Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-08-13
rnreed bath that lends q rIc,orp !

rugged path that leads 70 victory. scarab
If we will not learn q lesson either froo,
Eogland or our revolutionary fathers. let n,
at least learn from our enemies have
seen theif gallantry Ia battles their hoping
against hope amid increasing disaster, and,
traitors though they are, i am proud OF
their splendid courage, when remember
that they are Americads. Our army Is
equally brave, but onr Government aud
Congress are far behind them in earnest-
ness and energy. Uutil we gointo the war
with The same desperation and abandon.
ment which marks their course we, do not
deserve to succeed. What have they done
What has their government done--a gov.
ernmeut hused IN the FIRST place, 90 extreme
Safe rights and stats sovereignty, hot which
has become more centralized and despotc
than the monarcbies OF Eurcpe2 They
have not only called for volunteers, but
they have drafted. They have not only
drafted, but have cut of commu'ation and
substitution. They have gone further
They have adopted CONSUMPTION proper
The old French conscription of 1871 land
have declared that every man between six.
teen and sixty years Of age is a soldier
But we stand here bartering blood for mon
ey, debating whether we will fight the en-
emies of the nation or pay $500 into its
Treasury. . re9d sta .il0m
Mr.. Speaker, with this brief review Of
the grounds of our hope, now eek your
attention TO the main proposition in the bill
before the House, the repeal of the COM
mutation clause Going back TO the pri-
mary question of the power to raise armies
l lay il down as q fundamental proposition,
as an Inherent aud necessary element OF
sovereignty; that d nation has right to the
personal service of its citizens The sta.
bility and power Of every sovereignty rests
upon that basis. Why can the citizen
claim the protection of the Goverement
Because the rights and duties are recipro-
cal, and the Government owes him protec.
ton only as he gives safiction and power to
the law by his personal service aud the con-
tribution of his wealth. Hence, in the
name of law be can demand protection.
Hence, also, in the name of the law,S his
Government can demand bis personal ser
vice and o contribution from bis purse.
There are two great muscles that t1ote
the arm of sove ignty, the Treasury and
the Army. ~ ...........,.-. ~.
If a nation has the right to protect it.
self. it must have the right to use these
two powers. 1t may therefore take money
from the citizen in accordance with the
forms OF law. 1t may take every dollar of
every ctizsD, if so much should be necessa-
ry in order 10 support and maintain the
Government.
If the nation has the right to the eiti.
zen's money, has it not an equal right to his
personal service? Coercion accompanies
| the tax gatherer at every step. The law
of revenue rests upon coercion. Without
that same coertive power no Government
could rnt soldier into the field. As well
might we claim that the legal basis of the
Treasury is contribution box, as that the
legal basis of the military power is the vol
unteerng system.
60 step farther. Every nation under
Heaven claims the right to order its citi-
zens iuto the ranks as soldiers. Great
Britain has always held that power behind
her volunteer ing system In 1889 she
made law first to offer bounties 10 voluu.
teers, aud then to draft her enrolled citi-
zens into the army. No such thing as CON-
mutation was known.
Gentlemen talk as though the right to
pay $500 in lieu Of personal service was
one of the inalienable rights guaranteed TO
US by the Constitution. They forget that
until the 81 day Of March, 1868, ther,
was never known such thibg as paying
money in lieu of personal service. 81 g I'd
Mr.. ELBRrDGE Will the gentleman le
/, me ask him question -aj ,tr 5000
Mr.. FAIRFIELD. Certainly. 1 an
Mr.. ELDRIDGE. l understood the gentle
man from Ohio to say that England always
went with the power TO draft. want 10
know whether she ever did make draft
hetber she ever conscripted or forced her
men into the army ! afgn . Res aH
Mr.. GARFIELD She never conscripted,
but she did provide draft. Under The
law of l79S she raised her militia for local
purposes aud drafted from the militia into
The regular army in the field a.r
Let Us look for a moment at our own
history iu regard to this subject. How
were the three hundred and ninety five
thousand men raised for the war of the
Revolution. Every colony had laws for
calling out its militia and compelling them
TO SERGE. BY a statute Of Maryland cfti-
zen was liable to fine of 9l0, 200 for a
refusal to obey the command " ben ordert d
into the field By a statute of Massachu-
setts as early as 1893, severe punishmen,s
we're provided for those who refused 10 turn
out Cor military duty when ordered. The
, spirit of personal independence, and the
protection of Individual rights. were al
least as carefully gaurded by the founders
of The Republic as they are by this genera
, tion. and yet they never doubted the power
Of the colonies 10 compel the citizen to
serve in the field 1t makes no matter
whether it be done by President or q
, Governor of State, the same principal is
involved
i AFFIRM again that every one Of the col
onies raised men by draft 1t was pre-
sumed common law right. The Constitu-
tion of the United States recognizes the
same principle by declaring that +" Congress
should have power to provide for calling
forth the riiliiia to execute the laws of the
Union;" aud on the 29th of September,
1889, sn act was passed (the second mill
, tary law under the Consli, ution) giving 10