Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-12-21

.io ntuiy Is oelng reinforced by i've to ter
thousand volunteers per day. The people
! OF Auburn understood me and cleared
their district of the draft by volunteering
Patriotic men in Philadelphia write nt
that there they understood me to saw
that there will be nadraft. and therefo;C
they stop volunteering. [ avail myself
therefore, Of this OCCASION to correct theil
mistake by saying that as grace can onl,
snow itself by works, so the draft will
come IT we do not volunteer and SO pre-
vent it. | hope that point is settled
now" am
THE DRAFT ORDERED TO COMMENCE.
On the 18th of September Secre,ary
Stanton telegraphed TO General Dix as fol
/ lows:
"The draft is ordered to comepce in all
the states and districts where the quota i;
not filled by volunteers on Monday, the
18th, and will 90 on until completed
Volunteers and substitutes will be receiv-
ed and credited to as late period as pos,
si6le. Volunteering is still progressing
with vigor in most of the states"
Subsequently, the country was informed
! that both the private secretaries Of Presi,
dent Lincoln had been drafted, which was
considered pretty good evidence that the
draft was being enforced to the letter
Now. on perusng the foregoing, several
reflections and inquiries naturally suggest
themselves to every mind.
First. If the draft under tho last call
for 5000 men was thus enforced to the
letter, as the government assured the peo
pie it would be, and as the country sup.
posed il had been, what has become coI
the men, and whence the need of another
draft We have seen that according tc
the lowest estimate of Secretary Stanton
and after deductiug all claims and draw
backs from every quarter, the draft was tr
produce not less than 500, 900 men, and a:
"all that Gen. Grant asks for the capture
OF Richmond, and 10 give the finishing
| blow to the rebel armies yet in the field
| is 1000 men," the remaining 100000
would be adequate for garrisons in forts,
aid to guard all the lines of 'communica
ton and supply, free the country from
guerrillas, give security to trade, protec
commerce and travel, and establish peace
order, and tranquility in every state"
! Second. If the draft ,oas not enforced &C
cording to the programme laid down Will
such flourish Of trumpets by the gov
erumeBt, why wGsi not And why should
the government talk about another drat'
untilit enforces the last one in alllocalitie:
to be- ,Spnosed SSs Se', ',a ,FaaRgaHf Is no
ances of government officials to the con
trary. that the President refrained from
enforcing the draft in any locality before
1.-THE election for poll tcrl reasons, and ye
we have heard within week past OF sup
Elementary drafts in Washington, and o.
a draft ordered and then postponed II
Kentucky. What is the meaning oithes(
reports is it true that the last draft still
remains unenforced in any part ..of the
country If so, the government cannot
be too quick ia completing 1t, and, until
they do this. there should be no talk o'
another draft in those states which have
filled their quotas. Shouldn't eventually
prove true that the heads of department:
at Washington, from Secretary Seward
down, as well as the comanding general
of our armies, are false prophets, aud that
another half million of men will be need
cd to do what 100, 900 was to do IN three
moths, we may then have word to say
about the whole business of drafting rs
hitherto conducted by the COVER nment,
and about the utter lack of system and
want of brains displayed by the head o.
the War Department in his spas modic, op
pressiye. onerous, aud expensive efforts
to raise mer for our armies. The friends
Of Secretary Stanton say that he ls the nara
est working member of the cabinet tha'
be works sixteen hours or msre. per DAY
We would respectfully suggest that If &c
would work but eight hours day, be
would have clearer head, and, by hav'
inc more time to think, might be able to
reduce the business of his department. to
some kind ofsystem, which would shorten
his labors, and prove much more accepta'
ble TO the people.
THE CASUALTIES OF WAR,-The SsnherH
Alp,anac for the year 1865, published az
Lynchburg, Va, gives a statement OF the
killed, wounded and prisoners In ne great
battles of the war, for 1923 and a. the
publishers say that the returns Tor the
first three years are accurate, having been
compiled from official sources. Those ioL
1864 are approximated, as no oilicia
ltgtn ~