Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-01
For tho Stapdsr

For the SApdsrd.
Who are to be Exempted from Home Guard
to Exempt themt
Nh. EDrros:-We regret to see that the Legisla-
turs in recognizing the guard for home defence
has not thought proper to make some specific regu-
latioas with regard tq this matter. There has been
much complaint sgainst the Confederate govern
pent and justly too We fhink As to the manner in
which it has exercised this power. But in our
opinion there has not been half the ground for COM
plaint against the Confederate, as there has been
against the State government And We do not
say this merely for the purpose Of finding fault,
but for the purpose Of calling attention to what We
consider IN error in order that it may be corrected
By the first act of Assembly. e,gsnising tho
there is no provision made for dschargng any one on
account Of disability. But the Governor asas al
lowed by said act to make further exemptions for
special reasons And under this act the govern
ment adopted the system Of forwarding physicians
certificates of disease which were not to operate @
discharge until they received both the Surgeon
and Adjutant Generals approval. This systeme6as
continued until about the close Of the year, when
the Legislature passed another act amendatofy Of
the arst ratified 18th December 1868, authorizing
the General Assembly, by and with the consent Of
eGovernor, toappoint examining boards Of physi.
clans 80 as not to exceed thoes in the State who
were to visit the various counties of the State and
to examine all persons claiming exemptions on 90
count of disability, and to give discharges to all
whom they considered entitled to the same. This
board consequently visited the various parts of the
State performing their duty Is they thought
But what was the result of all thiss Il amount.
cd to this. Every man who failed to got . dis
charge before this board, either went to Raleigh n
the Surgeon General with q Doctors certi6cat0
his pocket OF gqt some one else to 90 for him hs
had money enough to defray his expenses thsrs
and back. And some Of them may have been die.
appointed, but We do not know Of one who was,
while We know quite number who applied And
the effect of thls was TO- throw the State boards
into utter contempt With the people, and to render
them entirely worthless But the third act in re-
lation to the Guard for home defence, ratified 2Srd
day December, 1854 provided for district boards;
but before it was put into operation, the 4th or
last act was passed. and ratified on the 7th day OF
February, 1865 repeating the act Of Decsmbsr 1854
and making no provisions for any exemptions
whatever on account Of disability. This legislation
to Us seems singular and not easily understood aad
the question arises. Are there to be no more ex.
enpts from home guard service on account Of disa'
bility-or if there are to bs any such exemptions,
who is to make theml Are those who have been
exempt heretofore still to be exempt or if not oil
of them, then what part Of them : Those exempted
: under the first acts BY certificates of pbysicani
with the Surgeon and Adjutant Generals approval
or those exempted BY the State boards-or those
who have been exempted by the Surgeon General
over the State boardsl And if all these are sx
| smptsd, are there to be any more exsmptedi W.
hope this matter Of exemption may be settled upou
some fxed rule which will operate equally ant
justly upon all. DAVE.