Mennonites in the World War: Non-Resistance Under Test - Jonas Smucker Hartzler

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prayer and supplication. Through some of the officers of the Confederate government who knew something about the Mennonites and their religious principles, a law was passed which gave them exemption. L. J. Heatwole says, "This bill provided that all people professing the peace doctrine as a part of their religion … residing within the Confederate States would be exempt from military duty on conditions that each male member of such religious body who was subject to bear arms, should pay into the treasury the sum of five hundred dollars." This was paid, "and all the brethren liberated from their confinement." In 1864 the word came that the Confederate government had repealed her exemption laws, and that all able-bodied men between the ages of seventeen and sixty should at once report for service. Many went into hiding again and some made their way to the northern states.

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      In none of the other Southern States did so many Mennonites live as in Virginia, and by far the greater number of them lived in the Shenandoah Valley. The soil is fertile and many of the farmers were quite prosperous. Both armies looked toward this valley for part of their supplies and in order that the South could not get any more from here the Federals decided to destroy all the food in sight in the valley. Another quotation from Bro. Heatwole express it very graphically: Then to cap the climax, there came the never-to-be-forgotten Sheridan's Raid. … From the evening of October 6th, to the morning of the 8th nearly all the barns and mills … were set on fire in that part of Rockingham county where the Mennonites were located."

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      The next day after the fall of Fort Sumpter, President Lincoln called for seventy-five thousand men to serve three months. Many of the people in the North expected that the war would be over in a month or two. Instead of that it lasted four years. So long as he simply called for volunteers the nonresistant people kept quiet and there was no trouble ; but drafts were frequently made, calling for a certain number of men from each state. These were apportioned out to counties and townships.

      For a certain amount of money a Whole township could be bought off. T his was frequently done, and in this the Mennonites did their full share. Substitutes could often be gotten. Some men paid a thousand dollars to have some one else to take their place. People who had conscientious scruples against war and could satisfy the recruiting officer that they were members in good standing in a non-resistant organization and lived as well as believed the doctrine could be exempt by the payment of a fine of from two to six hundred dollars each, but that only freed them until the next draft when they were liable to be drafted again.

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      One illustration will show some of the methods used by the examining boards in testing the sincerity of those who claimed a right to exemption: A young man came to such an office with a view of proving his rights to such exemption. When he came up to the desk and stated wlhat he wanted he was told that the officer who had that part to look after was out, but that he would be back soon, and pointing to a desk his informant said, "When you see a man come in and sit down at that desk yonder, then go and tell him what you want." The young man sat down on a long seat provided for those who were compelled to wait. Soon another man came in and went up to a desk, but was told that he too should be seated. He sat down near the young man and the following conversation took place :

      Young man. "Well, are you here about the draft too?"

      Farmer. "Yes, and I can hardly go on account of conditions at home, but I suppose when they get a person's name on the list there is no such thing as getting excused. He simply must go."

      Y. M. "I m expecting to get off."

      F. "You are? Please tell me how you are going to do it. Possibly I can get off the same way."

      Y. M. "I am conscientious."

      F._ "What do you mean by that? Who ever heard of sudh a thing?"

      Y. M. "Well, I believe it is wrong to fight. All war is wrong."

      F. "Well, how peculiar. Then, too, I have crops out and no one to take care of them."

      Y. M. "Can't you get off on that?"

      F. No, I tried, but it seems to do no good. Then what makes it harder for me to go, I have a neighbor who is very angry with me about a line fence, and I wanted to reason with him about it, but he began to curse me and call me all kinds of names. I was sorry and angry at the same time. What would you do if a man would talk that way to you? He is just as mean as he can be."

      Y. M. (Much interested, and forgetting himself) "Ha, I d slap him too quick."

      The farmer lifted his coat and said, "Young man, you see that star? Your conscientiousness is not very deep. Come with me; you can fight, all right. The young man had to go.

      Then, as in the late war, there were "slackers" who tried to hide under the cloak of religion, but many, like this man, were caught at it and made to do military service. The imposters usually do not gain what they hope to, but they surely make the road harder for the genuine.

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      After the young men had met the examining board and proven to them that they were sincere there was still another problem for them to face. Many of them were poor and could not pay the fine. But the Church stood together, and in all such cases furnished the necessary amount for their brethren. They sought to follow the teachings of Holy Writ, "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it."

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      These trials brought the Church very close to gether. Old and young were knit together as one man. The young appreciated the help of the older and the older appreciated the attitude of the young. Trials from without can not greatly harm if there is the right spirit within. In some communities there was much ill feeling because of these exemptions. There were those who did not want to go to war, and who even believed that war was wrong, but they were not members of any Church which held nonresistance as a tenet of their creed. They felt that it was unjust to grant such privileges to some and not to others. Mobs were not an uncommon thing, and in a few localities there was some blood shed. Nonresistance costs ; sometimes the price is exorbitant, but, "There is no man that hath left houses … for my sake and the Gospel's but shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses … with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."

      A (hort and fincere DECLARATION,

      To our Honorable AflemMy, and afl others in high or low Station of Admi*

      niftratioJh and to all Friends and Inhabitants of this Country> to whofc

      Sight this may come, be they ENGLISH or GERMANS.

      the firft Place we acknowledge us indebted to the mod high Goo, who created Heaven and Earth, the only good Being, to thank him for all his great Goodneft and manifold Mercies and Love through our Saviour JESUS CHRIST, who is coma to five the Souls of Men, having all Power in Heaven and on Earth.

      further we find ourfelves indebted to be thankfull to oar late worthy Affembly, for- their giving (b good an Advice In thefe troublefome Times to all Ranks of People in P&mfil- vanuty

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