Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-12-11
The Semi Weekiy STANDARD.
RALEIGH: WEDNESDAY, DEC. IL, 1861.
TREATMENT OF VOLUNTEERS.


are inseparabie from the nature Of the service We
speak not Of the risks Of the field the absence from
home and family depressing to even the manifest
spirits or those privations and discomforts Of the
camp which our volunteers have borne with such |
patience But there are other calls upon their
spirit OF endurance, the drudgery and manual la
bour so often necessary, the tedium of sickness,
medical neglect, Iannoyances from business to say
nothing of the yoke Of discipline, so hard to be |
borne by men Of tone and spirit. Most of all of
these trials, the discipline and obedience which is
the soul of an army, and especially the hazards of
battle, were foreseen by our brave men when they
enlisted. They were willing to pay this price to
win freedom and repel the invader from their
hearths. They have so far endured everything
without murmur They know that to be good
soldier should not grumble at occasional pri-
vations. When they went to the wars they did not
count on having French brandy, Champagne wine,
the luxuries of the season. and sofa to fall back
upon after such daily repast. They quite will
Ing to rough it for time, and enjoy their good
things after they have whipped the enemy.
Such is the temper of the soldiers. But this spirit
should not be practiced upon. Every effort that in
elligence and administrative skill can devise should
oe resorted to in order to place the supplies of the
army upon such footing that its essential wants
shall be in the main adequately met and provided
for Brigadiers, Coonels, Majors, Commissaries,
Quartermasters and Surgeons should not be above
attending to their business, and this business in
So!ves moderate amount of attention to the health
md comfort of the men-something of much more
importance than personal display the gratfca-
lion of their idle or dissipated propenstes l. is
!amentable to consider how much of the safety and
happiness Of the heroes, whose lives are staked on
our cause, is dependent, in many instances, upon
he conduct and efficiency of men who hold the
rank of officers, but who beyond the attribute of
personal courage, and perhaps slight knowledge of
the drill have not the first qualification for their i'm
portant trusts For these things the soldiers have
often to thank themselves or it may be- some worth
less Governor, who stepped in hate and vulgar par
tizanshIp, made his appointments upon avowed
disregard of qualifications.
But yet another point remains where something
is due to the soldiers. We refer to the too common
practice of roughness to the men in giving orders,
and this may be extended to the of all official
insolence from superior to an inferior officer This
practice is by far too common in the army. Advan-
tage is taken Of their rank by men destitute Of all
magnanimty and frequently without any other good
quality, to practice impertinence to the men or OIL
GERS under them. Now, in the ranks of onr brave
army there are numbers of gallant gentlemen, who
have abandoned everything to serve their country,
and who have every Claim. as gentlemen, to decent
and polite consideration In very many cases they
the equals superiors of their officers socially,
morally and intellectually. They are not fighting
for pay for fame but from sense of duty to the
soil which gave them birth. and the individual who
could wantonly insult such men under the shelter
Of his rank and the law of the camp, by harsh
language or an overbeari9g manner is brute and
q coward. &c.,. --.... PSI. ..
Without dsparagement to the great body of Off
GERS, the large majority of whom, sure, would
not stoop to the things we have mentioned, and
whose gallantry on every field We proud to rec
ognize, we may be permitted to say that our SYM
pathies in this go with the privates. Our heart
warns to those noble fellows in ragged uniform and
4 i
ing every privation, doing the work ard the fight
ing. With them it is all pure sense Of duty and
love Of country. They have no other motive than
patriotism. They do not figure in the newspapers,
They have no kind correspondent to chronicle their
exploits. On the contrary, they are but too happy
when they get bit of pencil, or sheet of paper,
to write to the loved ones at home The results of
their labour accrue to the officer. They make the
charge in battle which takes the battery, and then
the officer takes the credit. ..... s.- sya.a.
The case of the officers is altogether different
Their hardships ordinarily are not great They can
| command Eany luxuries and comforts which are
beyond the reach Of the privates They rarely suf-
fer for necessaries. Promotion is open to them
| Fame lures them on to noble deeds. Honour and
an elevated position, the Office of command renders
it impossible for them to be otherwise than brave
| the field They have liberal pay, preventing all
disouiet as to the condition of their families and a
ter the war; can look forward to positions of civil
| trust and prelerment Others, again, may have .
lifspositon in the army. Now, while we believe
that many of these actuated by the loftiest
tives which inpel human conduct it is impossible
to assign them the same need of praise for self,
abnegation as that which belongs to the volunteer
| in the ranks. ,..,. .,l r. ,t,s .r, :; rgr
! For these and many other reasons do We repro
bate the too common habit in the camps Of giving
orders to the soldiers in harsh or offensive man
ner Such conduct is pure tyranny. 1t adds moth
ing to the force of the order not does it at all in
spre greater alacrity to obey. The proper orders
Of military life the necessary intercourse Of superior
with inferior in rank may always be conducted with
courtesy. A deviation from it shows the same vici.
ous style in an officer does the practice of swear
ing in common conversation. Emphasis is not
gained BY it 1t is noticeable that this oyerbearng
temper Is rarely displayed by the graduates Of West
Point and the officers Of the old army in our service
They have been brought up in q dfernt school, and
too as to their positions to feel necessary
. 10 rreOrf "A t,rarftr.a eAr,fant