Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-19

Fer the Sentinel.
The ConscripttoB IaW-Interroga.
fioux for Gov d r. Morton

10 the people, which have arisen during the pres /
ent civil VAR there i none Of greater importance
than that Of tine power of Congress over the mil /
itia Of the States, and the manner in which il /
can constitutionally be exercised. The States. as
sovereignties, are interested The individual
citizen Of each State: the wives. children and
mothers whose husbands, fathers and sons the
turn of the wheel, set IN motion by the presiden
tial fat NAV eonsign TO Gistsn, aud uniriendly
graves. leaving them in want aud wretcheduess,
are interested in knowing their true c0nstlu-
tional position in this regard. and in understand
ing whether they are, or not, the absolute subject
surfs OF a consolidated despotsm
Now. Governor Morton Is the Executive Of
our State, and ought % understand the rights OF
the people and guard them against all oppres-
sion and usurpa'ion He ought 10 understand
whether the CONSUMPTION law Is or is not consti
tutional lie ought To know whether II Is op
pressive. or whether il is such just and legal
enactment renders il not liable 10 any proper
ground Of complaint
With view TO arrive at this ledge, aud
20 quiet all scrupes in the minds OF large pOr
ton. if no; majority OF the people of this State.
| present the following interorgatorics, and ask
that the people request him TO answer them. and
that he may answer them in his speeches during
the present canvass, viz:
l. Has the General Government. under the
2 il not the militia exclusively State ns,i-
tutiong
g. Has Congress the power, by the ConstitC-
ton. 10 destroy the militia Of the States or 10
merge them into 80 National forces?" and il il
not the purpose and effect of the couscript law
TO destroy their identity az militia, merge them
into National forces" and make them wholly
subservient to the will and designs of the Presi-
dentg
4 l. not the expression. National forces,
purely a modern invention, coined 10 cover the
attempt by the General Government to usurp
exclusive power over the militia or il found at
all in commentaries on the Constitution or in
history, i is not applicable only 10 our land and
naval forces in actual service. that j., Ia our
standing armyg
,. Did the trainers OF our Constitution intend
to subject the people of the States to a conscrip-
| ton which, in England, our mother country. has
never been applied, IN any instance. to any class
of persons except Paupors and ragabondsl
| 8. l. any other power conferred on Congress
| by the Constitution to raise armies than by the
ordinary English mode of eDlistmentf
Z. l. not the war power. under the C0nstitu-
ton placed in the hands Of the people. and is IL
| not TO be presumed that they will always be
ready in sufficient numbers voluntarily 10 fill the
| ranks of an army TO carry on war which
| they feel is just without waiting to be conscript.
| ed aud if they do not thus voluntarily come
| forward, is it not proof positive that they are
| opposed 10 the war and have lost confidence in
their administrative agenisr
:. L. not the war power like ell other govern
mental powers based on the consent of the peo-
| pie, and should not their wishes to the propri
ETY. of a war. and the mode and purpose OF Car
| rying il oD be consulted rather than the will oil
a President. or partisan Congressr
.. L. IL not grieyous Injustice to the people 90
legisate on the assumption that any war honest.
lv waged, for constitutional objects. will not al
WAYS have such sympathy and support from the
people a. will secure all necessary enlistments
without resort TO the imperial power of con-
scription7
10 l. il not a SANDER ON the intelligence OF
the people 20 suppose that they ever meant 10
confer on their serven,s the power TO impress
them into war they could not approveg
IL. Is there anything ia the history OF the
Constitution, or in the contemporaneous com
ments thereon to justify the opinion that the
power of CONSUMPTION is given in anv part of that
Instrument
IL. If the power at CONSUMPTION is conceded
does 1t not follow that the President may dc
prive a State. at his own pleasure, Of all its able
bodied men. by forced evies, so to endanger.
il not utterly undo all of its domestic interests,
and place il in complete subsection to his own
despotic wily
| -. Again. il the power of CONSUMPTION by
Congress or the President i conceded, does II
reduce sovereign States 10 the counties of "A
great consolidated empire, and compel the citizen
Of State TO look to the ruler of that empire
for the enforcement OF all his domestic rights as
we'll as for the regulation OF his external rela
tons and completely and hopeessly annihilste
the States.
IL Are not every mans domestic rights as
much endangered by usurpation by the General
Government. of direct exclusive power over the
State militia a. they would be il the State gov
ernments To usurp the war power of the
General Government
IL Does not the Constitution give the General
Government standing army, aud leave to the
States their militia the right to obtain which, by
the General Government is only through appli-
| cati1n 10 the proper State authorities, and pursu
ant to a system TO be devised bv the Legislatures
of the States respectively
| 10 l. not a time Of rebellion above all others,
the time when we should stick to our lundamen
tai law lest drift into anarchy on one hand,
or into despotism on the othery
IL. Has Congress the constitutional power to
make OF citizen deserter before he has be-
come soldier, and TO authorize Provost Mar
shals. after drawing the name OF free man
| from the wheel, and serving him with a few
days notice. to seize and drag him before =
cour; martial for trial under military law
| Is If Congress has such power under the
Constitution, wherein does white slavery in the
north differ from negro slavery in the South?
On OF THE ProPLE