The Union Commutation Fee

 

 

                During the Civil War, the search for manpower was a constant source of struggle for both sides. Both the North and the South eventually began using a draft in order to get enough soldiers to fight in the war for them. The North’s draft had a way in which a draftee could get out of going to the war which was called a commutation fee. This fee allowed anyone that could pay the Union 300 dollars could avoid being drafted. Obviously this was a controversial idea and some people supported it while others were against it.

                 In an anonymous letter named “A Rioter Condemns the $300 Commutation Fee”, attacks this fee. Supposedly it was written by a person who participated in the draft riots. The anonymous writer attacks the fee and states that it is an instrument of class privilege (p. 187). The author believed it was an instrument of class warfare because only the rich people in the North could afford to avoid being drafted. As the author states, “We are the poor rabble, and the rich rabble is our enemy by this law” (p. 187). The writer goes on to say that he will continue to riot against the draft as long as this fee is kept in place.

                The opposite side of this viewpoint is shown in the article, “The New York Evening Post Defends the $300 Commutation Fee”. This article defends the fee and states that the law should be retained (p. 188). This article states that the Union needs this fee or else they will have to send every man to the frontlines. The article believes that some people in the Union could pay the fee and in turn it would keep Union society intact. If this fee was not in existence every man would be susceptible to going to the frontlines. If that happened, the middle and upper class driven Northern economy would not be able to function.