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ical moment had passed。 So slow was the response to the call of July 1st； that another appeal was made early in August； this time for 300；000 men to serve only nine months。 But this also failed to rouse the country。 A reinforcement of only 87；000 men was raised in response to this emergency call。 The able lawyer in the War Department had still much to learn about men and nations。
After this check； terrible incidents of war came thick and fast the defeat at Second Manassas； in late August； the horrible drawn battle of Antietam…Sharpsburg； in September； Fredericksburg； that carnival of slaughter； in December； the dearly bought victory of Murfreesboro； which opened 1863。 There were other disastrous events at least as serious。 Foreign affairs* were at their darkest。 Within the political coalition supporting Lincoln； contention was the order of the day。 There was general distrust of the President。 Most alarming of all； that ebb of the wave of enthusiasm which began in midsummer； 1861； reached in the autumn of 1862 perhaps its lowest point。 The measure of the reaction against Lincoln was given in the Congressional election； in which； though the Government still retained a working majority； the Democrats gained thirty…three seats。
* See Chapter IX。
If there could be such a thing as a true psychological history of the war； one of its most interesting pages would determine just how far Stanton was responsible； through his strange blunder over recruiting； for the check to enthusiasm among the Northern people。 With this speculation there is connected a still unsolved problem in statistics。 To what extent did the anti…Lincoln vote； in 1862； stand for sympathy with the South； and how far was it the hopeless surrender of Unionists who felt that their cause was lost？ Though certainty on this point is apparently impossible； there can be no doubt that at the opening of 1863； the Government felt it must apply pressure to the flagging spirits of its supporters。 In order to reenforce the armies and to push the war through； there was plainly but one course to be followedconscription。
The government leaders in Congress brought in a Conscription Act early in the year。 The hot debates upon this issue dragged through a month's time； and now make instructive reading for the present generation that has watched the Great War*。 The Act of 1863 was not the work of soldiers； but was literally 〃made in Congress。〃 Stanton grimly made the best of it； though he unwaveringly condemned some of its most conspicuous provisions。 His business was to retrieve his blunder of the previous year； and he was successful。 Imperfect as it was； the Conscription Act； with later supplementary legislation； enabled him to replace the wastage of the Union armies and steadily to augment them。 At the close of the war； the Union had on foot a million men with an enrolled reserve of two millions and a half； subject to call。
* The battle over conscription in England was anticipated in America sixty…four years ago。 Bagot says that the average British point of view may be expressed thus： 〃What I am sayin' is this here as I was a sayin' yesterday。〃 The Anglo…Saxon mind is much the same the world over。 In America； today； the enemies of effective military organization would do well to search the arguments of their skillful predecessors in 1888； who fought to the last ditch for a military system that would make inescapable 〃peace at any price。〃 For the modern believers in conscription； one of their best bits of political thunder is still the defense of it by Lincoln。
The Act provided for a complete military census； for which purpose the country was divided into enrollment districts。 Every able…bodied male citizen； or intending citizen； between the ages of twenty and forty…five； unless exempted for certain specified reasons； was to be enrolled as a member of the national forces； these forces were to be called to the colors〃drafted；〃 the term wasas the Government found need of them； each successive draft was to be apportioned among the districts in the ratio of the military population； and the number required was to be drawn by lot； if the district raised its quota voluntarily； no draft would be made； any drafted man could offer a substitute or could purchase his discharge for three hundred dollars。 The latter provision especially was condemned by Stanton。 It was seized upon by demagogues as a device for giving rich men an advantage over poor men。
American politics during the war form a wildly confused story； so intricate that it cannot be made clear in a brief statement。 But this central fact may be insisted upon： in the North； there were two political groups that were the poles around which various other groups revolved and combined； only to fly asunder and recombine； with all the maddening inconstancy of a kaleidoscope。 The two irreconcilable elements were the 〃war party〃 made up of determined men resolved to see things through； and the 〃copperheads〃* who for one reason or another united in a faithful struggle for peace at any price。 Around the copperheads gathered the various and singular groups who helped to make up the ever fluctuating 〃peace party。〃 It is an error to assume that this peace party was animated throughout by fondness for the Confederacy。 Though many of its members were so actuated； the core of the party seems to have been that strange type of man who sustained political evasion in the old days； who thought that sweet words can stop bullets； whose programme in 1863 called for a cessation of hostilities and a general convention of all the States； and who promised as the speedy result of a debauch of talk a carnival of bright eyes glistening with the tears of revived affection。 With these strange people in 1863 there combined a number of different types： the still stranger； still less creditable visionary； of whom much hereafter； the avowed friends of the principle of state rights； all those who distrusted the Government because of its anti…slavery sympathies； Quakers and others with moral scruples against war； and finally； sincere legalists to whom the Conscription Act appeared unconstitutional。 In the spring of 1863 the issue of conscription drew the line fairly sharply between the two political coalitions； though each continued to fluctuate； more or less； to the end of the war。
* The term arose； it has been said； from the use of the copper cent with its head of Liberty as a peace button。 But a more plausible explanation associates the peace advocates with the deadly copperhead snake。
The peace party of 1863 has been denounced hastily rather than carefully studied。 Its precise machinations are not fully known； but the ugly fact stands forth that a portion of the foreign population of the North was roused in 1863 to rebellion。 The occasion was the beginning of the first draft under the new law； in July； 1863； and the scene of the rebellion was the City of New York。 The opponents of conscription had already made inflammatory attacks on the Government。 Conspicuous among them was Horatio Seymour； who had been elected Governor of New York in that wave of reaction in the autumn of 1862。 Several New York papers joined the crusade。 In Congress； the Government had already been threatened with civil war if the act was enforced。 Nevertheless； the public drawing by lot began on the days announced。 In New York the first drawing took place on Saturday； July 12th； and the lists were published in the Sunday papers。 As might be expected； many of the men drawn were of foreign birth； and all day Sunday； the foreign quarter of New York was a cauldron boiling。
On Monday； the resumption of the drawing was the signal for revolt。 A mob invaded one of the conscription offices； drove off the men in charge； and set fire to the building。 In a short while； the streets were filled with dense crowds of foreignborn workmen shouting； 〃Down with the rich men；〃 and singing； 〃We'll hang Horace Greeley on a sour apple tree。〃 Houses of prominent citizens were attacked and set on fire； and several drafting offices were burned。 Many negroes who were seized were either clubbed to death or hanged to lamp posts。 Even an orphan asylum for colored children was burned。 The office of the 〃Tribune〃 was raided； gutted； and set on fire。 Finally a dispatch to Stanton； early in the night； reported that the mob had taken possession of the city。
The events of the next day were no less shocking。 The city was almost stripped of soldiers； as all available reserves had already been hurried south when Lee was advancing toward Gettysburg。 But such militia as could be mustered； with a small force of federal troops； fought the mob in the streets。 Barricades were carried by storm； blood was freely shed。 It was not； however； until the fourth day that the rebellion was finally quelled； chiefly by New York regiments； hurried north by Stantonamong them the famous Seventhwhich swept the streets with cannon。
The aftermath of the New York riots was a correspondence between Lincoln and Seymour。 The latter had demanded a suspension of the draft until the courts could decide on the constitutionality of the Conscription Act。 Lincoln refused。 With ten thousand troops n