The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-03-03
The Draft and State Quotas,
Interesting Statement of the Views OF
- President Lincoln. ca :.

DUE J.tla.N .T-'--f. .sIf Z q
In common with nearly all the other
States, Rhode Island has been max
ing complaints at Washington of the as
signment of her quota to the draft. A
committee from the Legislature went to
the Capital to demonstrate, and try to
have the State quota reduced, and the
time for the draft extended. They made
their report on Tuesday, 18th inst They
say that they had an interview with the
President, who told them, after stating
their case, that SO many complaints had
reached him from various quarters of the
assignment of quotas, that he had person
ally taken the pains to examine the for
mula adopted by the Provost Marshal
General for the calculation and distrib1-
ton ofthe quotas for the several States, and
Lad arrived to the conclusion that no can
did mind could doubt its fairness and equi-
+ ty. The President also gave them copy
of the following letter on the same sub
ject, which he had written to Gov. SMITH,
of Vermont: ..,.ls ...TLJ d.a.g r.
....-f s...,....-.... EXECUTIVE MANSION, /
... r..s-f.- WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 1865.
HIS ErceiLepcy, Coz. Smith, Vermont = 3
Complaint is made to me by Vermont that
the assignment of her quota for the draft on
the pendisg call is intrinsically unjust and
also in bad faith of the Governments promise
to fairly allow credits for men previously fur
nished. To illustrate, supposed case is stated
as follows: D-4 ILL., 5.3l2 ~ Di ,.'
Vermont and new Hampshire must between
them furnish G, Zoo men on the pending call,
aud being equals, each must furnish as many
as the ether in the long run. But the govern
ment finds that on former calls Vermont fur
nished q surplus Of 800, and New Hampshire
surplus of 800. These two SURPRISES max
ing 1900; and, added to the 5000, making
5000 to be furnished by the two States or
|, 1000 each, less by fair credits. Then sub
tract Yermont's surplus of 500 from her 1000,
leaves $500 as her quota on the pending
call /; and likewise subtract New Hampshires
surplus of I, 500 from her 48o01 leaves 2, 500
as her quota on the pending call. These $500
and $500 make precisely the 5000 which the
supposed case requires, from the two States;
and it is just equal for Vermont to furnish
1000 more pov than New Hampshire, because
New Hampshire has heretofore furnished LOCO
more than Vermont, which equalizes the bur-
\ QeuS OI the TWO III the long run. ana LQlS re-
suit, SO far from being bad faith to Vermont is
. indispensable to keeping good faith with
New Hampshire. By no other result can the,
G, 900 men be obtained from the two States,
and at the same time deal justly and keep
faith with both; and we do but confuse our
selves in questioning the process by which the
right result is reached. The supposed case is
perfect as an illustration. Nv 'i. .'.I Il
The pending call Is not for SOC, 900 men
subject to fair credits but is for 800, 900 re-
naming after all fair credits have been de.
Quoted; and it is impossible to- concede what
SOC, 900 men, or making other localities pay
for the Partially shown her.. -. ~ 4
This, upon the case stated. IF there be diff.
ferent reason for making an allowance to Ver-
mont, let them be presented and considered. NJ
. l' Yours truly, '.' A. LINCOLN. =,
Ell The committee give the following inter-
esting account of further remarks, on the
same subject, by the President and officers
OF the War Department 10 %. 10 ,.,a, q
The President further stated that al
3 though the policy which had been adopted
by the Provost Marshal General, for the
assignment of the respective quotas, met
his entire approval, and appeared to him
the only way by which exact Justice could
be secured, in view of the fact that the
aggregate credits due to all The States ex-
ceeded very considerably the number of
men called for, and that men and not an
adjustment of balances was the object of
the call he had, for the purpose Of salts
, flying the minds of all parties, DE- ignated
board of officers to examine into the sys-
tenn and report their conclusions. I,g1,s
In reply to requests for ppstponement
OF the draft, the President replied that, he
was ready to admit that Rhode Island had
invariably been among the very foremost
of the States in the performance of her
duty, and that she was still actuatedo by
the same patriotic impulses, but that the
country could better afford in considers
ton OF her merit to relinquish her quota
altogether than to grant q postponement
of the draft for single day. The moral
effect, said he, Of furnishing the men called
| for promptly and without hesitation, will
be as great q power as the men them
/ selves, and l believe, he added, that the
opinion which Gen. Hancock expressed to
! me yesterday. is entirely well founded,
that if the army could be presently To-
creased by four hundred thousand men.
| not one of them would ever be required to
fire musket at the enemy p. ,.', .1.E, !
+ IF should allow, he continued, post
I ponement to Rhode Island, l should be
doing injustice to ether States, unless the
same favor was shown to all and as soon
as it was reported through the newspapers
that your State had the promise of an ex-
tension, every other State, whether influ-
enced by the same high motives or not,
that Rhode Island in preferring this re-
quest claims to be, would demand the
same Partially.
Your committee were compelled to ad-
NIT the force of the argument, but never
thsless claimed that this State had special
auuities which eptitlad her RI urca this