The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-15

presumption now seems to be that he will
stay home if he can, and go only ii he is
obliged to. And I should count it much
higher testimony to my own character and
the value of my past preaching, if We're
met with the remark, "Of course you will
as I more frequently have been,-"Of
course you will not think of going
I assure you, my friends, can think OF
nothing else NY words to you with re-
gard to our duties to our country have ex-
pressed my sincere convictions. nave
preached what believed, and still be-
lieve as have preached; and what l have
preached to others have meant also for
myself; and could never come into this
pulpit and utter again such words asI have
spoken here-for they would then seem to
me mere empty breath-unless obey, SO
far as I have the capacity, this call.
I do not know as shall be pronounced
physically worthy for the service into which
the lot would take me, though am aware
of no defect that would legally exempt me,
and sincerely hope that none may be found.
I only wish this matter were beyond doubt.
/ have wanted since last Thursday, as new
er before, strength of body, and shall re-
gard it with profound modification, if /
shall be declared physically disabled for
makes upon me. / cannot at all under
stand the feeling which prompts so many
men to search their bodies for some weak
ness or disease whereby they can escape
this service to their country. [ know very
well that one physically incapacitated
should not go as soldier, and that patrio-
tism sometimes may require that one alb
| stain from going rather than to go and be-
come burden to the service. But how
any one can exult if such incapacity be dis
covered in himself, is what cannot COM
| prehend. Aside from the mean and craven
nature of such sentiment, proper pride
| in the possession of a sound body should
keep one from grovelling so low. How
much nobler is the spirit of the drafted sal
lor, who, already in the ea-service of the
government, came before the Examining
Board the other day with certificate from
some local physician, trumped up for him
probably by his home friends, stating that
| he had an internal organic disease; but
who, when the Board found no disease,
but, on the contrary, pronounced him a
sound and perfectly healthy man, exclaim-
ed with exultation, "Good! But shall go
| back to the service in which now am, for
1 can serve better there; so here are my
three hundred dollars, which l willing pay
for the sake of goiug back, knowing that l
am sound man?'
| Young men, if your mothers should be
assailed, would you exult because you
were feeble-bodied and could not 30 to
their defence? Our country is our mother;
and shall we not pray for strong arms, in
this her hour of peril, to defend her? 1 de-
eide not for others; but for one, / doso pray
continually; and / shall use all possible
means between this day and the day of ex-
animation month hence, to make myself
physically worthy to answer her call. And
if accepted, must go-go wherever, and
in whatever capacity the legally constitut-
l ed authorities may place me, seeking for
myself nothing that is not equally open to
ali, only trusting that, if there be any kind
of service in which l may be more useful
than another, it will in providential ways
come to me. ....
Andif not accepted-if shall be DOOM
ed to the modification of physical I'M
worthiness-I shall still feel that this call
is a new voice of duty which must in
some way try to obey. In what shape l
can respond to the demand, know not
how; but have for some time felt that
must get nearer to the heart of this nation
al struggle; that I must enter more interi-
orly into the life of this hour of our ma
tional history; that I have done what l
could by word, and must now make some
fuller and more personal proof of my
ministry in this regard. And this call
from the conscription-wheel I accept as
an intimation that another field of duty
may be somewhere opening for me.
You say it it all accident-that the turn
of q hairs breadth more might have
drawn the next name instead of mine.
True and yet no accident happens to us
which does not bring for us, if we listen, a
divine message. And this is the message
that this so-called accident brings to me, =
| make full proof of thy ministry [
have spoken to you so much by words
that feel that my words have lost their
/ power, at least that my absence, in some
service to which the nation calls, would
ow.speak more forcibly than my presence
for the truths which 1 have endeavored to
uphold.
So long as the question was concerning
| the raising of volunteer army, have
not felt called to any kind of military ser
vice. Neither by temperament education
or tastes, have 1 any special qualifications
| for it. I could consistently encourage those
who had the qualifications to go, while at
the same time l felt that / could remain
with greater usefulness at my present post.
But the question is now changed. The
CONSUMPTION law has put an end, in great
measure, to these considerations Of fitness,
as also to those of convenience. 1t is to be
presumed that two years opportunity for
i volunteering has taken all those into mill
4 tary service who have any special liking
4 or adaptedness for it, or who could leave
home and business with ease. Whatever
the presumption may be, the presumption
on which we must act is, that it is now an
even matter who shall go to make up this
new army; and for this reason we have
drawn lots to decide the QUESTION.
say, ne haze dram lots; WE, the people,
have done it. 1t has not been done for us
or over us by any despotic authority, but
it is our act, done at our eemand. And
this leads me to say the word which I wish,
to say on the Conscription Act.
The CONSUMPTION law is oar law-the peo-
pies law. 1t was passed by the legal rep
resentatives OF the people, and at the de-
mand of the people. The people said to the
government, "All have volunteered who
have any special fitness for war, or who
can go with convenience to themselves OF
to their families, or to society it is now as
difficult for one man to go as another; SO
we will draw lots to determine who shall
CO." And the government has accordingly
put our names into the wheel, and the fates
at Our command are turning it; shall we not
abide by the lot?
If any think that have put the point toe
strongly, that the draft is the act of the PEG.
pie, let them call to mind the fact that q
little more than a year ago there was gen,
eral call through the newspapers Of all par