Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-08-31
PROCLAMATION.
BY
THE GOV Err n OR.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT OF Quo,
COLUMBUS, August %, 1864.

COLUMBUS, August 70, 1904
To The People OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Under the recent call of the President
for FIVE hundred thousand men. a draft is
ordered to take place on the 5th Day OF
September next, Tor any deficit hat may
then exist in the quota of troops assign
ed to the State of Ohio. This draft ls
fixed by the provisions of the act OF Con-
eress. and must follow in fifty days after
the date of the call of ths President
Present indications are that a portion OF
the quota Of his State, will be deficient,
and that, in at least some districts, g
draft must take place TO cover such de
a~ciencies. This need not and should not,
nave been the case. The exertion that
has peer made to discourage and prevent
enlistments, if otherwise directed, would
have filed the quotas of those localities,
or left the deficiency very light.
However unwilling to believe that any
considerable portion OF the people OF this
State would array themselves in a fac
tious, If not reasonable, opposition 10 the
execution of the laws of the land. there
are indications of such a spirit In the
State. which, IS Chief Magistrate, [ may
not disregard. In appealing to the peo-
pie to discard the counsel of wicked and
u~nprincipled leaders that invite them to
factious and forcible resistance 20 the
draft or any other requirement OF the
Government, am actuaJed solely by a
desire to preserve, if practicable, the
peacs of the State. and the welfare OF the
eIring portion of our people, and not from
any a-pprehensiOns of either the deter
mination or ability of the Government
to maintain the supremacy of its laws.
THE man who supposes that either the
National or State Government is unad-
vised of. or unprepared for, the threaten
ed emergency is following the deception
of his leaders to Consequences of the
most serious character. Let me advise
you who countenance this insurrection,
to look carefully at the civil and military
penalties you are mourning. The act Of
Congress, approved July 3lst, 1851, ''To
DEFINE n PUNISH CERTAIS coSsPTRA-
cIEs," ia az follows:
3 BE it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled.
That if Two or more persons within any
State or Territory of the United States
shall conspire together to overthrow, or
to put down, or 10 destroy by force, the
Government of the United States, or to
, oppose by force the authority of the
United States; or by force to prevent.
/. hinder. or delay the execution of any
{ law of the United States; or by force to
' seize, take, or possess any property OF
| the United States against the will or con
, trary to the authority of the United
/ States; or by force, or intimidation, or
threats to prev ut any person from &C
{ cepIing or holding any office, or trust
- G i 40 H. hi
ted States: each and every person so
offending shall be guilty of a high crime,
a and upon conviction thereof in any dis
trict or circuit court of the United
States, having Jurisdiction thereof, or
supreme court of n Territory of the
' United States having jurisdiction there
. of, shall be punished by a fine not less
: than FIVE hundred dollars and not more
than five thousand dollars; or by i'm
prisonment, with or without hard labor.
as the court shall determine, for a period
not less than six months nor greater
than six years, or both such fine and i'm
prisonment."
t This Is merely the punishment tor con
, spiracy, yet its penalties are not light
and should not be thoughLlessly incurred.
I This follows, too, a mere combination or
Il dEACCl4CAb VI I4C W NO oAA oSNs
I and is complete without a resort to arms.
Resistance to the law by bodies of armed
men constitute the overt act OF treason,
the punishment of which is death
These are the civil penalties; the mill
tary results are to be found in the power
of the Government by armed force, to
, deal with every specie of insurrection
against the enforcement of It's legal en-
actments.
, It's necessary 20 argue the duty Of ev.
cry citizen TO yield obedience to laws
eonstitutionally enacted. so long as they
oemsin in force. Ii men may take up
5 arms to aesist laws in the policy or eff
i feet of which they do not concur, then
all government is at an end, and we are
resolved into anarchy. This stats of
things is not to be tolerated. A govern
ment may A. well perish in a bold and
, vigorous effort to maintain its integrity
as TO suffer al insurrection TO peutralze
It's laws and defy its power.
Most earnestly do l appeal to the PEG
: pie of the State o to engage in this for
chile resistance TO the laws to which evil
councillors and bad men are leading
l them. 1t cannot and will nos succeed.
rs triumph, If it achieve any, must be Of
q GIL y 2 a. OOF-
eminent IS aot weak. Il Is strong and
powerful. 1t cannot and viii not per
NIT an armed Instruction to impeach its
strength or impair its power, while con-
tending with the Southern rebellion
l do not say this 10 you in any spirit of
intimidation. or in any threatening tone.
/ speak it to You as a warning, and with
an smploring Voice to hear and heed it,
| know what the determination of your
Government is, and ! fully comprehend
the power al hand to enforce it.
What can you, who contemplate armed
resitasnee. reasonably expect to gain by
such d movement? You cannot effeotu-
ment of the laws. You cannot in any
wise improve your own condition in the
present, and must seriously injure it in
the future. Judicions aud conservative
men, who look to the supremacy ofGov-
eminent for the protection and safety
of their persons and property, will not
~sympsthiZe or cooperate with you. You
may commit crime; you may shed blood
you may destroy property;you may spread
ruin and devastation over some localities
of the State; you may give aid and COM
fort for a season to the rebels already in
armsagsinst the country; you may trans
fer for a brief time the horrors of war fro
the fields of the South to those of the
State of Ohio; you may paralize pros
perity and create cons formation and
alarm among our people. This is a bare
possibility, but it is all you can hope to
accomplish; for you have looked upon
the progress of our present struggle to
little purpose, if you have not learned the
great recuperative power, and the dee
pearnestness of the country in this con-
test. The final resultwill not be complete
and penalty will be equal the enormity
of the crime.