St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-02-23
GOV. MlLLER AID THE DRAFT.

I SOAA0oS4DAO 4OASSN~
7'a",'atsd.Jdto s1e A'nne.ota Saat. zs's4~o. 5s
In ourslast issue It mas briefly men;
toned Tint The Legislative Conmittst
instructed q investigate whether ths
State w.as not undaly burdesod 30 &.
g.ra to rs qnota, Had reported among
other things, thu, The reduction Of OUT
;"ta from the original amount asked
to its present moderate measure, was
principally ;ps ~ the efforts Of Cover
nor Miller. We now have more close
y examined the report Of tie commit.
tee, and from the official correspondence
between Tie Governor and the Provost
Marshal General Il appears that Gov.
Miller's merit il this important matter
is great indeed. Ills letters, furnishing
lucid statement Of our claims, are re:
markublo for the decided language in
which they are couchcd, and which did
not fail to attain the result desired
But it was not to mere lette:-kriting
that the Governor limited his efforts,
to secure our rights, but in. person re.
paired to Washington. The result Of
this exertion was, that 800 men under
former calls were credited to the State,
and the Government accounts remodel.
ed according to our figuring. -, 81. ID
More essential yet was the service
rendered the State by the Governor. H.
ter the late call, when The claim Of the
Government w.s reduced from 1913 to
1886 men. 1879 q. ''s,'> =
TO show the reader to what extent
Va are indebted to our Governor for
this reduction, We extract the following
paragraphs from bis last letter:
- would also remark that, taking
the vote Of the loyal States 1t the r..
cent Presidential election as basis, our
proportion Of threa hundred ,hous.nd
men would not exceed three Thousand.
=! " l should also state that as early a.
March, 1854, I requested, that meas.
orcs be taken BY the Provost; Marshal
General to prevent the departure ofen.
rolled men from Minnesota, unless upon
special permission from the National OF
State authorities, and the response In
duced me to believe that the drafted
men who failed 70 report would be con-
sidered and arrested is ;dcserters by the
United States Government, and would
therefore be credited to the State.
l" The heavy coptribntions already
made to the army, and the constant .ap-
prehensioa Of Indian raids BY small
parties Of ssvages aiong = frontier Of
several hundred miles, has 50 prostra-
ted our people, that q demand for 5,978.
men would l fear dishelrten and dis.
courage the most loyal and active sup
porters Of the government amongst u.s.;
and 1 know that more fai'hfal and
loyal 10; people cannot be found in the
Il beg th.t sucl, relief and cxrla-
nation may be Afforded as will remove
the apprehensions of our people as to
the excessive quota exacted from the
State, and encourage the sub.distric,s
to raise their respective quotas by Sc
curing voluntary enlistments."
Thi. language, as strong rs it is ap-
proprate. had its desired effect, and
should our State this time succeed in
avoiding = draft, or pal'iatios its op.
prcssiveness, it will indebted therefor
to the fortunate circumstance only that
. courageous. faithful and wide-awake
official stands at the helm OF its govern
mcnt-a man whom. po selfish crav-
ing for the favor Of the authorities of
the land could induce to to jeopardiie
the interests Of the State entrusted to
his management. $500 ~ ..>''...'
It takes times like the present to
show what blessings will accrue to I.
people from good public officers. The
shankt of the public are due to ste-
phen Miller, our present Governor.