The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-01-13

Public opinion demands that some meas.
ures be adopted to prevent or to punish the
voluntary obsentCelsm of persons liable tc ,
, military service from the Stote, on the BID.
proach or during the pendcpcy of draft
Ii ia estimated that the number of men
VINO He'd from the State as the recent draft
approached, aud during its execution,
exceeded twenty thousand, Those
who were not drawn of course returned
when the quotas Of their districts were
filed; those who were drafted remained
away, with few exceptions, where substi.
tutes were procured. large number left
during the ten days allowed by law between
draft and notification. To meet all these
deficiencies supplementary drafts became !
necessary; and !bon the same process went
on until in some cases. there were not men
enough lief, in the towuships to Gil the quo
tas. .lany men drafted in one section of
the State are, no doubt, skulking, or OPEN
ly residing in other portions of it; many
have gone into other States and the Terri
tories and not few have flod TO Canada.
This is a serious evil, and yet the reme-
dice may not be unattended with difficulties.
The supplementary draft docs not release
the refugees who occasoned it from militia.
~ service. AS to these, you may be able
to adopt some measure to arrest. and hold
them to service where they will aid in re-
ducing subsequent quotas. The class
equally guiIty-who deserted the State
that has protected them, in the hour when
their services were required for her defense,
it is possible cannot be punished for the
past offense; but it is clearly in your power
TO provide punishment for such transgress-
ions in the future A large portion of them
cannot be effectualv reached by fines and
penalties. Is it not, therefore. legitimate
to impose upon the offense q forfeiture Of
civil or political rigbts: do not find any
interdiction while there ls moral if not le.
gal 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 quietly return when the
danger is past, or tho service has been i'm
posed upon another, to mingle in shaping
the policy of that country. and choosing it's
rulers. 1t is not a sufficient reply that
such a man is politically opposed to the
policy of tho war; or the manner of con.
ducting it. Freedom of speech and of the
press" in criticisine. or even deDouncipg
tho policy OF the goyernm snt. is one thing;
but the refusal to obey the call of service
of that government when legally and con-
s,tutionaliy enforced. is decidedly another.
tanned as incidental to natural right; the
other is an act not only of disobedience to,
but of insurrection against the laws of the
land and be who commits his offense may
well be held TO have forfeited the protec-
tion of the government he contemns, and
the privileges confirmed by the laws he
defes.
You NAV be able to devise remedies less
severe and more effectual against this evil
in the State. trust it may be SO, for
am satisfied our loyal people will require
some defuite action of the legislative body
on this important sabject.
THE REBELLION.
In the emphatic language OF the Pres
ident-"The war continues" The great
contest for the lie of this nation is not
yet terminated. The year just closed has
been marked by decided progress; and
we are nearer the end, not only by the
lapse OF time, but by the material change
in the position of parties, end the aspect
OF affairs. Our strength in all the ele-
ments OF contest is increased, while that
of the rebellion is diminished. The mass
OF our people are determined, while the
adversary is becoming broken and disfir.
tied. We may yet have reverses in store
for US; but the eventful triumph of the
Government, though it may be delayed,
can not possibly be prevented. A? re-
view OF past events, so familiar to the
country, would not now prove interesting
or valuable, while those OF the future are
so closely foreshadowed as to tax only
our patience in awaiting their devslope-
ment.
The recent action Of the people in sus.
tanning, by so overwhe Inning majority,
the administration and the cause OF the
country, not only constitutes an element
of immense strength and value to our.
selves, but it sffirms serious and impor-
tant truths, which the people Of the South
may well take into careful consideration.
Instead of voting this war "a failure"
and commanding "a cessation Of hostili.
ties" the people have declared it a sue
cess thus far in its progress, and required
its continuance until The rebellion is sup
pressed, and their government restored
to its original power and usefulness
They have counted its cost and measured
its sacri6ces-they have voted to them
selves heavy taxation, and il necessity re-
quires il, more calls upon them 10 fill up
the ranks Of their armies-they have LETT
their authorities no discretion; have for
hidden them to take any backward step,
but to press onward with energy and vig-
or, calling for and using all the resources
OF the nation, until the rebel power is bro
ken, and the peace and unity OF the coun-
Try is restored. They have gone further,
and declared with clear and upmistaka-