Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-01-06

Department has twice called upon the
people of the respective States to attend
to the correction of the enrolment lists;
and have circulated and enforced these
calls by all the means in my power
But there is in many cases neglect, and
in nearly ell a want of concentrated or
organized action in the mater; and so
the time goes by until call comes, and
then the authorities are censured and the
injustice is again perpetrated.
In New Y ork, last year, an enrolment
of the city was made by the State auth
critics, and, after examination, was ac-
cepted by the War Department, as more
nearly approximating correctness than
its own. Whether the attempt at correc-
ting the disparity in this State will lusti-
fy the expense is left you to determine
If done by the assessors 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-
iutant-General.
Since the foregoing was written call
has been made for three hundred thou
sand men. The quota of this State is
not yet assigned, and the lists are still
open to correction. I have very little
hope that this will be accomplished, so
as to do Justice to our people. l woHld
still recommend the. enrolment, even
though it may not become necessary in
the future.
Public opinion demands that some meas
ures be adopted to prevent or to punish
the voluntary absenteeism OF persons liza
BILE to military service from the State, on
the approach or during the tendency of
a draft. It is estimated that the number
of men who fled from the State as the re-
cent draft approached, and during its ex-
ecution, exceeded twenty thousand.-I
Those who were not drawn of course re-
turned when the quotas of their districts
were filled; those who were drafted re-
mained away, with few exceptions, where
substitutes were procured. A large num-
Der left during the ten days allowed by
law between the draft and notification
To meet all these Deficiencies supplement
tary drafts became necessary; and then
the same process went on until, in some
cases, there were not men enough left in
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 portions of it; many
have gone into other States and the Ter
ritories; and not a few have fled to Cana
da
This is a serious evil, and yet the re-
medy may not be unattended with diff
cu1ties. The supplementary draft does
not release the refugees who occasioned
it from military service. AS to these,
you may be able to adopt some measures
to arrest and hold them to service, where
they will aid in reducing subsequent
quotas. The eclass-equally guilty-who
deserted the State that has protected
them, in the hour when their services
were required for her defense, it is posi-
BILE cannot be punished for the past Of
fense; but it is clearly in your power to
provide punishment for such transgres
sions in the future. a large portion of
them cannot be effectually reached by
fines and penalties. Is it not, therefore.
| legitimate to impose upon the ofense
| forfeiture of civil or political rights?
do not find any interdiction; while there
is moral if not legal force in the argument
that the man who ignominiously fees
from the call of his country in the hour
of peril, should not be permitted to quiet
ly return when the danger is past, or the
service has been imposed upon another,
to mingle in shaping the policy of that
country, and choosing its rulers. 1t is
not sufficient reply that such man is
politically opposed to the policy of the
war, or the manner of conducting it.
"Freedom of speech ard of the press" in
criticising, or even denouncing the policy
of the government, is one thing, but the
refusal to obey the call to service of that
government, when legally and constitu-
tionally enforced, is decidedly another
The one may be tolerated, and even
maintained as inciden tai to natural right;
the other is an act not only Of disobedi-
ence to, but of insurrection against the
laws of the land; and he who commits
this ofense may we'll be held to have for
teited the protection of the government
he contemns, and the privileges confirm
ed by the laws he defes.
You may be able to devise remedies
less severe and more effectual against
this evil in the State. I trust it may
be so, for I am satisfied our loyal peo-
pie will require some definite action of
the legislative body on this important
subject.
THE REBELLION.
II I / IL