DRAFT RIOTS IN NEW YORK. A bloody disturbance which took place on July 13.16, 1si;3. The pressing need for more soldiers had compelled Congress to pass a Conscription Act (Nlareh 3. IS03 I. authorizing the President to Tel the army whenever necessary by. a draft from "ail able-bodied male citizens" be tween the ages of twenty and forty•five years. Any 1117111. hONVCV(.1% might. after being drafted, procure exemption from service by (lie payment of S:300. The all was vigorously assailed as un constitutional by the opponents of the Admin istration. who also asserted that the exemption clause wa- a flimsy device for enabling the riell to 1.•ade service. Among those who adopted and proidaimed styli views was Sey mour, of New York State. who seems also to have represented the attitude of many promi nent own in New York City. On Saturday, elnlv 11. the draft without opposition. in New York at one of the r nrollmi'nt oflices in the Democratic Ninth District. On Sun day some drafted V.orkingintit, aided by a num ber of political agitators, fomented the discon tent of the populace. and organized an 011110S1 (inn to enrollment. The draft was renewed at Hi A.NI. on :Ilonclay. but the assistant provost•marshal's office was soon attacked. demolished. and burned by a furious nod.. which. after mercoming squad of police sent against it, roamed about the city, and. frenzied by excitement and drink, committed numberless outrages. The rioters. prejudiced against the negro and feeling that the draft had been occasioned by an 'abo lition war,' everywhere pursued the blacks with Unrelenting lant.a', and brutally assaulted,
tortured. and killed many. that fell into their hand-. The Colored orphan .1sylum was al l:let:ed. sacked. and burned. and the offices of the New York Tribum. one of the had upheld t he Administration. na rrowly escaped di-Inn-lion. (in Tuesday the mobs, in creased in number. continued to pillage, sack, burn, and kill. thought in many distriets they \\ere sharply repulsed and partially dispersed by the police and militia. On Wednesday, the 15th, the assistant provost-ma•-had-general an nounced that the draft would be temporarily sits petaled, and militia regiments, arriving from Pennsylvania. rendered efficient service against the molls. Large militia reinforcements arrived on the following day, and. though isolated bodies of rioters -till defied the law, order was soon restored throughout the city. Before Fri day morning the uprising had been thoroughly suppressed. It is estimated that during these font- days more than 1000 men hail been killed. and proia.rty valued at over $1„100.000 had been destroyed.
On A 111111•A 19111 the draft was resumed, and it was completed. without further resistance. with in ten days. Consult ofli'eM/ ll, vol. xxvii.. part ii. (Washington. ISSP) : Fry. New York and the conscription of 1863 (New York, 1gti'51: Barnes, Tin Draft Riots in Neic York ( New Vork. Nicolay and Hay. Lincoln, sots vii. (New York. IS00). and Greeley, The .4 conflict. vd. H. (Hartford. 18110.