The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-06-07

unnecessary to incur an enormous load of
pal debt for bounties, which will in
Juriously affect the people and the Govern
meEt tor many years. The lack of this
provision made the law so burdeusoma
upon poor rural districts that agricultural
industry had necessarily to be suspended
wherever draft under the last call was
made, and the close of the war alone has
saved the country from suffering want
OF the necessaries Of life.
The records of the various Provost
MarShaPs Offices will show, as result Of
competition In bounties, that rich and
Poputous districts have filled their quotas
| and their resident citizens are al. at home.
while N rural districts the a5le-bodied
men are al gone and the quotas are vet
| untitled. The country has paid a heavy
price for the timidity of it's legislators.
which was perhaps as much the fau!t an
their inexperience.
On behalf of the Government. I voul6
suggest that volunteers for old orgauiza-
lzatlons should receive liberal Govern.
ment bounty, and In all other cases no
bounty of this nature be paid. The effect
" this rule would be to equalize bounties.
and to send constant stream of volun-
teer recruits into old regiments. They
would come principally from poor rural
| districts, which furnish the best men To-
| .he service
All strtngency should plainly appear in
the law, and all possible iiberality should
be manifested in its construction. Unfor.
tunatel y this has not universally been the
case, and the inclination has been too
| general to decide all doubtful points in
:avor of the Government, som etimes en-
barrasslng liberal provision by a strin.
gent or cumbrous regulation. I might
site, as an instance of this, the rule reoui-
ring greater stringency in the examina-
ton OF volunteers than conscripts. The
reasoning is, "a volunteer is examined
with reference to his acceptance into the
service by the Government, a conscript is
regarded as already in the service and is
examined with reference to his discharge"
1t ls certainly very difficult to see why q
volunteer, regularly enlisted by competent
authority and reporting for examination,
is not as much in the service as a drafted
: man. ] need not say that the above rule,
under sses N safe medical officer has
!. ,5sf. S}til ST man as bountied volunteer
Z .slFand il9thGards accepted him as a penni-
ssess and unwilling conscript, has always
been regarded as exceedingly unjust, and
politically injurious to the Government !;
while, in military point of view, it could
not but be detrimental to the service.
The knowledge have acquired, during
the last two years of the rebellion, in re-
gard to the general character of aliens in
this country, leads me to cherish the hope
that future legislation will impose upon
them some of the military burdens which
attach to natural born citizens in time Of
war. Were it possible so to modify the
existing laws that foreigners, of whatever
nationality, whether aliens or naturalized
citizens, could be enrolled by the Govern
ment as a part of the military forces 20
suppress civil var or rebellion, originating
in the country where they at the time
reside, it could not but be a wise and
equitable provision.
l cannot conceive wherein it would
neeessitate a violation of allegiance to the
nation whence they came, SO long as they
are not required to take up arms against
the Government to which they owe fealty
or to engage IN a war with any foreign
power, but on ly to assist in the suppression
of rebellion. 1t would seem TO me that
| where aliens are the benefciaries, In so
many instances, Of the protection and
magnanimity of a Government, as they
are of ours, on the score of gratitude,
alone, if no other, they should assist in
maintaining it against the treasouous
assaults OF internal foes, when such assis-
tance cannot possibly conflict with their
duty or allegiance to the land of their
birth.
am, General, very respectfully,
| Your OBJ edient servant,
/