Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-01-04

tion IN the matter and so the time goes
on until call comes, and then the Ru-
tharities ara eensured, and the injustice is
again perpetTated.
In New York, last year, an enrolment
was made by the State authorities, and, af-
determination, was accepted by the War
| Department, as more nearly approximat-
ing correctness than its own. Whether
the attempt at correcting the disparity in
this State will justify the expense is left for
you to determine. If done by the asses
sors in March and April, the expense need
not be very great, and it will be properly
imposed upon the counties interested in it.
l suggest that this duty be imposed upon
the assessors the blanks and Instructions
to be prepared and furnished by The Ad-
| Ijutant-G General.
Since the fergoing was written a call
has been made for three hundred thousand
men. The quota of this State is not yet
assigned, and The lists are still open to
correction. have very little hopes that
this will bs accomplished, so as to do JUS
tiee to our people. would still. recon-
mend the enrolment, even though it may
not become necessary in the future.
Public opinion demands that some mes
sures be adopted to prevent or to punish
the voluntary sbsenteeism ofporsons liable
to military service from the State, on the
approach or during the pendency of a
draft. 1t is estimated that the number of
men who fled from the State IS the recent
draft approached, and during its execution,
| exceeded twenty th ousand. Those who
we're not drawn of course returned when
thequotas of their districts we're filed :;
those who were drafted remained away,
with few exceptions, where substitutes
we're procured. A large number left
during the ten days allowed by law
between draft and notification. To
meet all these deficiencies supplementary
drafts became necessary and then the same
process went on until, in some cases, there
were not men enough left in the townships
to fill the quotas. Many men drafted in
one section of the State are, no doubt,
skulking, or openly residing in other por-
tions of it; many have gone into other
States and the Territories; and not a few
have fed to Canada. -rI
This is serious evil, and yet the reme-
dy may not be unattended with difficulties.
The supplementary draft does not release
the refugees who occssioned it from militia
~ service. AS to these, you may be
able to ado 1t some measures 10 arrest
and hold them 10 service, where they
will aid in reducing subsequent quotas
The clsss-equslly guilty-who desert
cd the State that has protected them,
in the hour when their services were re-
quired for her defense, it is possible cannot
be punished for the past offense; but it is
clearly in your power to provide punish
ment for such transgressions in the future.
a lsrge portion OF them can not be effect
uaIly reached by fines and penalties. Is it
not, therefore, legitimate to impose upon
the otfense forfeiture Of civil or political
rights 2 do not find any interdiction
while there is moral if not legal force in
the argument that the man who igno-
mlnlously fees from the call of mis- country
in the hour of peril, should not be permit
ted to quietly return when the danger is
past, or the service has been imposed upon
another, TO mingle in shaping the policy of
that country, and chosing its rulers. lis
not sufficient reply that such a man is
politically opposed tothe policy of the war,
OF the manner of conducting it. GFreedom
OF speech and of the press in criticising,
or even denouncing the policy of the gov
ernment, is one thing: but the refusal to
obey the call of service of that govern
ment when legally and constituSionaily
enforced, is decidedly another. The one
may be tolerated, and even maintained as
incidental to natural right; the other is
an act not only of disobedience to- but of
instruction against the laws of the land;
and he who commits this ofense may well
be held to have forfeited the protection Of
the government ne contemns, and the
privileges confirmed by the laws be defes.
You may be able to devise remedies less
severe and more efectusl against this evil
in the State. trust it may be SO, for I am
satisfied our loyal people will require some
definite action OF the legislative body on
this important subject.
THE REBELLIoN.
in the emphatic language of the Presi-
dent-"The war continues" The great
contest for the life of this nation is not vet
terminated. The year just closed has been
marked by decided progress; and we are
nearer the end, rot only by the lapse of
time, but by the material change in the
position of parties, and the aspect of affairs.
Our strength in all the elements of contest
is increased, while that OF the rebellion is
diminished. The mass of our people are
| determined, while the adversary Is becom-
ing broken and dispirited We may vet
have reverses in store for us; but the event
ful triumph Of the Government, though II
may be delayed, can not possibly be pre-
vented. A review of past events, so fsmil-
lar TO the country, would not now prove
interesting or valuable; while those of the
future are 80 clearly foreshadoWed as to tax
only our patience in awaiting their develz
opment.
The recent action of the people in sus-
tanning, by so overwhelming majority,
the administration and the cause of the
country, not only constitutes an element of
immense strength and value to ourselves,
but it sffirms serious and important truths,
which the people of the South may well
take into careful consideration. Instead of
voting this war "a failure" and command
ing "a cessation of Hostilttie8," the people
have declared it q success thus far in its
progress, and required its continuance un-
til the rebellion is suppressed, and their
government restored to its original power
and usefulness. They have counted its cost
and measured its sacrifices have 60
ted to themselves heavy taxation, and if
necessity requires il, more calls upon them
to fill up the ranks of their arnnies-they
have lett their authorities no discretion
have forbidden them TO take any backward
step, but to press onward with energy and
vigor, calling for and using all the Tesour-
ces of the nation, until the rebel power is
broken, and the peace and unity of the
country is restored They have conc fur
ther, and declared with clear and unmis-
takeable emphasis, that with the conquest
of this rebellion must perish IFS most DO
tent element, as well as one of its exciting
causes; and that when peace sheds lis
blessings again ufon our people, this shall
be, what God and our fathers designed it
"A LAND OF HUMAN FREEDOM.
From the commencement of this great
contest the State of Ohio has occupied no