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THE COUNTRYMAN.
uot as militia, but as individuals, liable,
under other circumstances, to act as militia
—to do milita duty. Yet who would con
tend that only the States had the right to
officer these men ? No one. Then if the
Central government sees fit, instead of wait
ing for its citizens to volunteer, or enlist—if it
sees fit to conscribe them, who can say that
only the States have the right to officer
them ? It does not call out the militia as
such, though it conscribes citizens subject
to do militia duty—as it conscribes citizens
subject to do jury duty, patrol duty, and
road duty. It does not follow, though,
that the government, on that account, has
a huge panne! of jurors, who have a right
to select their own foreman—nor a huge
body of patrols, whose captain is to be ap
pointed hy a Justice of the Peace or com
missioners—nor a tremendous corps of
road hands, whoso overseer is to he appoint
ed by the same commissioners. They are
uot called out as jurors, patrols, nor road
hands, but as soldiers. And yet they are
subject, at other times, and under other cir
cumstances,to act iu all these capacities. And
so it is when congress calls out conscripts.
These conscripts are liable to do militia du
ty, it is true : but they are not called out as
militia men, but as soldiers of anothei class
of service.
The right of the Confederate govern
ment to conscribe its citizens does not arise
from the constitution alone. That con*
fers the power to raise armies,” but does
not say how they are to be raised. And
in exercising the power thus conferred up
on it, the Confederate government is
obliged to fall hack upon the right which
all governments have to the military ser
vice of their citizens, or subjects. And all
those citizens, or subjects, who are able to
bear arms, without regard to age, are sub
ject to this right. Government has a right
to call its men to the field, even to the age
of sixty, or beyond that age if they are
able to bear arms. Can a man avoid this
service, because he happens to be within
ihe ages of those whom the States choose
to call militia 1 If the Confederate States
do constitute a government (and we have
tried very hard to convince foreign nations
that they do) then this government has the
right inherent in all governments, of com
manding the military service of its citizens.
And the fact that these citizens are sub
ject to militia duty in the respective States,
does not bar this right.
So much for the Conscription Act, upon
which we have dwelt much longer than we
had intended.
In addition to this, it may be said that
congress of course considered the Act con
stitutional, or they would not have passed
it. Our Georgia legislature refused to de
clare it unconstitutional; our State Su
preme Court has decided it constitutional ;
our people have failed to pronounce it uncon
stitutional ; and as it is the settled policy of
the whole country, we regret to see Gen,
Toombs, or any one else, declare against
its policj or constitutionality. We see no
good to come of it, but evil, and evil only
ft *
About Guns.
“The query put by an ‘Admirer of the
Field,’ why the charge of powder should
be decreased for large shot, is one doubt
less of interest to many of your readers.
All projectiles, or other bodies in motion,
possess the power of continuing that mo
tion in proportion to their weight, irrespect
ively of their rate of speed. A light ball,
going rapidly, may he safely caught by
the hand. Acricket ball of greater weight,
going at the same speed, may yet be caught,
and the hand remain uninjured by the knack
of yielding to the concussion, as all crick
eters practice. A cannonball of the same
size, going only at the same speed, would
cut off the hand placed in its way, and pro
ceed almost unimpeded on its course. How
often have we read of soldiers losing a foot
by trying to stop an apparently spent can
non ball! This property of retaining speed
is called momentum.
A pellet of No. 3 shot is about double
the weight of one of No. 7, and, in conse
quence, possesses this momentum in a
much greater degree. No. 6 kills by great
velocity, but rapidly loses that velocity,
and must consequently he started at a very
rapid rate. No. 3, and consequently all
larger sizes, in a still larger ratio, do not
require the same rate of starting to kill at
the same, or even greater distance. They
maintain their speed longer, and have
more weight and force when thej do strike.
A heavy charge ©f powder causes guns to
scatter, by developing in a greater degree
the tendency of shot to fly obliquely
through inequalities in shape and density.
The smaller the charge of powder, the
better, and more regulrarly the gun will
shoot, and retain more central pellets. Al
most any gun will show a good target by
using a small charge of powder, but the
strength is wanting. A perfect gun is one
that combines this correctness with force,
and ifc- is this combination which forms a
long range gun.
An ounce and a quarter of No. 6 shot
(No. 5 never liked, but this may be a mis
taken prejudice) contain about 350 pellets.
An ounce and three quarters of No. 3 con
tain about 230 pellets. Here the addition
al half ounce still leaves a deficiency of
no less than 120 pellets, and were this not
met by some counter plan to keep the shot
from spreading, the chance of hitting at a
long range would be very small indeed.
The diminished charge of powder is the
counter plan, and the momentum of the
heavier shot makes up the necessary power
to kill. The tendency of the gun to scatter
with a heavy charge of powder is, on
the other hand, compensated by No. 6 hav
ing so large a number of pellets. Let it be
noticed however, that one pellet of No. 3
will be as destructive as two of No. 6 : yet
the lattei is the preferable size for all com
mon shooting, being effective from snipe to
hares. To illustrate this still further : Sup
pose the size of the shot increased, and the
number of pellets consequently diminished
until you reach the unit—a ball the diam
eter of the barrel: then one-fourth of a
drachm of powder will be found to send it
further than three drachms will send the
game weight of No. 6. I write of the charge
suitable for fowling pieces of average size
and weight.”
“Pace, Richmond, Va.—‘ 1. Do you
think it injurious for boys of fifteen years
old to smoke ? 2. At what age should
boys commence smoking V—1. It is not
only injurious and unbecoming for boys to
smoke, but it is an indication of bad breed
ing, and evil associations, and corrupt hab
its. 2. Not until they arrive at man’s es
tate, for there is nothing more unmannerly
than to sec a lad in his teens with a big ci
gar in his mouth, steaming and puffing like
a young locomotive.”
The foregoing is from the “ gossip col
umn ” of the F. & F. Wilt thee tell us,
friend Atkinson, what physiological change
the constitution undergoes upon its attain
ment to manhood, which renders inocu*
ous to the man’s body that which is so
hurtful to the boy’s 1 Wilt thee tell us,
also, friend Atkinson, what change takes
place in the moral constitution of the man
which makes it manners in him to smoke,
while smoking is ill-manners in the boy ?
T. S. S., Subligno, Chattooga, Co., Ga.
—Your Si 50 has been received, and $1 25
put to your credit. Your other quarter (not
current here) is subject to your order.
“To remove the stains on silver spoons,
caused by using them for boiled eggs, take
a little common salt between the thumb
and finger, and briskly rub the stain, which
will soon disappear.”