Indeed, The Spanish Amrerican War was a "splendid little war." The operative word here being little. The yellow press did such a good job of stirring up emotions, no draft was needed. This is true of all the little, non declared excursions or military adventures we have had.

But I must differ with you on the Revolutionary War. This was a war in which the British couldn't get enough volunteers to fight so they had to hire Hessian mercenaries to augment their forces.

The American forces were made up of both regular army and militia. George Washington himself asked for a national draft and was refused by the Continental Congress. The individual states responded by committing to quotas with their militias. Impressment was used on the seas of course, and also to fill quotas. It was estimated a 15% "conscription" rate. The difference between conscription and draft is soley one of semantics. The term of enlistment was only one year. Many were threatened with execution for desertion if they attempted to leave even after their term was up. Hardly strictly voluntary. This was not a popular war and coercion was required to get troops but in this case it was applied by the states to supply militia.

As to the War of 1812, this again was mostly a militia war--at least the successful part under Andy Jackson. Many leaders in this war paid the troops out of their own pockets.. President Madison asked Congress for a national draft and the measure was defeated by the New England states led by Daniel Webster. New England mostly sat out this war and were actively considering leaving the Union and forming their own separate country. The other states, led by New York in the North and Tenn. in the South pledged "volunteers" and sent militia complete with leadership. It is quite argueable as to the forms of pressure the states applied to fill their pledges.

The national draft started with the Confederate draft of 1862. The North followed shortly after. Incidentally, the Union Army had a commutation fee of $300. by which a man could buy his way out of the service.

Whether you call it a draft or conscription or impressment it is all the same--involuntary service asked for by the men who wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The denials of congresses in both cases were based more on the concept of States Rights than on the violation of individual rights.

Larry. I recognize you are mostly right, and I have written this not to dispute you , but to throw a little light on my hasty generalization.