Year: 1865

Recruiting In tho City Nearly Suspend


ed-Strange Action or tho Common Coun-


cil-What Can BE Dones


On inquiry we learn with regret that recruit
ing at the headquarters Of the Supervisory
Committee, and also the payment Of bounties,
has dwindled down to an infinitisimal quantity.
Just at the moment when we want men most;
when almost the certainty Of draft is sus-
pended over US; when, unless our quota is filed
by the 18th of February, the roll call of tho
provost marshals of every district in the city
will be heard, and the wheel of the lottery
will be turned, drawing an army prize
for many gallant youth-just at this mo
ment, when we required two hundred men per
day to fill our quota, the committee are not
paying the bounty to dozen per day. This.
too, includes all credits for this city, whether
brought in as substitutes, from the Offices OF
the provost marshals or enlisted by the COM
mittee ITSELF The business Of volunteering ap
pears to be blocked, while the day for the
conscription is rapidly approaching. We learn.
on investigation, that there are good reasons
for this state Ofaffairs-obstacles to our success
which can only be removed through the action
of the people themselves and our city authori-
ties. In the first place, the loan lately author
lied by the Supervisors for the payment OF
increased bounties, if the committee 80 elect,
is not yet sanctioned by the Legislature, and
our citizens do not appear sufficiently patriotic
to step forward and advance the money
to the Comptroller in anticipation. The
committee, therefore, decline to advance
the rate Of bounties, apprehensive that
the present fund will be exhausted before
a new supply is fnrnished-the consequence Of
which would be to cause the suspension
of business altogether. Where, we would
ask, are our patriotic capitalists, with
their incomes Of twenty, fifty, one hundred,
half million and two millions per annum!
Another obstacle standing in the way Of the
committee is that recruiting is going on here
for the regular army, for which greater induce
ment to the broker or agent is offered for men
than by the committee, though the recruit him
self gets less The numbers thus obtained is
large, scarcely one Of whom is credited to our
quota. It is useless to remonstrate with the
recruiting officer, for his acts are doubtless
sanctioned by the government; but it is wholly
unjust on the part Of the government to allow
such action. It ought to be stopped, or allow
the men onlisting here to be credited to our
quota.


But the greatest obstacle to the success Of
the committee and the most reprehensible Is, We
learn, the action of the Common Council in allow
ing to almost any one asking for IL recruiting
booth or tent, stuck up anywhere about our
streets. The City Hall Park is disagured with
these nuisances, in which stupendous system
of robbery of the city Of its best men to enlist
in other places is carried on. Our Aldermanic
boards are, in fact, encouraging enlstmens Of
our own men in other places or States They
have, by authorizing the booths-thus granting
great facilitics--o6ered premiums for men to
I'll the quotas of districts outside Of the city Of
New York thus, in reality-but unwittingiy,
we belicve--doing more towards enforcing .
draft upon us than all other causes combined.
The runners or '.brokcrs," occupying these
booths secure from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred men per day, not one of which do our
committee pay the bounty to, or are credited TO
our quota They are all run off where the broker
can obtain few dollars more than by handing
them over to our own authorities, and his acts
are sanctioned by our Common Council. This
is the greatest outrage on the citizens of New
York, and should be stopped at once; and II
our city legislature allow this thing to go on after
having learned the facts Of the case, the MEM
bers of the two boards should be held RESPONSE
BILE If an unrelenting draft is brought upon ~.
They should pass an ordinance putting stop
to this thing Immediately, and cause the arrest
and punishment Of every man engaged In
envcgling person out Of the city to volun-
teer. We surely require every able bodied
man who rightfhlly belongs to us, and we want
the assistance Of every man, whether he be
priest or alderman, banker or merchant, In
filing our own quota, not robbing their own
households for the purpose Of benefting other
States or districts. We cannot afford this kind
of liberality Remove the difficulties we have
referred to, set aside the obstacles which now
80 hamper the action Of the Supervisory Com
mittee, and IL would have our quota filed before
the middle Of February. But II all these detri-
ments are to continue draft s as certain -
that the sun rises. Let all take heed and acs
accordingly.


THE Loss OF FoRr FBHER--"A BLEssiN0 IN
DrsaUsE."-The Richmond Dispatch says that
while some melancholy persons in the rebel
capital regard the loss Of Fort Fisher as "a dis
astcr," there is very large party Of very
sensible fellows who consider II as 20 blessing
in disguise" and SO they are disposed to be
Jolly. Those Richmond rebels are genuine
laughing philosophers. They spend millions Of
money, they devote years Of labor, they sacri.
fee thousands Of their negroes and tens Of
thousands Of their soldiers lover fifty thousand