Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-02-05
Who are to fight the Battlesi


The Mobile (Alabama) Register, a disunon paper,
recently published an article on the formation of
volunteer companies. Speaking of several already
formed, it says:
THE ranks of these companies are recruited from
the flower of the youth of the city. They Gil posts
OF duty and responsibility in almost every depart
ment OF business and there is scarcely mercantile
house in the city whose routine of business has not
been deranged by the loss of clerk. Four have been
taken from our own Office. We FEEL doubtless, as
every merchant feels, that cannot afford to pay
salaries to clerks and give their services to the State
to the detriment of our own business. We mention
this not to begrudge the State the present service
out to illustrate. An accomplished book-keeper, for
example, whose services are worth three thousand
dollars year, is certainly too valuable and costly
man to carry musket at eight dollars per month
and ratlons. lie can serve the State better IN
civil capacity than private in the ranks; or if
duty calls him to the field, his position and his
training have fitted him to render the most efficient
service to the public as an officer
" In the event Of war; which now seems most
probable, an army must be organized by enlistment
Tor regular service, or the State must call for volun
teers Tor the war. Either plan will speedily secure
the force needed. But it will never do to expose
the bower of our youth the cream of our military
talent and spirit, en- n1dSSR, food for powder
They would fight calamity, but the laurel cLaplets
which they would hang upon the arms of the Com
iiouWedlIn WOulQ De WreatneQ WIN cypress ana
carry mourning to every family in the city. Bad
economy to make private soldiers out of our schools
for officers 1t is to destroy the of fruitful
spring. instead of taking water from the waste of the
stream supplied by it"
To which an article in the Mobile Adrertiser re-
spends as follows:
The above extract strikes US as making an un-
necessary social distinction. A keeper clerk
who gets $4,000 year, may be very nice young
man. with his kid gloves his elegant shirt, hand
some neck-tie, and perfumed handkerchief but really
cannot any reason why he would not make
as good and proper food for powder as any body
else Death levels all distinctions, and at his feet
all should be equally welcomed Why should not
nice young men die in defence of the State as well
as others? We pause for a reply. Too much in
justice is done to the most deserving, who, in
quiet and obscurity, bear the heaviest burdens of
war, and become its most numerous and most suffer
ing victims. Let war come upon us now, and its
most numerous victims will be the humble artisans,
whose fate will be mourned, not in marble halls
with oStentatous sorrow, but in the humble cottage
by wife and children, whose sorrow is sharpened by
poverty and restitution We are ready to offer our
lives freely water at the need of State but
it is cruelty chilling to hearts to be reminded
that few will mourn for our fall or sigh generous
regret that we have become food for powder We
cannot forget that ranks have always furnished,
not merely the bones and sinews of war, but also
the braveSt officers to win its victories and the wSeSt
statesmen to direct its counsels.
1.-The undersigned are now forming military
corps for the defence of the State offering themselves
as food for powder and they most earnestly hope
and justly demand that all others-clerks, book
keepers, and all, nice or otherwise-shall be with
them at the banquet of death; and they strongly
protest against any irritating distinctions in the n-
ture between and others.
THREE HUNDRED MECHANICS"