The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-05-13
From the Irish Times, March l d.
Federal Enlistment in Ireland.

left the North Wall for New York They
had been collected from this city aud SUBJ
urban districts, and were brought TO the
quays in groups of four, ten, fifteen or
twenty. Wherever in the neighborhood
of Dublin, Iaborers' work was proceeding,
there the Federal agent appeared, picked
out the strongest men, talked them over,
and generally succeeded in buying their
lives. The men are not told in express
words that they must enlist in the Fedc-
raj armies, but they know very well what
they are required to do, and what they
must do. they are ostensibly engaged
TO work in the construction Of railway
for three months. The whercA bouts of
the railway we have been unable to dis
cover. Their passage, clothes, and food
are paid for, and they are nominally al
lowed IL dollar Il day until the expiration
of the three months. Theft accounts will
be settled, and the cost Of their passage,
clothes, and keep, is to be deducted from
the money due for the quarter service:
When that settlement is made, the men
'may enlist in the Federal armies if they
please" or, if they prefer i. they may
seek work. The Northcrners are sharp
people, aud they take good care that the
''threc months" men must enlist 10 the
Federal army to keep themselves from
PRISM.
For, arriving at New York the 'emi-
grants are placed by themselves either
on some island or in an isolated depot
While there they must buy food, water,
boots and clothing. They are charged
ten dollars for what is worth two. Temp.
tatons are offered to them of every kind.
Ii they have no money, SO much the bet
ter An accommodating dealer in green
backs attends every company, and cashes
their notes in advance at an enormous
percentage Ga the expiration of the
three months the emil grant has had some
experience in digging trenches, more in
drill, but he is overwhelmed with debt
He has"been exposed to the rapacity of a
swarm of harpies, and to legion of Sc
ducers. He is told he may find employ
meut where he pleases, when. he has paid
his debts. In his difficulty he is offered
ei65 in greeubucks, u sum which will
clear off his liabilities, and give him some
capital to CONN ence new score, until
that too is wasted, and then he Is sent to
the front.
There never was devised a more iniqui-.
tour scheme of deception, and, unhappily,
never was wicked device more success.
full. Misguided young men are hired and
then pluudered, and they are pluudered
to compel them to enlist. When they
are once regularly enlisted, they have
nothing before them but death-death
either in the sudden shock of battle, for
they will be placed, as usual, in the van
or on the forlorn hope; or death after
lingering suffering, when they have been
abandoned on the field; or death by fever,
which kills them off like flies in pestilen.
tial hospitals, whose very walls are i'm
pregnated with fever and disease.
Out of every HUNDRED mcu who leave
their sweethearts, their families and their
work behind them, not ten will De alive
at this time next year, and of these more
than half will be manned and crippled for
the brief term of their days. A more
deadly war was never wagel than that be-
tween the North aud Sou,h-deadly by
wounds, deadly by hardship, deadly by
disease; and in this war five Irishmen
have been slain for one native American.
1t is such an emigration as this that
diiettani professors pronounce to be the
hope Of Ireland and the blessing of tue
people. The opinions of these theorists
might be laughed at, were they not in
dica.ive of something which is very sad.
All those who pronounce this emigration
TO be good, are persons well known for
their connection with Government 1t
follows, then, that the Government will
nuver interfere to prevent that which
their s"ribes are required to represent as ,
blessing.
A ship is seized because there is sus-
picion that it is intended for the use of
the CunIederates. Her owner is called
upon to produce proof that she is designed
for some noE-bclllg erent state. Yet u ship
is useless without men, and stores, and
arms but within bpwshot of the Castle
of Dublin, under the very eyes of Her
Majesty's Government, bodies of 600 men
y hose walk and movement betray that
they have undergone some preliminary
drilling in this country, are marched to
the translo rt ship, bound for the great
seaport of the Northern belliserent If
the destination of ship must be known,
why not the destination of regiments Of
600 men? Why are not the captains of
emigrant ships compelled to give bonds
to guarantee the peaceable character of
the employment for which these emigrunts
are designed? Our Cousuls in the Amer
lean cities could readily ascertain | ow
these enigrants were distributed, and the
Federal Government, grateful as they
should be for many fAvors, ought to en-
gage TO enlist in their armies no emigiant
from this country until u year after his
arrival.
There is employment now for every
l. e