The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-06-12
The Labor OF soldiers.

s. III IL -
Edrs. Pic. VIII You grant me small
space III your columns whilst say few
words, which will endeavor to make as
brief as possible, upon the subject of an or
der which has recently issued from the War
Department.
Its text is economy and whilst will
not pretend TO deny that 1t may not have
been, in some cases, called for, yet the clos
| ing words Of the fourth paragraph" And
in their construction, as welt IN procur-
ing feel and forage, The soldiers should be
employed more than they no,c are--suggest
few reflections which | would fain make
puLlic, for the sake of difiiusDg better idea
of a subject that is butittle understood.
! have no very great fault to tinsi with the
words just quoted themselves, at least not
in the sense in which they were probably
meant, and therein make all proper allow
ance for the Secfetary's ignorance of The
manner in which the soldiers really are
worked there, where are stationed most of
them mean in Texas, New Mexico, Or
egon and California. But to the interpre-
tation which might, and will be put upon
them by others, whether by those officers Of
the Quarter Masters Department who, for
getting that they are but the mere auxilIa-
ries of the line, seem TO consider the line, on
the contrary, only made to wait upon them,
| minister TO their convenience and pride Of
place, or sul,sefve the everything interests
of their aH-important Department; or
whether by those weak commanders, whom
the echo of their own voice so alarms, when
ever moved TO give any order nvolying ex-
pense, for which they can be held account
able, that they ever prefer TO sacrifice the
rights and comforts of their men 10 the idle
fears Of this terrible accountability, which
their excited imaginatons are unceasingi.
conjuring up to them. TO this, | do nb-
liect, ard for the sufficient reason, that the
case was bad enough already, until The SOL
diers of our gallant Army have well nigh
come to be looked upon rs sort of Hetofs,
only fit 10 spill their blood in war, aud to
slave in peace. for Government. that,
when after having obstnately refused for
years. IL has Mt length reluctantly consented
TO grant them an asy lum, in which perhaps
one out OF every 500 may, one day, have
the opportunity Of resting his ages! and toll
worn bones. 1t does every individual soul
of them, however, the honor of letting him
help pay for it. fle
Now, does the country know, tina, whilst
our brave soldiers were before constantly
called upon, not only in the language Of this
order, ito procure fuel and forage, and con-
strucr such cheap and necessary barracks as
are required for their own immediate and
temporary occuration;' but also to build
permanent barracks, aud without throwing
away the muSket or the cartridge box, To-
handle yet, at the same time, the maSOn's
trowel, the carpenters rule, the painters
brush, the blacksn,th'S hammer, the labor
er's pick-axe, &c. to build roads, to load
and unload steamboats,, and, in fine, To per-
form any ami every labor which the Gov
ernneut might wish done, but for which the
Government might not be disposed. TO pay
u fair and equitable price! Does the coun-
try know, say, that with all this, and ,n,ich
more to do, when once irrevocabIy caught,
the great majority of these poor fellows
still enlisted from no other motive than one
of dislike TO work, and in the mistaken
belief that they would have no more Of it to
perform than what the operations Of cam
paisn alone entail? And yet such is the I'm
doubted fact ! To any Of your readers who
may feel inclined 10 question my assertions,
have only 10 say-s'Look "a amy recruit
ing advertisements, obey are all alike, and
the form is prescribed at Washinytoii,) and
tell ME if you see one word there about
work or, whilst such glowing picture is
r the course of his five years, word is adj
ded of the soap, the razors, the haDdker.
f chiefs, the gloves, the materials for cleaning
, his accoutrenents and mu>ket, the wash
:. bill, the tailor's bill for altering to his shape
the clothing furnished him by Government
for all of which he will himself have &c
: pay, out of his miserable pittance of 81 q
month. And tell me, too, if anything else
but such delusion, will account for the fac
of SO many respectable artisans and merriam
, les annually ernbarking upon profession
4 whose wages are scarcely one-haf of wha
the connonest lab0rer can earn, even in tht
most thickly settled portion of the States!'
! 1t is true, that Government affects a mos
, tender and parental solicitude for the inter
ests of the soltiier: officers are, for instance
|. strictly forbidden TO use them for any menia
service whatever. This is perfectly RICH
/ and proper but why should Government
itself not set the example? Why does i
alone abuse its power over the soldier, nnt
n allow of his engaging himself to it with false
1 impressions of his duties, that it may after
wards USE him, not as mcniai, but as :
STRENGTHENING him out of all just reunu.
nerafion for the service which ii exacts O
him? freely admit that there is in thes.
an afectation of granting him extra pay. bu
to what does it amount! A beggarly sis
: dola,s a month, which must cover, besides
I i l. the wear and tear of clothing Incident Il
extra labor This is ali; while the citizet
mechanics, employed 10y Government, am
" ho are neither amy inore skilIul, nor an,
: more intelligent, receive for the same task
: at which they labor, perhaps side by sid,
e with The soldier, $40, $50, $50, and eve,
$40 month 4 his is no cxaggera,inn, H.
4 me here assure You | have seen it " i'll
my own eyes aud can vouch for it.
Is it ali sirauge, then, that ,nen who fee
: themselves SO cheated and IN u>ed, shout,
be dissatisfied and murtnur, or tina: the,
- should hate the labor to which they are con
n demned, or the chain which ties them TO it
Surely not its but natural AS an illus
tration Of this, ] would mention that hav
e known men sedulously conceal, Throughout
r a whole enlistment, the trade to which the,
# had been brought up, fearful lest SOM
d chances should lead to their again having {,
n exercise il; whilst others, less fortunate
have given themselves up to drink, and nc
Itualiy studied how badly they might cen
e duct themselves, for the sole purpose of get
: !. ting thus relieved from labor which they de