The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-07-27


this clause was that the Government OBJ
tanned a considerable amount OF money and
very few men: and though the money was
afterwards used by the Government in OBJ
tanning recruits, yet the result in obtaining
men was probably, on the whole, less than
was hoped for. Under the present circum-
stances. with the great abundance OF
money in circulation, had that clause been
retained in the new enrolment act, the .
probability is that the Government would .
obtain scarcely any soldiers, although the
combinations might be very large; and /
without soldiers how could the rebellion De
suppresseds We were in favor OF the COM /
mutation clause in the first enrolment law, /
because there was a prospect that, at that /
time. the Government could, if necessary, +
with the Communication money, readily obtain /
the recruits which it might need. But this
is no longer the case; and we are IN favor
Of the present law, without that provision
because it is men that are wanted uOr. and
not money instead Of men. An enrolment
law which failed TO raise the men that were
indispensably necessary, would be Just as
good as no law at all.
4. The draft for this 800 900 more will be
fully carried out by the Government, IN
less the requisite number be previously
obtained by volunteering. There can be
no doubt of this. The Government will not
permit its authority to be set at defiance IN
apv place. however large or small To do
so would be suicidal And yet we already
hear of individuals who are Boosting in adj
vance that the whole power OF the nation
will not be large enough 10 secure obe-
dience TO the enrolment law from them
There will be much Of this kind Of talking
often proceeding from an excited mind or
an Overplus OF bar-rOOm pOtations. All
/ such discourse, from whOmsCever it comes,
is unworthy OF notice or repetition or reply
| bv any sensible citizen. Loyal men, know
I inc perfectly well that the enrolment act
will be carried out, can rest calmly IN the
assurance that no officer, in the proper dis
charge of his duty. can be successfully re-
sisted for any length of time, although tenn
porary madness aud insanity might be dis
pesed in some instances, as in New YORK
| last year, to invoke the club and the fire
| brand. But, in Michigan at least, we may
| hope that the good sense Of the substantial
citizens and property holders, Of all varie-
ties of political belief, viii frOwn upon all
attempts TO array any portion Of the people
against the constituted authorities OF their
country. All attempts Of this kind, even
when most successful can eliminate only
/ in the temporary success Of a mob; and all
mObs. in the end, are put down by physical
| force, often with loss of life and property,
and always with political disgrace TO all
concerned in them Why should we volun-
tarily bring on ourselves additional and
unnecessary evils, when Others which we
must meet, press so heavily upon us?
D. The provisions Of the new enrolment
law, an official copy OF which we published
in our paper Of last week, are as favorable
| and lenient as can well be made, consistent
with the ultimate object in view. Instead
! of requiring all volunteers to enlist for three
years or during the war, as heretofore, they
may now enlist for one, two or three years,
as they may choose, receiving from the
I Government prOpOrtionate bounty of one,
( two or three hundred dollars. Hence,
a person who does not wish to be drafted,
I by volunteering for one year, can obtain
! bounty of 800 from the Government, and
a local bounty, which may amount to 500
more: and if he have a family, they will
I receive SOME SIU UT cIJ pei uUiItn NOM Inv
Relief Fund, making a total bounty equal
to one dollar per day during his years alb
sence in in the service. This will be in adj
dition to his regular pay and allowances as
a soldier These gratuities, for so short a
service, seem to Us all that a recruit could
reasonably ask for, and all that the cOmmu-
nitv could possibly afford to pay. In a pc
cuniary point of view, they seem to be
enough. And yet the State at the next
session of the Legislature, may, and prOba-
bly, will, authorize the payment Of the State
bounty of 500, or proportion Of it, to all
volunteers under this call Of the President.
in the same manner as that amount il now
paid 10 volunteers under under the previous
calls.
g. Provision is also made in the new law
for permitting the loyal States TO enlist re-
cruits i'm the rebel States excepting Louis
lana, Arkansas and Tennessee,) under reg
ulatiOns framed by the War Department
These regulations are numerous and eX-
acting; and each agent, after being COM
missiOned by the Executive OF his own
State. can only act within a certain speci-
fed district; and the expenses Of an agent
must be considerable, while his success
would he doubtful; and as recruits could
not be obtained there, any more readily
than they could here, without the payment
of bounties in money, it seems scarcely
advisable for small districts in the loyal
States to make any attempts al recruiting
in this manner. Massachusetts, as a State,
had doubtless prepared herself in advance,
and started into the field with five agencies,
thus placing herself ahead of other States.
1t is possible that our own State, ds such,
if early in the field with favorable dis
trict might achieve some success; but il
will he seen by the Governors proclamation
that he declines sending out any State
agents to recruit. This, We think, is wise
determination. \ reliance upon agencies
of this kind would tend largely to lessen
the energy of efforts at home.
:. Il will be seen by the same PrOclama-
ton. that the numbers TO be raised in the
State are considerably less than at first
supposed. A little more than T. 600 are
all that are required TO prevent draft in
any place. This is a large number, when
considered as coming from one locality
but when il is distributed into every town
in the State, the number required from each
is not so great but it can be obtained by 8
united effort Of the whole town. The citi
| zpnS Of aach TOWN and ward will do we'll Il