Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-06-20
The Congressional Question.
Letters Of Correspondents.
GEN. G~ARFTELD'S RECORD.
"A Reply.

EDITOR CHRoNICLE.-I observe in your paper of
the 18th, inst, a communication copied from the
Youngstown Courier, the writer of which crldcises
the course of our representative in Congress, and
opposes his denomination, citing and condemning
certain remarks made, and votes given by him in
the Thirty Eighth CONGRESS. L desire 20 present a
few facts and Statements in reply to this article.
which / regard as unfair in many respects. do
article in question originally appeared. because it
Is a neutral paper, circulating, as i understand,
mainly among the Democrats Of YOUNGSTOWN and
vicinity, a class who of course can have no interest
IN this matter. Whereas, what l have to say 1 de.
sire especially to have read by the Union voters OF
IrumbuH county, who may have been led 70 erro-
neous conclusions from reading the article as II
appeared IN pour paper. -
The writer objects to Gen. Garfeld's course in
regard to the law for drafting. to fill up the armies
during the late war. His statements are as follows /:
I. Gen Garfield voted against the Joint Resolu-
ton of January 6, 1864. to extend the payment of
bounty for three months longer. He lid and gave
as a reason, that il would. ~ifcontinued indefinitely.
6aPkIupt me treasury, ana then not gel b sCta7 Fss
opposed to the extension of the bounty system,
and though Gen. Garfield voted, almost alone
against it, Congress was compelled before many
months to abandon it, and resort to the draft.
II. Gen. Garfield supported the draft law of
February, 1854, and lacked compassion Tor drafted
men. First, because he was not willing to allow
every drafted man TO delay the draft. to test its
legality before a Court, and by examining witness
es, as suggested by Mr.. Stevens This charge is
equally good against a majority of the Union
members of the 3Sth Congress. for they agreed with
Gen. Garfield. and not with Mr.. Stevens. Second,
DB0aAu5O -OCAs- N1AhOAN OEP0eSu Al
offered by Mr.. Brown of Wisconsin, q leading
COpperhead, who wanted to increase the bounty TO
$500, instead Of filling up the army by draft. Brown
opposed the draft law at every step. ana When ne
introducedthe resolution for opposing which Gen.
Garfield is censured by your correspondent he
said that the whole principle ofthe bill was wrong,
and subversive of our system of
The House rejected his amendment without a d.
vision. Finally the whole bill, as ADVOCATED by
Gen. Garfield, passed the House on the 18th of
February, 1854, by a vote 81 ayes, to 90 noes, every
Copperhead. butnot one Union man, voting against
il. 1t passed the Senate soon after. and on the
24th of the same month was signed by Abraham
iii. Gen. GARFIELD so strenuously urged the pas
sage of the enrolment law of July 4. 1854, as to
"6ring doIrn upon himsega sharp rebNke from Coo.
RoUhreH Of MassachuseHs.' The facts are these +:
In June, 1864. Gen. Grant wrote to the PRESIDENT
and the Secretary Of war, that he had lost from
his ranks by battle and disease, 7O.ON men since
April, that By the first Of the following September
Fl Terms Of eniistment, and hatunless these losses
were made good by new leviess he would be com
PEELED to withdraw bis army from before Richmond,
and sherman must retreat IRON Atlanta. Inc
these facts to the military COMMITTEES. and earnestly
urged them to present a bill to repeal the law by
which adrafted man might pay $SO0instead,ofgoine
into the army, and said there was no other way to
fl up the ranks, and put down the rebellion
The committee presented a bill. which was reject
ed In the House on the 2lst of June, by a large
majority, Whereupon Gen. Garfield said
"Gentlemen, this Congress must sooner or latel
meet the issue face to face, and I believe the TINT
or az give M the commutation. T believe the mel
and the Congress that shall finally refuse to Strike
out the Communication clause, and retain it in it
fun force as it Is now, will substantially vote t.
abandon the war. And l am not ready to believe
and I will not believe, that the SSth Congress has
Gov, Boutwell, not knowing the necessity Of til,
case, considered these remarks calculated to exoit.
gnneosssary alarm; and he's 5e 50 t stated; TINS wa
alludes. But when the alarming facts were mad
known to the Union members by the perseVe
rance Of the military committe, the bill was passed
even Gov. Boutwell, voting for il, and every Cop
: perhead voting IN tAenegauve. loss les
". Gen. Garfield supported the enrolment &C
/ Of MarchSd 2, 1895. the 10th section Of which di
not allow one township to get volunteers from 9th
. er townships that we're net yet out of the draft.
i, Nov, If your correspondent can show the injus
tee of the principle above stated, ne viii enlight
= en- many Of your readers. The Interpretation c
the Provost Marshal of the 18th District of OhiC
/ that no town could get a substitute from any othe
town, did make the law a great hardship, but
l will be remembered that the Provost Marshal Gen
eral promptly corrected this misinterpretatio an
towns were allowed to get substitutes anywher,
I except from enrolled men belonging to TOWNSHIP
f not yet out Of the draft. If the law was wrong,
/ it a fault peculiar to Gen. Garfield? Seventy-on
Union men voted for it. and 1t was urgently recon
: mended By both President Lincoln and Secretar
G Stanton. If Gen. Garfield erred on the subject
, draft and OuntieS. he erred on theside of the URiol
and against the rebellion. Secretary Stanton ha
said repeatedly that the vigorous legislation pro
|, posed and urged with so much ability by Ger
: Garfield andhis colleagues, on the military commit
u tee, saved the nation from. defeat. Shall the l9t
District be the first to censure Congress for this ?
P But suppose it be admitted that Gen. CARTEL
/. has made serious mistakes does your scOrrespon
/ dent expect to find a Representative who will al
g ways speak and vote so as to please all the peopl
4 Ofhis district? Can he see nothing in Gen. Gar
fields record but error? Are there no counter
Z balancing considerations? Isit bestto throw ava
s the position that our Representative has acquire
I on the most important committee of the HOUSE
by sending anew manin his place? Is il not bette
to support the present CONGRESS. by-approving II
members who have been true to the Union. and {
the principles of the Union party ? Let the pee
pie decide. V. Els.