The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-09

WAfHTNGrOE, Jan. 5.-The following is
the message sent to Congress to-day by
the r resident:
by Joint Resolution Of your Honora-
BILE Bodies, approved December %. 1864,
the paying of Bounties TO veteran volun-
teers, IA now practiced by the War Depart
ment Is 10 the extent of 1900 in each case
prohibited after the 5th day Of the present
month. !! transmit for your consideration
q communication from the Secretary Of
Wac accompanied by one from the Provost
Marshal to him, both relating to the sub
iect above mentioned. l earnestly recon-
mend that the law be SO modified Us to al
low bountes to be paid as they now are,
at least unit. the ensuing lst day Of Feb
ruary, l am not without anxiety least
appear 10 be importunate in thus recalling
your attention TO subject upon which
you have SO recently acted, and nothing
but a deep conviction that the public in
terest demands it could induce the to in
cur the hazard Of being misunderstood on
this point. The Executive approval was
given by TO mo to the Resolution mention
ed, ana it is now by closer attention and
fuller knowledge OF facts thai feel con-
strained to recommend reconsideration
OF the subject.
TSignedl ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Washington, Jan. S, 1854.
The Secretary OF War in q letter accom-
TO doubt the necessity OF increasing the
military foc speedily terminating the re-
bellion, and although much difference Of
opinion exists in respect to the system of
raising troops by volunteering and pay
ment Of bOunties, and the system Of raj
sing an adequate force BY draft, yet two
things are certain:
LIST. That whatever may be tho weight Of
argument or the influence Of individual,
opinion, large portion Of the people in
every State prefer the method Of contrib
uting their proportion Of the military for
ces by bounty to volunteers ratEer than
draft
%. That veteran soldiers who have be-
come Injured to service, even when paid
bounty. constitutes n 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 passage of the resolution
of December last, indicated that very
large proportion Of the forces now in the
service would have cheerfully re-enlisted
for three years, under terms authorized by
order of this Department, and such enlist
ments have been checked and will in q
great measure be put to an end by the re-
striction imposed by action of Congress-
Believed any Limitation should be imposed
upon payment of bounties to encourage
enlistments Of veteran forces now in the
field, it ought not to be sooner than the Is,
of February.
The. p NJ. General, in q communi.
cation, says: After great labor the volun.
teer recruiting service, under the Presi.
dents call Of October 18th, is fairly in pro.
gress. Letters, all dated between the 10th
and oath Of December, from the superin-
tendents of the recruiting service in six
teen States are in the main very encourag-
ing as to the prospect of getting large
number of recruits by volunteer enlist
ments. Several Of the States were i'll a fair
way to raise the quotas assigned to them.
The Act, approved December 23d, 1868, for
bidding AFTER January 5th. the payment to
volunteers of all bounties, except the hun
dred dollars authorized by Act Of 1861, was
not known at the time these favorable re-
ports were. made to me. I have no doubt
that the effect of that Act will be to check
if it does not stop enlistments. Ofthe one
hundred dollars bounty provided by the
Act of 1861, but twenty-five dollars can be
paid in advance. The seyenty-dve dollars
being due only after two years of service.
It took some time after October 18th to get
the people reused to the subject of volun.
teering. They are now most earnestly en-
gagged in it, and have reports for October
and November and part of December,
showing that ~, $50 men have been enlist.