Of humanity win
pssslis. h THE no, % 6ssssly desounecd bv
The Ncsast Hall Dsmccncy. 1t your bid.
ding. Yea. ~. this Law. sosAus;sssi allv
welcomed BY The armies q The Rsorbi;o
ssfsrrsd 10 By ether nations q the R;ghe.,
svidssss Of the determined purpos,s of shs
Anssiosn 0oysrnmsnt. dreaded By shs Ann.
a tzsissss asd dsnsrneed By rebS syupa
aAisers. bears in every section and IN ever,
iss, svidenssase - psAsissiso, jsseioe and
humaaisy. of the Thirty -ssvsnsh Coaareas.
III ~ s.a hunass Psovisiess, pssPsssaliy