Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-05-07
Attention Volunteers,

Tie Mobile Tribune publishes letter written by gen
tenan Of Alabama to his son. young volunteer which
contains so much good advice to young soldiers that
sopy the greater portion Of it. The letter said to have
been written by one Of the first of Alabama. We
earnestly commend its counsel to the volunteers of Vr
| ginia-as follows:
In the first place then, my son, when soldier shos
ders his rs uLder the flag OF his country he must sur
render TO that country mis- will his whins tastes fan
sies aud preiudses AID the fEst highest and most sol
smn daty he that couusTy Is the most implicit
and prompt obedience to the orders OF his superior oh
GERS Di,obedienca even in matters of minor gravity
frequently foreits hfe II an order is issued that
be the end OF enquiry The success OK battle or cam
paga NAV depend upon the concealment OF the pur-
poses of the command and may become necessary TO
sunsh with death omission to observe that which may
seem TO be very unimportsn order to the soldier who
does not understand II.
Napoaon once issued an order that the lights OF the
camp must be extiuguished at o'clock, AID on seeing
lgkt sSrnsg in tse tent Of officer, alter that hour
had elapsed he repaired Athsr in person, and eatered
the tent lust the officer had finished writing his wife
rame OR the back OF letter he had wsen 10 her. he
told the Emperor he bad ssconscisusly violated the law
{. y for osa moment and done in the eahusiasn
OF af.chos, with which he had been overcome by
thoughts of home. "UUseal that letter, said the En-.
peror land wpite as dstate." The officer obeyed
and wrote as follows "P s. die tomorrow morning
e ingashing the light in my tent at the precise time
| was commanded to do It..
That decision nav have seemed savage and barbarou.
but when yosr intellect shall have matured to the
preasn.oA OF how much depends upon subOrdinaton
and a rigid adherence the laws OF the camp you will
see that Napoleon esuld only be just to the thousands
of lives under his by assuming the appearance OF
sraelty TO this oAs delinquent
Obedience is Aot servty il is duty. 1t IS therefore
not eorardg but honorable. The camp no place for
tIa CON-, of he win nd
preverbay blunt therefore, do not imagine il an ecer
speaks sharpy yOu that he wants 10 Insult you
browbsat you; and, ny dear son, yeu value your
happiness and usefulness do not beg oil yos, Sen to
the scandal Of attlng gobetWesns, or allow yoar feel
mEs TO become prejusced either against officer or
feow soldiers by anything that may ss said to you
sgans, them in their absence That is foe TO
yoar csHstry uhs attempts 70 SOW dssensos between
brOhcr soldiers shake ths confidence OF the arny in
il, Officers sGd II he IL inCsAsderate aad malIgsaa
enssgh to select sack holy spot the bivoas for such
Iaut'e he must be too base 70 speak The truth and
YOU will only be metng out 10 HIN biz jast deserts 10
give 10 place OF your respect aud couhdSace, your de-
ris.ou aEs scorn. Nothing can make me mere happy,
NV dear son than know that, Young yOu are ysu
Joy the and conf ieucs OF your brave comrades
ia .rua; AID therefore you against that common
i.cit OF the volunteer soldiers 20 wit; mnrmuring-
Never muJmur, my dear son a. anything /. the sfst
Lace it i manly; in the second place 1t from
su those wbs else psght love aud Gavs 10 you; in
nsb 81 CrGHy out OF men, who but for this pTopen
sity might have been much happier themselves and
been tie Of happiness in the very ranks IL which
their puer.ls complaints Must breed discomfort. Be-
cheerful nv brave boy, aud it will make your officers
love vcu Ii is not pleasure excursion you on and
yea must not expect that uxures will fall in showers
.lonr your pit1 TIL, soldiers Washing marched
bar. footed the froz ground with the blood pour
ug from the gihes in their feet They bayed the ter
r0r5 Of Northern winter only half clad, aud won au
r., that flourish in perennial yerdure, while the
Cob, and Vandas who invade Us from the North with
me excaeqQer Of mighty government to provide fer
heir comfort will have BEEN in charity forever forgot
ten.
There is but one issue between Lincoln5 Government
and Ours We assert that fathers to secure
u, Independence and freedom lie and his Cabinet hold
that they only meant TO make u the slaves Of parc-
meut instead OF the subjects OF George the Third. You
then, my son, Citing % assert that State is
ersiguy ard a citizen is free man; and you fight
ing those who guilty Of the paTadoxical folly of in
els ing that the negroes of the South ought to be abb
-outcly free and that the whole people Of the South
ought TO be held in political slavery The sovereg
of State is like the liberty Of individual insiiens
BILE and fathers never possessed the inclination, or
posr 20 dissobe themselves of their personal liberty or
their State Governments Of their Inherent sovereignty
Aud the flag under which you gh, is essentially the
y OF human r edo. ANA oaHse the of human
liberty. our fathers supposed t1e Tag under which,
aud the cause for which, they fought the dag aud
cause Of independence.
Lincoln ard his Cabinet seek ignore the great prin-
cple of selfgovernsert. Taey say tia the people
when phey please and alter the government
If they choose. let they saia tAt the Representatives
Of k' pespo in Congress assembled have the power
do that WHICH they doem the people themselves have not
the poEer do. Ii amounts to tSs then my son. that
have r,on in day and geheratiOn who s,ek to
make the dosnas OF fana, cal party hs Of
happy country and 20 eonsummate their foul designs
usblushpgy violate all the laws OF logic humanity, pro-
p'icty and deencT usually respected amongst the civil
lied nations oil the EARTH seeking TO do justice between
mau and man, and uphodius the Government to which
Jhey owe their loyalty.
May God bless you, ny noble boy is the prayer that
perpa;usly ascending from the lips Of your angel moth.
sr and perpetuay burning il the heart your affection
ate father. D.