The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-01-28

Our Quota md the Draft.
The Chairman of our Supervisors volun-
teer Committee, has returned from Washing
ton, and has mot with no success in reference to
a reduction of orr quota as last fixed by Provost
Marshal Fry. Ills first declaration, fixing our
quota at 4,400 men, it seems was of no account
except to inspire our authorities to raise vol
unteers to Gil it. Mr.. Blunt and his committee
having pushed matters vigorously TO overcome
this comparatively small number by procuring
the men, find, just as their labors were about
closing, that General Fry has changed bis base,
and that instead Of 1000 men being wanted
our quota is jumped to the big figure Of $1,000.
How he accounts for this vacillatng
course. we have no means Of knowing,
unless il is to draw a larger proportion from
this city than from any other asection Of the
State. Whether bis present plan is based on
the number Of men or the number of years SER
vice We cannot say; neither do we know
whether every man is to count for one year, or
whether q three years volunteer counts as
three one year men. All we positively know
is, that Provost Marshal General Fry is deter
mined, under the call for three hundred thou
sand men, to have from this city twenty-one
thousand soldiers, a number about equal to
that under the call for five hundred thousand.
AS extrayagant and unjust as this clearly is, he
yields to no argument-will scarcely pefuse
any statement Of ur.committee, showing the
gross wrong inflicted upon us. lie appears to
have assumed no especial base for his calcu-
lations; has guessed the number he would
like to have, and ordered them accordingly.
The enrolment here was considered by him
grossly wrong and greatly in excess Of what it
should have been. lie directed a revision,
and our authorities, at great expense, have been
successfully laboring for weeks to this end, but
before the final completion, which would have
been reached in few days, eilectng reduc-
ton in the numbers enrolled at least one-third,
he fixes the quota nolens rolens, and calls upon
lls for twenty-one thousand men.
Thus stands the case We are within fifteen
days Of the time fixed for draft, when we are
called upon for full army corps. OF course
there is no possibility Of raising them except
by CONSUMPTION. The labors of the committee
will be of no. avail towards avoiding
or q snap judgement is taken against
us and we must yield up our effects We were
much in hope that draft in this city would
have been avoided. We deserve to be exempt
No city has given so much money for the war
and so many men as the city Of New York.
Over one hundred and thiriy-six thousand
have been sent from here, every quota has
been promptly filed by Chairman Blunt as
the present ono doubtless would have been
had justice been awarded us. But as for rails
ing any such numbers by volunteering as is
now called for, the thing is preposterous; it
cannot be done; hence the hardships Of a draft
must be submitted to, and our fathers, sons and
brothers must prepare to march to the front
The committee, in the meantime, will con-
tinue its labors, raising all the men and procur-
ing all the substitutes they can, thus reducing
the number to be drafted as much as possible.
Slavery In, COngress-Tho Amendment to
the COnstituti on.
On Tuesday next the question Of the amend
ment of the constitution, so as to abolish
slavery, will come up in the House of Repre-
sentatives for final settlement so far az the
action Of the present Congress goes. The lnea-
sure received the approval of the Senate last
year, and though it received majority vote in
the House, did not receive there the two-thirds
vote necessary for an amendment Of the or
ganic law of the nation, and was consequently
lost. The approval of the Senate still holds
the hands Of the national legislature is that it
should pass the House. But if it shall fail to
pass the House now the advantage of the pro-
gress II has already made through the Senate
win be lost, and, as we have new Congress
next year, the measure will have to be, then,
once more taken up from the commencement.
1t IL, therefore, greatly to be wished that it
should 60 safely through this session. in order
that it may so properly to the Legislatures of
the several States this winter, and be settled
definitely without loss of time.
Since the measure was defeated in the House
last year some events have TRANSFERRED that
ought to influence the action that the
Missouri and Tennessee have formally
declared the abolition of slavery within their
limits. Slavery no longer exists in Western
Virginia, and is virtually abolished in Arkan-
sas and Louisiana; and, rs tho messages Of the
Governors of Kentucky and Delaware indicate,
there Is good progress toward its abolition in
those States. Here is enough to show the i'm
mensc advance Of the public mind in regions
directly interested in this great question. Only
tho States actually within the grasp and under
the heel Of the rebel tyranny retain the institu-
ton as 1t was; and even in tho rebellion itself
there arc open advocates Of measure that will
scotch II It does not kill this original cause Of
But tho great North moves also,
and States that hitherto did not in their sover-
eign capacity take any definite line Of policy
on this matter-that treated slavery as q fact
by our common constitution, or