Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-08

| fliiurcs-the irnpressnept law, Tor instance.
! iIr. MILEs said that the remark was. ..cef:
rect, but, as in sshe eaao Of the Impress
mcot lew, amendment Ha3 tho only resort
| Il lie could be eeEsissed that We could not
| amend the present exemption lew, he should
he willing to let the ssubjers alone altogethsr.
/ But to come to the object of the bill. twas
proposed TO invest the Executive with very
| large discretion.sHG was not in favor Of grant,
ing exclusive poRer 20 tho President, to wnoui'
| he accorded belfset patriotism and iBtegrit;
| Of purpose, but lie did think that lie was en-
| trely too fond at Isaxsr. There WAS great
dcalesid at tae iast session about military
despotism, bp Id regard 70 that, whatever the
disposition of FIR Davis might be, he had tiias
abiding faith N-tssioTs of liberty ofthe peo-,
pic, such thosofss knowledge OF theiE char~
actcr-opposcd as slt was, ond aver would be,
to such state OF airs-,ihat he would 10
tho iaat man ss 7ers eaase ft;: the appte7+
!hansioa-.f- Z iaHssarg aesi;
We could not suppose iiat tho President aud
Secretary cf War. in whom tho executive
power woul,l rest in this matter, would nave
any other view than to keep the army efficient,
anI that the consciousness OF their rcspon5i-
bility would mike thom othnr than safe c,l3
todians Of the interests in their keeping. He
could not, therefore, feel that danger, which n
misunderstanding Of this bill had excited
The bill allowed the Executive to say what
mcn, otherwise liable to military duty, should
ne exempt; it was rot a. power to increase
the army, but, on the contrary, Ia decrease it,
CD: III its entire scope enabled the Executive
OILY TO say what and where men would I've ur
.::trc service out Of the army than in /.
IL would hardly be deaied that rny uIr. .sht,
honest and intelligent nlan, VINO could survey
the wEO!a field IF cur nGceSstiea and cur COR
ditiOn, taking in at glanrs al! things CON
nccted with cur policy OF war, could franz Il
better exemption law than this ConGreas.--
We (COnsrcss) had demonstrated to the roHn
try; and to our own ,ndor, that ws werc iu-
competent t. the task-that VIC could NOT
frame proper exemption bill Mt aii, and
hence the purpose OF this bill WAS to place tho
matter in the hands Of the Executive, who
bast combined the resources necessary 10
complete understanding Of the subject. Upon
every occasidn when tho exemption law had
been brought before the House, overy mem
Der, Influenced by some little local presSurr
had IN amendment for il. There were tho
Tunkarda and the Mcnonites in one quarter,
that must he cx.mptS; and there was ancther
locality where mllers were especially re-
qnira.i; and 60 on, unit! catalogue was made
NJ, and host If oxcmpts instantly srfang
i'to existence. Leave the matter rnw TO the
Judgment oe the Executive, and if eXcmn>
ti,ns were necessary in special localities,
then TO the czeautise tho power belonged to
NICE: the emergency, and the exemptions
would Re fair and just, and would pre-
vent the growth Gf exemptions hv Gi"c
rrctence. 1t was not likely that the
President end Secretary would, for tha
rurr0se Of 0cer,h"oEing thc libeefy Of lhe
States, so -wcl] the ranks Of the army is tn
destroy the producing resources Of the c1un-
try--tu raise rabble horde ofshoelcsI, h4t'css,
cNa:Icss, uufad MEN, 10 Go battle for tie
liberty, upon which they as we'll cs the whole
country depended. lie believed that the hi!
was tie must iudci":Is one that could be
adopted aud that the Executive, instead OF
abusing tho power granted, would preserve n
baiarce in the exercise OF its functions. which
would keep in Tao ,:eld en- army sufficient.
aud 81 heTne p,,luriug power sufficient to
carry he war through to successlu! end.
