already in the field over 420,000 new troops, of which 399,000 are volunteers, 332,000 of whom have volunteered for three years or during the war. It will be remembered that the call was made at one of those periods of despondency which occur in every national struggle. A chief hope of those who set the rebellion on foot was for aid and comfort from disloyal sympathizers in the Northern States, whose efforts were relied upon to divide and distract the people of the North, and prevent them from putting forth their whole strength to preserve the national existence. The call for volunteers and a draft of the militia afforded an occasion for disloyal persons to accomplish their evil purpose by discouraging enlistments and encouraging opposition to the war and the draft of soldiers to carry it on.

Anxiety was felt in some States at the probable success of these disloyal practices, and the Government was urged to adopt measures of protection by temporary restraint of those engaged in these hostile acts. To that end provost-marshals were appointed in some of the States, upon the nomination of their Governors, to act under the direction of the State Executive, and the writ of habeas corpus was suspended by your order. By the order of the Department arrests were forbidden unless authorized by the State Executive or by the judge-advocate. Some instances of unauthorized arrests have occurred, but when brought to the notice of the Department the parties have been immediately discharged. By a recent order all persons arrested for discouraging enlistments or for disloyal practices, in States where the quotas of volunteers and militia are filled up, have been released. Other persons, arrested by military commanders and sent from departments where their presence was deemed dangerous to the public safety, have been discharged upon parole to be of good behavior and do no act of hostility against the Government of the United States. While military arrests of disloyal persons form the subject of complaint in some States, the discharge of such persons is complained of in other States. It has been the aim of the Department to avoid any encroachment upon individual rights, as far as might be consistent with public safety and the preservation of the Government. But reflecting minds will perceive that no greater encouragement can be given to the enemy, no more dangerous act of hostility can be perpetrated in this war, than efforts to prevent recruiting and enlistments for the armies, upon whose strength national existence depends. The expectations of the rebel leaders and their sympathizers in loyal States that the call for volunteers would not be answered, and that the draft could not be enforced, have failed, and nothing is left but to clamor at the means by which their hopes were frustrated, and to strive to disarm the Government in future, if, in the chances of war, another occasion for increasing the military force should arise.

Beside aiding State authorities respecting the draft and enlistments, another important duty is assigned to the provost- marshals. The army returns and the report of the General-in- Chief show that a large number of officers and enlisted soldiers, who are drawing pay and rations, are improperly absent from their posts. The pursuit of such persons and their compulsory return to duty is a necessary function of a provost-marshal, and such number only as may be required for that purpose will be retained in the service. The pay and bounty allowed by act of Congress to recruits have afforded strong temptation to practice fraud upon the Government by false returns on muster-rolls and false charges for subsistence. Diligent efforts are being made for the detection of all such practices, and to bring the guilty