Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-11-25
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

RICHMOND Nov l9, 1864.
Mr. Staples, of Virginia, from the select commit
tee to INQUIRE uto the expedency of appealing to
the several States in order to effect decrease in the
number of exemptions under State authority report
ed the following resolution Looking to the appoint
ment of joint committee consisting. on the part
of the House Of one member from each State whose
duty it shall be to ascertain the number of exemp.
tions by State authority in each State, and if such
number seem larger than NECESSARY, the committee
be instructed to inquire into, the propriety of Ssu
ing an appeal to the State Legislatures that action
shall be taken so as not to exempt persons be
tween the ages of lS and 40.
Mr. Staples said it was obvious that some action
should be taken on this subject. The records o
the Bureau of Conscription exhit than 80 600
exemptions of able bodied males between Is and 45,
under this clause, as follows:
In Virgins, 1,40O; North Carolina, ID, 600;
South. Carolina, 400; Alabama, 074; Mississippi,
10; Georgia, IL, 600 to IL, 5,000-perhaps more
besides large number Of railroad employees, &C.,
whom the Governor refuses to have enrolled Such
a state of affairs was unjust TO those States which
have restricted themselves in this particular in or
der to increase our armies.
No man was more favorable to States Rights than
he but we should not press the doctrine far at
the expense of our national liberty. Our great work
was to establish our independence. We had better
do anything than submit. Gentlemen may talk
about an armiStice contention OF State. When
or where have the North proposed such thing
Every advance on our part would be considered as
an evidence ofailing resources and despairng hopes
He believed that the end might be PROSTATE and ex
hausted country, but it would be one whose noun
tains and streams swept by the divine al: Of free
dom.
Mr. j. T. Leach, of North Carolina, said he was
surprised at the language used by the gentleman
from Virginia, in which Nor th.Carolina, it seems,
comes in for her usual share of criticism North
Carolina had furnished men to the army in
proportion to population than any other State
She had sent llS 900 men the field Of whom one
and third per cent had sealed their devotion with
their lives. What has Virginia lost2 4 little over
half of one per cent. Virginia may be chivalrous,
but her sons, it seems, have been more fortunate.
The gentleman SAYS injustice and injury is done
to other States by the action Of North Carolina and
Georgia. When other States come up to the meas
ure OF their duty, as North Carolina has DONE there
will be less cause Of complaint He supposed if
North Carolina were to send all her omen and chill
dren and negroes to the army, is you'd probably be
admitted that she had perhaps done half her duty
The gentleman from Virginia claims to be q State
Rights man, but he has poor way of showing it
He is q consodstionst. As for himself be took
occasion to say, that he endorsed every word writ
ten and spoken by Gov. Brown and Vice President
Stephens, and also the views expressed by the gen.
tleman from South Carolina (Mr. Boyee.l He was
aware that ayowal Of spch sentiments was loob ed
upon by some as discovering taint of disloyalty,
but be was satisfied With bIs company. and when