The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-07-07
No aCommutation" Hereafter.

The controversy between the United
States Senate and House of Representa-
tiyes over the repeal of the Communication
clause, in the bill for enrolling and call
ing cut the Iiatioual forces, has been set
tied by the adoption Of the report of a
Committee of Conference, which substan
TALLY enacts the Smlthers bill. There
some changes in it. The provision that
sixty days should be allowed for volun
teers has been changed by restricting the
term to fifty days. The privilege of re-
cruiting by the loyal States in States in
Rebellion, has Been modified by striking
out the States of Arkansas, Tennessee
and Louisiana. This practically leaves
open, as the only Rebel States where re-
cruiting for Northern regiments may be
carried on, those Rebel States in which
our troops are still fighting and hold Re-
bel portions of territory-viz., Virginia,
Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina
We have stations and troops in other
States, but there could be no hope for re-
cruiting there. The bounties are to be
same as established by the Smithers bill,
with the important difference that they
are not to be paid to drafted men or sub
stitutes. Volunteers only will receive
the bounty; drafted men or substitutes
are only to get regular pay and allowan-
ces The drafted man cannot pay com
mutation money, as heretofore, and un-
less he can get substitute he must serve.
There is provision that persons in the
naval service, not yet credited to the Dis
tricts in which they resided, may be cred
tied upon presentation of the proper eyi-
dence. There are some minor matters.
of no importance except to soldiers.
This bill is evidently intended to stim-
ulate volunteering, and for that purpose
it is more thorough than the old enroll
ment law. 1t withdraws all hope from
the drafted man. Under the three hun
dred dollar exemption clause every per-
son whose means assured him that he
could raise that amount of money upon
security, was perfectly easy. He would
run his risk if he should escape in the
drawing it would be well. If he were
drawn his pocket-book would purchase an
exemption. But now there is no certain
tainty for any one within the ages of
eighteen and forty five years. 1t is true
that even after man is unlucky enough
to be drawn he may obtain substitute,
but the price of that article is likely to
be very high. Anybody can VOLUNTEER,
but everybody cannot 60 as substitute.
The principle is established that no man
who is liable to the draft can be substi-
tute. Aliens, soldiers who have served
two years and been honorably discharged
men over forty-fve years whom the Pro
vost Marshals will accept, and all those
between sixteen and eighteen years OF
age, and perhaps the slaves of disloyal
masters In States still in rebellion, are all
that can be accepted as substitutes. If
the substitute-market were open to citizen,
whether subject to draft or not, men who
might be volunteers would frequently
choose to be substitutes, allured by the
higher premiums to be obtained. But
this cannot be, and unless there are in
ducements sufficient to fll up the quotas
of volunteers, the draft cannot be avoid
ed.