The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-06-20

ing. EXperleuce Is proving 10 us Sna1 Cne
old regiments In the feldlhav been filled
up by1drafted men, by subs titutes, and by
enlisted men. duriae the past winter, have
fqpght well and IBID Ny, equal to any troops
Hht everfopght ip the country. am told
M % Ulcers "a n "a tSopr three hundred
dthesefaw men pdrinto the old regiments
sddriug the present winter, that the new
men behaved admirably in every respect
| What we now want is to fiji up the req
ments that have been cut down blythe late
battles; and it is an act not only OF sound
policy, but of -humanity-to the people, TO
bayei understood that the term Of services
shall not exceed one year. .,,.,,,.,'..- III
|; MI. CONFESS senator from Mass
sachusetts, if be will excuse the expression
op m part, seems to me to be engaged in
an effort to reason away the courage OF the
country. When the enrolment bill was
| before this body, and the honorable senator
was conducting it here as the chairman of
tbe Committee on Military Affairs, his pro
position to limit the period of draft to two
wears was received with no favor IN the
Senate. That was about three months ago,
or thereabouts. What change is it that has
come over the spirit of the dream of the
country, or those who are conducting its
government, that should make them de-
mand that the period of service now saould
he but one year? + know there is a great
| deal of force in|the suggestion made by the
honorable senator from Vermont, that new
men in old regiments, under experienced
officers who have been in the field and I'M
derstand the duties and fatigues and labors
Of war are worth more tnal new men in a
comparatively disorganized condition with
new officers and scarcely any organization
But, sir, shall we not avail ourselves OF the
value Of those new men in the old Organi
| zarions for longer period OF time than one
year? ask, is there Is any prospent to-
day IN the aspect of military affairs that
demands that we should ask for less peri
cd ofservice than we have heretofore asked
for? Has the alternative not existed
presented by the term of "three years
| or the war;" If the war shall be
ended before three years, will not
these men be subject TO be discharged!
Do Won mean to teach the men OF the
country who are fit to be soldiers that they
are fighting for,the money they receive? DC
y6u mean to u1learn them the lesson that
we have endeavored to teach them, and
which they themselves, think, under
istanl that theH fight for their own coun~
! try. and For theperpetuated liberty OF thei
. prople? Mr.. President, the difficulty thai
has stood in the way Of drafting from the
BEGINNING Of this war has been the irrita
tian the draft has caused to the people, anC
from the application of the draft, the gov
eminent have gone to the offering of boun
ties in extravagAnt sums to obtain soldiers
Why did the government not persist in thu
system Of draft? | apprehend it was be
cause they preferred to pay large amount
of money rather than to subject the PEG
pie TO irritation. Are you going to sublec
them now to irritation annually to fill thu
ranks Of your armies} Are the people t.
be tau hit at this period Of the war tina
they will have draft regularly once 6
year, and then in addition as often as Their
} Shall be spasms at headquarters? Is tina
, to be the policy npon which this wa
is to 10 continued If it is, l ca
but say that nv soul is sad: that my fear
arc superior to my antIcipationS OF the future
r 1t is not my Office TO condemn here, bu
:, the contrary; at least so | feel it: but VIII
is it with the power to draft, our armie
should be engaged in single contests as the
are at this time, withonC one bu1dre
! thousand additional troops ready at an
moment Of time to be pushed forward a
renforcements. When only a few day
| since proposition came from few Of th
,f bn rot
furnish one hundred thousand men for on
hundred days, what lesson did it teach
). 1t taught this Enthusiastically: the countr
t we're indirectly,sif not directly, told by tn
proposition anS It's acceptance, and its in
= dorsement blythe Congress, that this cam
e paign would end the war. ! trust in Go
f thar this campaign will end the war; but
; say it is unwise, | say it is unsafe to max
] the Impression in the country, and to hav
: these &pasmodc jerks substituted for tn
persistent determination that becomes
5 great and intelligent people 10 the conduc
c of great contest ike this, There is nc
; thing that astonishes the people who com
], here from tbe'Pacifc coast more than tn
!, half hearted c6fragc with which this war
] being conducted.
q Sir, there is power enough in the nator
e there are resources enuogh in the nation,
y God would only give us some power to or
Il G .uize it and to phosphate it against th
enemy, to win these battles, and to clos
7 this contest within short time If GO
: would butinspire somebody; if He wouI
= but plant in some mind in authority tb
, power to organize and the power to direc
4 this great contest would be closed v lit
? more glory to the American people tina
, ever before fell to the lot of any portion @
mankind. But, sir, ins tead of that we bav
, had promises to the people and the wor
that the war was to last nine,y DAYS an
then close, that we should end 1t in th
next year certainly. We have the power t
, call out men by draft, but we fail to exer
, else that power; and now it is proposed t
declare bY the legislative authority that WI
will not call upon the men of America t.
fight THIS great battle lest they be disturbe'
IN their civil ayocations, lest they should
suffer some hardshps by being removes