Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-01-01
rnr Marion County Trick TO Eyade
the Draft

to eYade the draft, Is making the Dat-
ance of the State to contribute of its
men to fill her quota. Indianapolis has
been suffering from panic, on the sub
iect of the draft, for six weeks past, and
to relieve herself of it, does not hesi-
tate to resort to plan which reflects but
little credit upon her. Simply from the
fact that Marion county has the honor of
having the Capital City within its limits,
is not of sufficient Importance within
itself to make it incumbent on the other
counties of the State to send their men
to relieve it from the odium of the draft.
If Indiana raises two or three Regi-
ments of negro troops, it is clear that all
the men cannot be recruited from one
county alone If these recruits are OBJ
tanned from different counties, why
should each county not have credit for
the number sent from its limits :? To Of
low them credit, would only be just and
fair. Yet it seems that somebody con-
nected with the organization of these
eolored'troops at Indianapolis, has so ar
ranged it that Marion county is to re-
eeive the credit for all these eolored en-
listments
During the last three or four weeks,
one recruiting officer has taken from
this county about forty eolored recruits.
Two or three months since about TWEEN
ty-five more were sent to some Eastern
Regiments. But in regard to the last
number we do not complain. The off,
Ger who recruited the. forty here, recent
ly, took them to Indianapolis and they
were mustered in by the authorities and
credit given to Marion county for SO
many volunteers. Similar operations
haSe taken place elsewhere. and the mat
ter cannot but result unfavorabiy. Inc
people cannot see why Marion county
should be credited with volunteers from
other counties, merely that it should
avoid the draft. It would, we believe,
help Indianapolis in more ways than one,
to be drafted for about one thousand
men, and if it did not rely on the color
ed enlistments from other places the
chances would be decidedly favorable
! for such an occurrence. SIS
1t is idle for the State authorities to
say that they cannot look behind the
muster roll of these recruits and see from
what point they were enlisted. 1t is
equally idle for them to set up any other
frivolous excuse for the purpose o.
covering the other transaction up They
Enow where the enlistments were made
and hon they were made, and if they de
sire to do ali parts of the State justice
they will, without quibbling, give eacf
county credit for the volunteers recruit
ed within its limits. We shall refer tc
this matter again.-Ierre Haute E'E
press.
We presume permission to raise ne
gro regiment in this State, was granted
4 that Marion county might, to the great
est extent, profit by it. Indeed, we IN
derstand, it was only by much persuasion
on the part of some of the more infuen
tial men of that county that the organi
cation of the regiment was conceded a
all. The citizens had everything Gu
and dried for it, when consent was OBJ
tanned, even to the appointment of thu
commandant OF coarse, knowing wha
was going to be done, they got the start 0
everybody else, and were enlisting negroe
in different parts of the State almost be
lore it was known that negro regimen
was to be formed. 1t scGs sharp practice
Indianapolis is somewhat celebrated il
that line. They live there, in a grea
measure, by their wits, and these ar
bright from constant use.
For our part, we have. no particula
fault to find. If our people are NO
shrewd enough to look after number one
why, all there is about it, experience vii
have to teach them the lesson. If, b
carelessness and Indifference, they per
NIT Indianapolis to recruit in their coun
ty, when, by little iberality, they coulr
have secured the recruits for themselves
they must expect to make up the loss b,
drafted men, IF Indianapolis has go
the longest pole, through the action o
her city and county authorities, and Their,
is no means of splicing ours, sh'
will knock the persimmons, and grum
bling won't help the matter bit.
Let the Union men of the First Con
gressional District make their arrange
ments to go up to the next State Con
vention in body, and see that they ar
properly represented on the State ticket
and probably we will not always be ig
nored, as has been the case in the pas
history of the State.