Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-20

tlnesnoy had arisen, Which required . resort 10
slaves element Of resistance, does, not appeat
by'any official document within the knowledge ol
yonr committee. Congress might well have delayed
action ON this subject until the present moment, as
the President, whose constitutional duty IL Is " 10
give 10 Congress Information of the state Oi'the
UOnfederacy," has never asked, IN any authentic
manner, tor the passage OF law authorizing inc
employment OF slaves as sodiers. me SENATE,
however did not await the tardy movements OF the
President. On the 29th December, 1861, the iol-
owing resolution was adopted by the Senate IN Sc
cret session; . ..s iaaf l..i.,
{, ReSoived, That the President be requested TO
inform the Senate in secret session, as 10 the STATE
OF the finances in connection with tne pay W
the troops; the means OF supplying the munitions
of war transportation and subsIstence the cOndi-
tion of he army and the possibility OF recruiting
the same the condition OF our foreign relations,
and whether any aid or encouragement IRON ABROAD
is expected, or has been sought, or proposedf 20
that the Senate may have a-cear anu exact we" "a
the state OF the country, aud of its iufure pros
pocis and, what measures pf legislation are re-
qaired." att :,
well have communicated TO the Senate his views as
Ia the necessity and policy OF armng the slaves OF
the Confedcracy as a means OF public defence. No
answer Whatever has been made 10 the RESOLUTION
In addition To this, JOINT committee was raised by
Congress- under aconcurrUnt resolution adopted IN
secret session On the sob December, 1864. That
committee, by the resolution creating II, was ~
strucied .'by conference with the President, amt
by such other means as they shall deem proper to
ascertain whataTe reliable means OF public de
fence present and prospective JatIils. ,l
A written report Was made by the committee on
January 10Th, 1865; and although 1t mad conier-
ence with the President, no alluSion IL liadc III the
report to any suggestion by him that The necessities
of the country required the employment OF slaves
as soldiers. Under these circumstances, Congress,
influenced, 40 doubt, by the opinion OF General Lee,
determined for itself the propriety, policy aud ne
cesSiiy OF adopting tho measure IN question.
The recOmnIen atoms Of the President to employ
forty Thousand slaves rs cooks, transfers, and as
engineer and pioneer laborerS was sScntUd 10, aud
a law has been enacted at tue present session for
the purpose, without limit as to lumber.
All the measures recommended by the President
to promote the efficiency OF the army have been
adopted, except the entire repeal of class excmp-
tiOus and some measures not suggested by him
such as the creation OF the Office of Gcneral-in-
Chief-were originated aud passed by Congress
with view to the restoration Of public confidence,
aid the energetic administration ot military affars
On the subject OF exemptions, the President, 10
his message OF November 7lh, uses the following
language "NO pursuit nor position should relieve
any one who is able to dU active duty from enrol
lrnt in the army, unless his functions services
are more useful 10 the deience Of his country IN
another sphere But IL is manifest that this cannot
be the'case with entire classes All telegraph
operators, workmen in mines, professors, teachers,
engineers, editors and employees 81 newspapers,
iourncy men printeTS shOemakcrs, tanners, black
smiths, millerS physicians, and numerous Other
glasses mentioned M the laws, eannot in the ma
turc OF thugs, be equally necessary M their seyd
cal professions, nor distributed throughout the
country in such proportions that only tho eXact
numbers required found in each locality" &t.
The casual reader would liner that the laws, they
stood al the date OF the Message, exempted tho
classes enumerated by the President, as well as
ofIfa 70 A mentioned ~ him Sucb
is not the fact. The only class exemptions allowed
by the laws then In force we're the following; mint
listers a religion; superintendentS aud physicians
of asyumS for the deaf dumb and blind, and OF the
insane; one editor for each newspaper, aud such
employees as the EDITOR may certify oath as iTt
dspensably necessary, the public printers 0f the
Confederate and State governments, aud their jour
neymeu printers one skilled apothecary in each
apothecary store who was doing business as such
on The 10th October, 1862; physicians over thirty
years of age, aud tor tho last seven years in prac-
icr presidents aud teachers of colleges, Summaries
and schools, and the SuperihtcndtniS, physicians
aud nurses in public hospitals; certain mail con-
tractors aud drivers of post coaches: certain oi-
GERS and employees of railroad companies; and GER
lain agriculturiSts or oYerSeerS.
Officers of tie State Governments are not prop,
erly included among the exempted classes because
it is conceded that Congress has no constitutional
power to cOnSsrbe them as soldiers. Nor are Dun
kardS QuakcrS or other non-c ombatants regarded
AS h., longing TO class exemptions, because, under
the act OF June 1th 1864, the exemption OF these
persons is subject To the control OF the Secretary OF
War. The exemption of agricnuriSts or Oyerseers
between the ages of eighteen and foriy-Gve has
been repealed at the present session. Tanners,
ShoemakerS, millers backSmiths, telegraph opera
tors and workmen in mipes, enumerated by the
President among the classes exempted, are not
now and have not been since the passage OF the act
OF 18th February, 1864, exempted rs class. Ii
railroad officers and employees, and State officers,
who are not constitiOnaliy subjected to conscrip.
ton, be excluded the classes nov exempted east OF
the Mississippi river embrace about nine thouSaGd
men, ne-ihrd Of whom are physicians, and nearly
another third are ministers OF the gospel; the re-
manning third is principally composed ofreachers,
professors printers and employees IN newspaper
Offices and apotbecarieS.
4 Inremarkable contrast TO the number of persons
relieved from military service by the exemptions
above mt niiOncd the report of the Conscript Blu.
rcau exhibits the fact that east OF the Mississippi
river twenty two Thousand and thirty live have
! been detailed by Executive authority. la conSe-
onence OF thiSt abuse OF the power OF detail Con
press at lis present session, passed an act reyOls
all details, aud limiting The exercise OF that power
ia the future. The third section of this act, ex-
empting skilled artisans and mechanics from all
military service which Is excepted to by the ,fTes
dent aud which has since been repealed was orr
gnally adopted in consequence of suggestions con-
famed in che report OF the Secretary oil War. In
abiding to the endorsements encountered by Ile
administrative bureaus, the Secretary says % In
addition, they have been constrained, by the strI-
gent legislation OF Congress, 10 Tclnquish then
most active and experienced agents anal employees,
and Substitute them from more .inlirm and aged
classes" Again: "lnterferences OF this kind are
inevitably SO prejndcial' aud disturbing, that it Is
h ped a well devised and perRanent system OF pro-
vlmg aud retaining in continuous employment q
sufficient number Of artisans, experts and laborer.
for all essential operate ns may be devised and es
tabshed." The truth is, that the bill ori sinaly
introduced into the Senate, exemptng skilled aftf
sans and mechanics, was actually prepared in one
hi the Bureaus Of the War Department. Congress,
herefore had reason To suppose that II would meet
enc sanction of the Executive.
!, To conscrbe the ministers of religion, and re-
quire them to obtain details to preach the gospel,
would shock the religious sentiment of tn conf-
try aud iutiict greater injury on our caise than
can be described. Tie CONSUMPTION of ed tors and
of the printers necessary TO the publication OF