Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1864-12-07

exempt from Confederate oonscription such
portion Of her population as she may deem
necessary for her own protection, and to
carry out her. laws. In November last, /
directed the Attorney -General-to make, be-
fore one of the Circuit Judges, the question
whether the Act of Assembly exempting
one overseer to each plantation having not
less than fifteen working hands, did not pro-
tect such overseer from Confederate con.
scription. The decision was that our ex-
emption laws did not apply to Confederate
service, aud during the December session
thereafter, the Legislature declared that our
exemption laws "applied to troops called
into service under the militia organization OF
this State, and to any other military force
raised By the State under the laws thereof,
and not to troops raised by the laws of the
Confederate ,States," without passing an
ACT declaring ghat officers of the State
should be exempt from Confederate con-
scription. The Act Of Congress passed the
18th day of February, 1864, conscribing all
white male inhabitants, except those ex.
smpted by the Confederate Government,
renders it, I suggest, more than ever imper-
ative upon the State. to assert her right, by
solemn euactments, to exempt from Confed.
crate service such persons as she may deem
necessary for her preservation and the car.
rying out of her own laws. So far as am
informed, most, or all, of the other States
of the Confederacy had, even before the
passing of that Act, designated the persons
who should be exempt from Confederate
conscription. To do otherwise is to con-
cede to the agent power which belongs a
lone to the principal; and whilst, for the
good of the common cause, it is wise to keep
from Confederate service as few able.bodied
citizens as possible, it would be ruinous te
subordinate the State to that Government
by conceding the rightexercised under the
Aoto 17th February, 1854, to conscribe
the entire population of the State, except
such asthe Congress may designate. There
can be no just complaint that South Caro-
lima has withheld too large a,proportion Of
her population for State offcsrs. No State
has put larger proportion of her arms
bearing population into the field. With q
voting popolation Of about sorty.seven thous'
and, she. has furnished at least sixty.fve
thousand troops to the Confederate army
Carrying out the spirit of your predecessors
as indicated in their legislation, by vacating
all militia Offices held by persons between
the ages of eighteen and forty.fve, and by
providing that no one within oonscript age
should be appointed on the soldiers board
ofrelief, have not claimed under the Con-
script Acts, from Confederate service, mill.
tia officers, magistrates, deputy clerks, and
various other officers within that age. In
deed, the whole number claimed by the
State, and not exempted by Confederate au-
thority, will not exceed eighty.six, with the
exception of the soldiers boards of relief,
between forty-fve and fifty, and these I have
claimed only until the meeting of the Leg
islature. These boards were appointed BY
the Legislature before the conscription was
extended to fifty years, and the number be-
tween forty-fve and fifty is but one hundred
and ten, whilst those over fifty amount to
about three hundred. Many of the State
officers claimed are under bonds, in heavy
penalties, conditioned for the faithful dis
charge of their official duties, and are en-
trusted with the custody and management
of funds, both public and private, and 9
large proportion of them are, by the laws Of
this State, exempt from all militia service,
even in times of invasion, iusurrection and
alarm. So rigidly have the Conscript Acts
and the recent orderef the Secretary of War
revoking details been enforced in this State
that one of our most important State enter.
prises, the Card Factory, was recently &C.
riously embarrassed by the threatened with
drawal, by the Confederate authorities, Of
the operatives in it, though there were but
three subject to Conscription. Although
not strictly State officers, I felt it my duty,
in order to prevent suspension of the
work, to claim their exemption, upon the
ground that they are necessary to carry out
the laws of South Carolina. I might vel
have claimed, and perhaps should, deputy
sheriff in each District, but I did not do So
except where I felt it to be absolutely ne
cessary, In connection With this subject,
transmit an interesting report furnished me.
at NY request, by Major Melton, Comman
dant of Conscripts for this State. 1t will be
gratifying to see that the State has done bel
whole duty to the Confederate Government
The State Works, at Greenville, it is be-
lieyed by the intelligent Superintendent.
may be madeproftable, although they have
not thus far proved SO. The want Of coal
is seriously felt, since the loss of tie Chat:
tanooga Coal Mines, and now recommend,
as have heretofore done, that these works
be removed to Columbia, and placed on the
canal, where they can be run by WATERPROOF
er, and be much nearer to the iron, which
has now to be shipped to them by railroad
Their gradual removal, it is believed, may
be effected without suspeuding entirely the
work, and the increased advantages obtain
ed will more than compensate for any ex-
pense incurred. The additional security
afforded by their being placed within the
corporate limits of this city, is no small con.
sideration. One difficulty in the way Of
their being made profitable, arises freus the
action of the Confederate authorities, who
have assumed control of the mines in this