of being assailed without a notice of the evidence, I admit I feel injured by the tone of your dispatch and simply say, Audi alteram partem.

On the 21st of October you announced that the quota of this State under last call of the President was 27,930, but as the State had previous to that time furnished an excess of 8,151 the balance of our quota was 19,799, subject to any further reduction for troops not credited.

This excess of 8,151, I suppose, was founded upon the following debits and credits:

Calls of 1861........................................... 47,785

Call of July, 1862.......................... 26,148

Call of August, 1863, equivalent to......... 6,537

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32,685

Calls of 1863, for draft.................... 36,700

Call of 1863................................ 27,930

64,630

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Total...................................................145,100

The State had been credited with........................125,321

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Leaving balance as above of............................. 19,779

A proclamation of the Governor calling on our people again to rally to the defense of their Government,and a general order from this department announcing our quota and the present regulations of the recruiting service and premiums and bounties offered to volunteers, were immediately issued. To avoid discouragement the people were assured that the large balance against us would probably be reduced by additional credits of a few thousand, so that by vigorous efforts our quota might be raised and the State saved from a draft. Recruiting agents were appointed by you, recruiting details ordered from regiments in the field, and the machinery set in motion (and yet the returns of the provost- marshal of the State show that but 134 recruits were received in October and 408 in November).

Private appeals were made by letter and in person to our people and press to wake them up to the danger and disgrace of a draft, and yet, with very few exceptions, they were as silent as the grave.

The leading Democratic organ in Chicago, the Times, and the leading Republican organ, the Tribune, for once agreed and would do nothing. Though influenced by different motives, their influence was precisely alike, and until they spoke the county papers were silent. Both concluded the quota could not be raised and both refused to act. I labored hard to get the Tribune to speak out, and for that purpose had personal interviews with the editors, and, showing them privately my estimates of the probable balance against us, insisted we could fill our quota without destroying the loyal party of the State; but until I could give them official evidence that our quota would be reduced by additional credits and brought within our power they would not act.

In the meantime my rolls were overhauled, information sought from the field, a settlement commenced with Missouri in July hurried forward, and finally, about the 1st of December, additional credits to the amount of 10,947 in our own regiments and 3,129 in Missouri regiments were secured, thus reducing the balance of our quota from 19,779 to 5,703. Still, so slow had been the recruiting that it was even doubtful whether that number could be realized unless our press would alarm the people.