, 1863-03-05

THURSDAY, MARCH :, 1868.
HOW TO MENB THE CONSCIRIp-
TON I.AW


110N Law.
We could wish that the clause in the
conscription Law, authorizing the employ
1ncnt Of substitutes in place Of dfailed
men, and fixing money price for each,
had been differently wonled. 1t IS untoE-
iunate because, as It nov. stands, 1t il liable
to misconstruction, and is the occasion Of
much angry complaint. We can, howey
cr, do nothing but fall back on the discre-
tionary power reposed i'll the Secretary Of
War, and BY showing him the difficulty OF |
conscripts under the law as now
construed, and the wide dissatisfaction
which its enforcement would create, com
pei him, by the mere force Of public opin-
ion, to the non-exercise Of the power Of
appointing substitute commissioners
which the law reposes in him; and thus
reduce, the whole matter to the con-
Gition in which it would have been left
Lad no money value OF substitutes been
FAMED in the bill.
The wording Of the statute is peculiar
as We yesterday had OCCASION 10 explain.
The section to which we refer reads thus
SEC i: 4ad oe q J1rthsr .enacted, Ihat lt,l any
RIo LID NAV AZ ono On or before he day died for his
appearance furnish m acceptable snosa.pte
20 ue .hho 3cr!o1s a ~ Tho sccrctary Of War may
authorizc to receive it, such sum as the Sec
Ietal9 o1 mdr dn1;rs f1. for thc @ ~ Of
such sub4iiutt, and thereupon the said person
furnishing enostitute OF ns5rng tne ,a,1t money
nnder % r that drait.
Tie sum Of the matter, then, is this: II
the Secretary does not authorize any off
ccr 1o receive the coumutation money
fixed as above. a person drafted is
shut out from the privilege of
uakinr a money settlement Of the claim
that tie Government has upon his services,
,nd will be compelled to enter the substi-
1ute market. and if he does not choose to
no to war. nay such sums for man to fill
lis shoes as the supply and demand may
warrant. And this is the line Of action TINT
the Secretary will, VIC think, choose to
adopt: and those who are dissatisfied with
the law will do far better to spend their
1imc in convincing lin that such, On his
part, is the true policy, than in indulging
in furious but meaningless threats against
the Government by which they are pro-
tected.
We want to warn our readers Of one
thing: Journals like the organ Of JEFF. Da-
Wis in tits city will be sure to make the
feature in the law Of which we speak the
basis Of furious assaults upon the Admin
istration and upon the war. And the cries
that they set up Will be loudly echoed
and rc-cchoed by all men whose
loyalty is Of the character that ad-
1nits Of question. They will represent it
us a grievous and unnecessary burden i'm
posed upon the poor, as cheap exemption
of the rich, and hence as defiance Of all
iustice and fairuess-a measure against
which the people ought to rebel. They
have already commenced this: and weare
sorry to say that many Of our Republicans
heretofore distinguished, for the zeal with
which thev hare labored in the good cause
have been deluded BY the falsehoods and
t1enunciat1ons to which they have listened
But they forget that had the law assumed
any other shape than that which it bears
it would have been lust as yiolcntly assail
cd Coppcrheadism knows but one pur
pose, and that is 10 embarrass the Admin
istration and help the enemy; and yhateye,
promises to aid in the accomplishment 0
that design is grcedily and thankfully re
cciyed. Had the law been modelled o,
the Prussian system of couscription, th
Coppcrheads would have appeale
to the rich, aud endeayored to cor
vince them that they were abused
and TINT the industry and commerce {
1he country must cease for wal
Of experienced men and of ca
ita1 to give them vitality and d
rcction Had no law at all been passe
the neglect would have been made the b
Sis Of complaint, and demonstration wou
not have been uninterrupted. that the cou
1ry was gong to perdl{lon o5 reason OF u
1nelflciency and unialthiulness OF tho
Who RUE u.s.