Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/487

Rh should be passed, as it would sweep into the Confederate army all the militia away from State control. Mr. Foote’s views were sustained by some others in Congress, but the general course of the debate developed the disposition to coincide with the urgent request of the war department.

The bill extending the conscript liability beyond thirty-five years of age caused a very warm discussion, involving all general principles, as well as the details of the bill, bringing into permanent view the controversies which had occurred between the Confederate authorities and the executives of two or three States. The two houses disagreed and a committee of conference became necessary, which finally reported favorably to a concurrence of the House with the amendments of the Senate. The necessity, however, for a speedy enactment of the proposed extension appeared to be so great that Mr. Boteler, of Virginia, immediately after the report of the committee, called for the question in order to prevent delay by further discussion. On an appeal to him by Mr. Foote not to make the call, Mr. Boteler declared that whatever his desire might be to extend the courtesy asked for, he was now blind to everything except the welfare of his country. He had recently heard the army of Virginia appealing for reinforcements and it was now time for the eternal talk on the bill to cease. The call was sustained by the House, and the bill passed, where upon Mr. Kenan, of Georgia, moved to reconsider the vote. He said that the act prevented an adjustment that could have been made to establish peace between the State and the Confederate States. The provision stricken from the House bill was that which authorized the President to make requisition for needed troops through the governors of States. The discussion on account of the conscript law had been created chiefly by its ignoring the control of the governor over the citizen militia in the States. He believed that requisitions on the governors