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Jeff Davis' Conscriptionn Message

Jeff Davis' Conscriptionn Message image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
May
Year
1862
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The following is Pi-esiaent Davis' message recommending the passage of u oenseription luw: Co the Seint ind Honi o IN natatH '-f the ('Mlllrdci'.Ur E I The operations of the varióos laws now in force for raigiog anniea liaa exhibited the necessitv for lefonn. Tl"} frequent ehanges wbich havo boen made have renderod the pystera so eoraplieated as to make it often quite diffieult to determine whnt the l:ivv really is, and to wlwt exteut prior amendments aro niodifitd by more reeen-t legislatura. Tbere is alo embarrassment from conflict botween Stilte and Confedérate legilation. I ara happy to inform you of lie etitire hannonv of purpciso and cordility of fceling which has eontinued to xist betwecu mys li and the JSxecutives f the several States, and it is to this ause that our succjss in keeping adeuate forces iu the field is to be attribued. These reasons would suiïice for invi ing your earnest attentiou to the necesity of sorae simple and general S3'st2in br exeruit-iiiir the power of raising ariuies, vhieh is vested in Congress by the con titution. Bat there is auother and more mportaut covisideration. The vast prepratioDS made by the enemy for a com)incd assault at numerous points on our 'rontier and seaboard haye produced ïunlts thafc might have beun expected. - 'hey have animated the people to a spirit f resistance so general, so resolute, and o self saorifieing that it requires rather ;o be regulated than to be stimulated. - The right of the State to deinand, and lie diity of eaeh citizen to render militay service, nced only be stated to be ad nitted. It is not, however, wise or juicious policy to plaeu in active serviue hat portion of the force of a people which xperieuee has jhown to be uecesary as a eserve. Youths under the age of eighten years require iurther iustruction ; ion of matured experience are needed 'or maintaining order and good governlent at home, aud in snpomsing preparaLoos Tor readeriug efíicient thu uraiies iu he fifld.j These two classes constitute the proper eserve for home defense, ready to be alltd out in case of any emergency, and ,o be kupt iu the field only wheu tjp mergeoej exists. But iu order to keep :ie reserve intact, it is necesary that, in great war like that in which we are uow ugaged, all persons of intermedíate ages ot legally exempt for good eause, should )ay their debt of military service to their ountr.y, that the burdeiis shouid not fall xelusively ou the most ardeut and patri tic. I therefore reccomeud the passage of a aw declaring that all persons residing within the Confedérate States, between be ages of eighteeu aud thirty five years, ld rightfully eubjfot to military duty, hall be held to be m the military service f the Confedérate títates, nd that some jlan aud simple method be adopted for iheir prompt enrollment and organizatioD, epealing all legislatiou heretofore euactd which would iütoifere wilh the sys cm prepooüd.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus