The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-08-27

- I,eee Haitssa,y Hzecuss1n.

\ n,et Asal Of synpAsAy haa been exprsssei for
he ~ e ~ two men whe wers executed ssss
~ a. Asssrsaae tAeh colora and going home
w,shoss lsavs. Fer ~ iAts u these men w feel
= asspay. probably y any Others not Immediately
coaaeessd WITH them yetws can very well per-
cs,vs he sSso,uts ascesity Of making an example
~ eins q AsssvtIoa has become fsarfaiiy prov.
lsns b - array, and unless ws have dsesm'nea
% aAandoa The came altogether. must % s'oppsu
Every otAse method hes been tried IN VAIN. luz
snsAsr.nes resor,ed 10 the punishment Of des'n
v,,A sxsrsms reluctance, and nj last only because
sA>y sew that nothing else would do
II hes been said that these mon ala nothing "o's
thar what hey saw others continually dong anu
shas n vss hard to punish them alone while the"
wesS - many others guilty. We do NOS exso"y
- ,hs force Of this argument, nor can We "nasf'
ssa.d Why Il any extsnuAtion Of one mans
.~ih hat another man has been guilty likewise.-
a. c,smeacy Of the Executive has bad most
Ass.urous eject II Il Wa designed for kindpess,
Aas turned cat 70 be anything else. This Is one
a sAoss ossss In which mercy 10 the greatest
eruelsy. The absolute uscessi,y Of putting stop
% tAs practice = obvious. II u a..practice which,
more than any ether, 10 encouraged by example,
II arm stand had been taken In the beginning.
ana ~ frss man who deserted his eolors been pun
Md there would have been an end Of the thing.
Hat when the soldiers saw men desertins every
day, and brought back without being punished.
what Wa more natural than that many Of them
shouid initiate the exanplei We are aware that
this punish ment came upon these soldiers with tie
force somewhat. Of an ezpo~ Jaeso law They bad
seem 70 many 70 unpublished that they believed no
- ikalx, hat hav shOuld
conceive themselves to be doing anything very
Wnoog when they saw % many Others doing the same
ding with impunity. Yet they knew the law and
The penalty n imposed. They had no right to BE-
hsvs that they could violate 1t with impunify be-
cause Others had done %. We have heard 1t said
tAas the authorities ought to have made a proca'
NATION of their intention hereafter risidly to en-
foecs the law. Perhaps it would have been better
and ws hope. even now. It viii be done. But stu,
even u they did not do 20. there Is not man in
The army Who does not know that desertion is
punishabls with death. Should no such procla'
nation BE- made, however. 1t is now at least
well understood that the consequence Of deser.
fion will be fatal heneeforth for the rest OF
the war It willno do to trifs with this law. The
salvation Of the country depends upon its execu-
ton with the utmost fidelity. Every man who has
any conception of the fearful extent TO which the
crime Of desertion has gone, will at once be con.
WINGED Of this fact It il supererogatory to plead
the hardship of individual cases. Every man in
the ranks can with perfect truth present case full
q hazdships AL have been called to the service
Of the country at enormous sacrifices. All have
given up home, friends, every thing that makes life
desirable. VIVA. would be an excuse for one man
would b IN excuse for all. To place the question
upon individual cases 10 to dissolve the army. To
say that . man has fought calamity Is no excuse,
although man who fights calamity is not apt TO
desert The rule Is positive, absolute, irrefraebls'
II must be 70, or there can be no army.
We hope the President will take this occasion to
Issue proclamation offering pardon to all desert
era VITO will return to their colors by named day,
and distinctly declaring that he will not interfere
to prevent the death penalty in any case Of ccnvic
ton for the same offence thereafter. We hope,
too that Congress will pass some law enabling him
to get rid Of unworthy and incompetent officers.-
II Il they who are the really guilty parties in most
eases Of desertion. 1t il their criminal neglect Of
duty that occasions the entire relaxation Of disc
plins which leads to it. II there is no law to pun
sak than et ne made