The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-08-12
NEW YORK ENROLMENT.

NEW 1ONA CIV nVAnHlHNAs
Gross Injustice of the War Depart.
ment..Lelter from Gov. Seymour ="
Stanton.
ALBANY, August The following IS aov.
Seymour's letter to Secretary Stanton reH'''e
~ '~ " SrarK OF New YORK
ExE urIvE DEpAkTMENT.
A,RANY, August 3. 1864
To Hon. E.. N. Stanton. Secretary 81 war:
S1R-It is my duty to call your attention to
the enrollmeuts made Win view 70 'ne drait
ordered nv the President In some OF the
conversational Districts they are especially ex-
oess;ve and iniurious The average quotas in
tho tbirty-one Congressional Districts of New
YORK are 1881 In Massachusetts and New
Hampshire they are 2.167. in Pennsylvania
2571. 1t will be seen that the average demand
made in every Congressional District in This
State is for 80 per district more than ia required
of Pennsylvania and for ia men per di .trct
more than in Massachusetts and New Hamp-
shire l name these States as l have not been
able to procure quotas assigned elsewhere.
There are no differences in c. aracter OF pOpnla-
ton of these States to account for these dis
crepancies The most oppressive enroliments
appear in the G ngl essiOnal Districts In the
cities of New York and Brooklyn. The
average demand made upon these is for 1867
men EACH while in Massachusetts, the average
demand made upon each district ia for 2, 1877
men. The returns show that the proportion
of aliens and females in large towns should
make their quota less, not greater than in
other sections. These returns are confirmed
by the character of their respective popula-
tons.
In our cities it ia q terrible affection A great
proportion of their inhabitants live ON daily
wages which they must receive with regulari-
ty to enable them to give food fuel and shell
hp nh
tanned bv cash payments. The pay Of soldiers
which is made at irregular terms and perhaps
at comp ,ratively long periods. will not provide
necessary support TO their families in cities
like New York and Brooklyn, and they are fire
Quenty broken up and ruined. Every cOnsid-
Grafton of justice and humanity demands that
unequal burthens should not be thrown upon
them.
1t is proper should say that since the be-.
ginning of this civil war those cities have not
only furnished their full quotas but a'e to day
entitled to credit of about 600 three years
men. II would be an act OF justice to count
each OF these men against three men under the
present call for service for one year. But they
have done more; they have on repeated Occa-
sions promptly answered the CALL of the De-
partment in times of peculiar peril. They
have been able to do this because at great ex-
pense they have kept up well disciplined mi
tia.
Not only are aliens numerous in New York
and Brooklyn, but females make O larger pro
portionate number than elsewhere, as they find
more employment in work as dOmestics, and if
a comparison is made between cities of differ
ent States, the disprOportiOn of men demanded
from New York and Brooklyn is still more
startling. While in these cities 26 per cent of
the population is enrolled, in Boston only 12]11
per cent is to be drafted. The ten Congress
ional Districts of Massachusetts are required to
furnish under the last call only 21670 men.
The ten first Congressional Districts in this
State are called on for IS, e54, making an ex-
cess of II 2S4
1t is clear that great injustice is done under
these enrollments. do not mean to find fault
with those making them in New York or
Brooklyn. know what they state is true, that
1t is not possible to avoid the enrolment there
of persons who are not liable to be drafted be-
cause they are aliens or non-residents, and
those whose names are enormously put down
have no interest in correcting the lists. while
the fact that they swell the enrollments are
grievous burthens upon the districts to which
they are charged. The draft axes heavy
drain upon all parts of our country.
The cost of this has beer as much for the ad-
vantage of the nited,States as for the city gov
eminent. These excessive enrolments also
subject to heavy taxation those who have been
foremost in filling the national Treasury and
giving to the government the money which
has enabled it to pay its soldiers. -.
l know you are aware that New York ana
Z ooklyn have strong claims, not only upon
equity, but on the gratitude. of those who ore
administering the national Affairs. In answer
to an appeal which made to You last year to
correct similar wrong. you appointed VIM.
F. Allen of this State, Chauncey Smith of Mas.
sachusetts, and John Love of Indiana, a com
mission to examine into the enrolment Of
1863 They submitted an able report showing
its great injustice, aud you relieved those cities
from great wrong I urge that some similar
plan be adopted now whereby the quotas of
this State which, especially in the districts
have named New York and Brooklyn) appear
to be unequal and oppressive. may be adjusted
eqritably in proportion to the demands made
upon other p.rts of the country. Since the
enrolment was made there has been no OppOr
tunity to correct them, neither can this be done
in time. While names may be added 10 the
LETS those which were improperly placed there
cannot he stricken eff. In large cities excess
of NAMES cannot be detected. as the citizens
are not familiar with the names and condition
of their neighbors. In country districts it Is
otherwise. Truly yours, &C.,
(Signed) HORAnO SEYMOUR
Diseases of the Nerve us, Seminal,