Mr.. DAR0AS. Of Alabama, inquired of the gen.
tleran. why WAS it necessary at al 20 detail
man who wouli be en,ite'i TO exemption by his
employment
Mr. MILES said ,hs necessity was simply pre-
ca;'ionary. IF n man obtained full exemption
hccaus" he made cannon or salt. petre, he nigh;
give UP the business and evade military duty
But if srrii n man were drtailrl, rs soon as he
abaicred bis employment hc could be pursued
and placed in the ranks.
Mr.. DAEGAS- Suppose I were detailed to
supGrntand my own farm: could not the Secre-
:ary Of War under this bill cause me to abandon
my own farm and come aud attend TO his
Mr.. MILES replied that lie did not think so
bus. nt any rate, he did not presume that ths
Secretary of War would exercise any such dis
discretion rs taking away the gentleman OVER
seer TO work on his own farm. Th, principle
ofthe bill wGs good one, anl the power granted
would prove very useful to the country. l:such
u measure were not adopted, he would venture
tho prediction that, if the var lasts ten years at
every session of Congress there you'd be brought
iip Il new exemption bill.
NJ. Foo7c stood opposed to the bill, and
;o1j; Issue with the gentleman, upon the basis
2f his argument, that this body was inc5mpe-
tent 10 legisl"rs upon this snj jcct The m*n.-
b:rs Of Congress represented every par: ii
TIA; people ard every part Of the country: !iey
wer3 presumed to knaw what .a1 gOiTs On II.
every part of the country; ard were advised
OF tie necessities. both cf the pc E,e AMI thn
.trniy 10 tbs fullest extent: set, after al
this, tho gontir Insn said that they must
call upon the President and the Secfe-
tary OF War t. Inc to the rescue and
perform what they had failed 20 acc ,mrliss |
rhcse gentlemen, c.'rning fresh from the !
hosnms Of their resoectiTe constituents
Icctcd and sent here by them t. enact lava |
that would protect ard benefit them-kneW
the wants of the country fur better than ary
individual whatever, who wal located as Rich |
mnad, and whom tho tilna si0n'd ccfia, If ever |
when ho should be persuaded that h., in |
common with tue other members of this bady. |
had 5ecf IL, 50 incompetent "a that, he wru!d |
deem it conscientious duty thu he owed TO |
;:la country and MS C1n honor as o rublic |
man, 10 resign bis place and give It to some
one else moro capable of filling it. If the pros i
position were true, it would be better for all to |
leave their seats and ALLOW the President and |
Secretary 70 take their places. But ho Wa
even more surprised thxt the gentleman shculi |
have vcntured 10 attribute to the President |
any such sini.m"nt AZ an over fondness I r !
p,Scr H. IL usks the gentleman sh0ulo |
have taken warntagby his fate; for no s"cncr |
had he open,d his mouth this session in favor !
Of such reslrms, tSan he was charged with |
being p courrer-revoiu.ionist The gentleman !
should never have placed himself in such a |
position, nd he was startled ut his temcrity. |
rhcrc were men in favo- Of reconstruction, |
secretly working 1o7 me downfall Of this
country ard tlorc were .nan, tcaiies to row
or, who buried the declaration Ct t-casan |
agaicss any man who would dare to lift up
his voicc against oven the most marifest !
abuses. The champions Of rcccrm had al
sa5s been thus asEailed, ard we might rest
assured that the corrupt servitors CT power |
rould sro that thnso who lifted up their vo7es
here against abuses, would be charged with
the mcsJ seii;ious motives. He was not will !
ing 10 trust the Executive with any moro
power. The oil ject vi the bill was, in fact, to
increase Tic army, and yet the army in Fir
ginia was to-day without pound cf meat. and
has beeu without it for month. S;z months
agn, he had assured the President that. the
.Commissa-y General shculd he removed, he
6,E hia n-nss innnno tnrny and unls -