March 10, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
That the term of service of three hundred thousand men in the Yankee army will expire in May, seems to be a fact admitting of no doubt. The Chairman of the Military Committee in the Yankee House of Representatives, THADDEUS STEVENS, in supporting the bill which passed the House but failed in the Senate, providing for arming the slaves of the South, distinctly stated, as the grand reason for that measure, that three hundred thousand men in the army must be discharged from service in May, and it being impossible to raise more white troops in the North, the raising of these black troops was an absolute necessity, if the war was to be continued. Some of our contemporaries have affirmed (or rather suggested) that the late Conscription Act which has passed the Yankee Congress, providing for calling out all the forces between the ages of twenty and forty-five into the military service of the United States to carry on the war against us, is designed to keep in the service these three hundred thousand men. We have carefully looked over the provisions of this Act, and we can see nothing in it to justify this opinion. The Act divides the United States into Enrollment Districts, and establishes Enrollment Boards, shall immediately proceed to enroll, all persons subject to military duty, noting their ages, &c.’ and then in the 12th section provides as follows:
That, when necessary to call out the national forces, the President shall assign to each district the number of men to be furnished by said district and then the enrolling board shall draft the required number, and fifty per centum in addition. A list of persons drawn is to be made out, and printed notices served on the drafted men requiring them to appear at a designated rendezvous and report for duty. The President is required to take into consideration the number of men furnished the service of the United States by volunteers from each district, and give credit for that number in calling out the forces.
The only clause that bears on the volunteers now in the service whose term of service may expire, is in the 18th section, which provides –
A bounty of fifty dollars for such volunteers now in the service who may re-inlist for one year from the termination of their present enlistment. Those who may re-enlist for two years after the expiration of their present term shall receive twenty-five dollars of the one hundred dollar bounty of the act of 22d July, 1862.We are able, therefore, to see nothing in this Act, like the Conscription Act of the Confederate States, which converted the volunteers whose term of service was about to expire, into conscripts for three years or the war. The three hundred thousand volunteers in the army may, perhaps, be enrolled like other citizens, and be liable to the draft like them, although this is doubtful by the terms of the Act; for the enrollment is to take place in April, while they are in service in the army, and their term of service will not expire until May; but this is the extent of their liability. Whilst the terms of this Act, therefore, appear to us perfectly clear, and to warrant in the way of retention in the service of the three hundred thousand volunteers, who have a right to be disbanded in May, we beg leave not to be understood as having any faith in the fulfillment of any duty by the Yankee Government. It is now an open, unmitigated despotism. It may attempt to force these volunteers into a continued service, without law or right. The experiment will certainly be dangerous; for they constitute one-half of the Yankee army. In spite of all their lies, their army in the field does not exceed in numbers six hundred thousand men, and we doubt if they reach that number. Now, to force one half of an army, with arms in their hands, to a continued service against law, is a hazardous enterprise; and this, we think, was the reason the Yankee Conscription Law did not provide for a compulsory service of these troops. It was safe to offer bounties, and to rely on their becoming substitutes. But when absolute power exists, it is very difficult to foretell its operations. The Abolitionists have boldly launched the Government of the United States into an Imperial Despotism. If successful in subjugating us, LINCOLN will be re-elected President as long as he chooses. He will be LINCOLN the First – the Northern people slaves, and the South a wilderness. But we have no fears of such a result. He who has so manifestly supported our cause amidst so much weakness and folly within, and so much power without, can uphold us with His right hand, even to the end.