The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-01-07
President Lincoln's Message on
the Draft


To the Senate and House of Representatives
! By joint resolution of your honorable
bodies approved Dec. 23d, 1868, the paying
of bounties to veteran volunteers as now
practiced by this War Department is to the
extent of $500 in eacll case prohibited after
the 9Th day of the present month.
transmit for your consideration a COM
munication from the Secretary of War, &C
companied by one from the Provost Marshal
General TO him, both relating to the subject
above mentioned.
| earnestly recommend that the law be SO
modified as to allow bounties to be paid as
they now are, atleast until the ensuing 1st day
of February.
l am not without anxiety lest appear to
be lmportunate in thus recalling your atten Z
ton to a subject upon which you have 80 re- =.
Gently acted, and nothing but a deep convic
ton that the public interest demands it, could
induce me to incur the hazard Of being mis-
understood on this point.
The Executive approval was given by me
to the resolution mentioned, and it is now by
closer attention and fuller knowledge Of
facts that l feel constrained to recommend a
reconsideration of the subject.
(Signed ABRAHAM LINCOLN
FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
The Secretary of War, in letter accom-
panying the message, says: No one seems tc
doubt the necessity for increasing the militia
ry forces for the speedy termination of the re-
bellion, and although much difference of opin-
ion exists in respect to the system of raising
troops by volunteers and the payment of boun-
ties, and the systeln of raising an adequate
force by draft, yet two things are certain
FtrSt-That whatever may be the weight
Of argument, or the influence of individual
opinion, large portion of the people of every
State prefer the method of contributing their
proportion Of the military force by bounty to
volunteers rather than by draft.
Sscon4-That veteran soldiers who have be-
come Injured to service, even when paid a
bounty, constitute cheaper force than raw
recruits, or drafted men without bounty. The
information received by the War Department
from the armies in the field, prior to the pas
sage OF the resolution of December last, indi-
cative that a very large proportion of the
forces now i'll the service would have cheerful
| ly re-enlisted for three years under the terns
authorized by order Of this Department, and
such enlstmcnts have been checked, and will
Ill great measure be put to an end by the
restriction imposed by the action of Congress
1t is believed If any limitation should be i'm,
posed upon the payment of bounties to en-
courage the enlistment of veteran forces now
in the field, it ought not to be sooner than the
1st of February.
FROM THE PROVOST MARSHAL GENERAL.
The Provost Marshal General in a comnlu-
nicatlon says: After great labor the volun-
teer recruiting service under the Presidents
call OF Oct. 18th, is fairly in progress. letter.
all dated between the goth and oath of De
cember, from the Superintendent of the re.
cruiting service in IL States are in the main
very encouraging as to the prospect of get
ting large number of recruits by volunteer
enllstmentSS
Several of the States were i'll fair way tt
raise the quotas assigned to them. The act
approved Dec 23' 1868, forbidding after Jan
9Th the payment to volunteers Of all Dounties
except the hundred dollars authorized by act
of 1851, was not known at the time these IA
vorable reports were made to me. | have NJ
doubt that the effect Of that act will be t.
check, if it does not stop enIisJments.
If the 500 bounty provided by the act O
1861, but $25 can be paid in advance, the$7t
being due only after two years of service. i
took some time after Oct. 18th to get the PEG
pie reused to the subject of volunteering
1 They are now most earnestly engaged in it.
and have reports for October and November
and part of December, showing that AZ, 629
men have been enlisted, and the daily aver
age of enlistIRents is increasing.
Under those circumstances, [ respectfully
suggest the propriety of a reconsideration Of
the act forbidding bounties after Jan. 9th.
| These communications NUara rafarrod to fhe
committee on Military Affairs.