Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-06
The Draft---NIessage from the Pres
ident and Accompanying Letter
Of Secretary Stanton.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-The following is
the message sent to Congress to-day by the
President:
BY Joint resolution of your honorable
bodies, approved December %, 1863 the
paying of bounties to veteran volunteers as
now practiced by the War Department, is,
to the extent of three hundred dollars in
each ease, prohibited after the fifth day of
the present month. | transmit for your
consideration Il communication from the
Secretary of War, accompanied by one
from the Provost Marshal General to him.
both relating to the subject above men
toned. | earnestly recommend that the
law be so modified as to allow bounties to
be paid as they now are, at least till the en-
suing first day of February. am not with
out an apprehension lest appear to be i'm
Fortunate in thus recalling your attention
to a subject upon which you have so recently
acted. and nothing but a deep conviction
that the public interest demands it, could
induce me to incur the hazard of being mis-
understood on this point. The Executive
approval was given by me to the resolution
mentioned, and it is now. by closer atten-
ton and u fuller knowled ge of the facts,
that feel constrained to recommend a re-
consideration of the subject.
(Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
The Secretary of War, in letter accom-
panying the Message, says:
No one seems to doubt the necessity of
increasing the military force for the speedy
termination of the rebellion: and although
much difference of opinion exists in respect
to the system of raising troops by volun-
teers and payment of bOunties, and the
system of raising an adequate force by
| Irnft tNt-n thinuc in. Ei,,,t
| that whatever may be the weight of argu-
ment, or the influence of individual Opin-
ion, large portion of the people in every
State prefer the method of contributing
their proportion of the military force by
| bounty to volunteers rather than draft
| Second, that veteran soldiers, who have be-
| come Injured to the service, even when paid
| bounty, constitute acheaper force than raw
recruits. or drafted men without bounty.
| The information received by the WaI
Department from the armies in the field
prior to the passage of the resolution o.
December last, indicated that very large
proportion of the forces now in the SERVED
would have cheerfully re-enlisted for three
years under the terms authorized by order
of this Department; and such enlistments
have been checked, and will in q grea
measure be put to an end, by the restriction
imposed by action of Congress. 1t is be
lieved if any limitation should be imposed
upon the payment of bountics to encourage
the enlistment of veteran forces now in til,
| iield.it might not be sooner than the lst o
February.
The Postmaster-G General, in q communi
cation, says: After great labor the volun
teer recruiting service under the President
call of October 17th is fairly in progress
Letters, all dated between the Goth and 2ltl
of December, from the superintendent o
the recruiting service in sixteen States ar,
in the main very encouraging as to th
prospect of getting large number of re
cruits by volunteer enlistments. Several o
the States were in fair way to raise til,
quota assigned to them.
II The act approved Dec. 90, 1868, forbid
lding, after January 9TH, the payment to vol
unteers of all bounties except the hundred
dollars authorized by act of 1861, was no
known at the time these favorable report
were made to me. / have no doubt that tn,
effect of that act will be to check, if it doe
not stop enliStments. OF the hundred dol
lar bounty provided by the act of 1861, bu
S25 can be paid in advance-the $75 bein!
due only after two years of service.
1t took some time after Oct. II to get tn,
people aroused to the subject of volunteer
ing. They are now most earnestly engaged
in it, and l have reports for October anC
November, and part of December, showing
that forty-two thousand five hundred ant
twenty-nine men have been enlisted, ant
the daily average of enlistments is increas
} ing. ......... .
u Under these circumstances respectfully
suggest the propriety of reconsideration
of the act forbidding bounties after Janu
ary. ... .........
These considerations were referred to til,
committee on Military Affairs. Senator
Wilson's new enrolment, introduced to-
day, exempts those who are physically dis
abled, and also makes the following eX
emptions: The Vice President, the Judge
of Courts, the heads of the Executive De
partments, and Governors of States. 1t re
ceives as substitutes only those who are no
liable to draft, and u penalty of 500 t.
$1,000 fine and thirty days to six months
imprisonment is provided in punishment o
those enrolling officers who are engaged
) directly or indirectly in procuring substi