Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-08-13

THp DRAFr IN NEw YoRK,-Goy.
seymour of New York, under date OF
August Sd, wrote to the president with
respect to the draft IN New York and
BROOKLYN. He condemns the course OF
the Provost Marshal, in commencing the
draft without consultation with the Guy
or State officers, at time when the mlll-
Tia were absent at the seat of war; and
while there was not even soldiers enough
in New York to man the Notifications IN
the harbor. The governor complains oil
unfairnes in the enrolment, and THINKS
in this lottery for human hie," as he
terms it,there should be strict importantly.
In the rural districts the draft has been
executed with Justice, and the conserlpts
have accepted their fate without a muir
muir. and sometimes ioyfully. In the dis
tricts of New York, however, with pop
ulation much less the number TO be draft
ed is in some cases double that OF the
former. The attack upon the enrolling
officers, which subsequently grew into
the most destructive riot known IN the
history of the country, he pronounces I'M
justi6able,
The governor also complains that no
credit has been given the city for the num-
Der OF volunteers sent, and the noble e2-
ertions of the militia in times of peril
He therefore asks for suspension at
least of the draft TIL It's constitutlonahty
is tested.
The president in reply, under date OF
August Sth, says he cannot suspend the
draft in New York, because time is too
important. He admits the disparity OF
quotas in the different sections, and &C
| counts for 1t by the fact that so many
more persons fit for soldiers are in the
| city than are in the country, who have
too recently arrived from Europe to be in
cluded in the census of 1860. Still he
would not consider that reason sufficient.
He would direct the draft to proceed
drafting only the average quota Of al
! districts. After this drawing the city
districts shall be carefully re enrolled, and
the governors agents might witness every
step of the process. Due credit will b
given for all volunteers.
The letter of the president concludes a
follows:
do not object to abide a decision o
the nlted tates Supreme Court, or Q
the Judges thereof on the constitutional
tv of the draft law. In fact, | should b
willing to facilitate the obtaining of it,
But | cannot consent to lose the tim
while it is being obtained. We are con
tending with an enemy who, as | under
stand, drives every ablebodied man h
can reach into his ranks, very much as ;
butcher drives bulocks into slaughter
pen. No time is wasted, no argument !
used This produces an army which vii
soon turn upon our now victorious sol
diers already in the field, if they shall no
be sustained by recruits, as they shoulC
be. 1t produces an army with rapldlt,
not to be matched on our side, if we frs
waste time to re-eXperlme1t with the vol
unteer system, already deemed by Con
gress and palpably, in fact, so far ex
hausted as to be, inadequate; and the
more time to obtain court decision AS t
whether a law is constitutional which re
Qulres a part of those not now in the ser
vice to go to the aid of those who are al
ready in it; and still more time to deter
mine with absolute certainty that We &c
those who are to go in the precisely lega
proportion to those who are not TO GO
My purposes to be in my action Just ant
constitutional, and yet practical, in pei
forming the important duty with which
am charged, of maintaining the unity an
the free principles Of our common coun
try.