The national Republican., 1862-01-07
Condition q the Rebel Army.
DRUNKENNESS OF THE OFFICERS AND DENoRAIrzA-
TroN OF THE MEN.

....., Cenditien Of the Rebel Arny. ='15
DRUNKENNESS OF THE oFFrcERs AND DENoRALrzA-
TroN OF THE MEN,
From the Richmond Examiner, Jan. g..
The CONDITION OF OUR ARMY.-The present
condition of our army Is . cause OF severe and
painful anxiety. The courage Of our troops Is
not abated; the eagernees for the fray Is not
RELAXED, and yet dsmoralization Is creeping iD,
we really believe, from the insane and reckless
neglect Of the Government TO sustain and 10
cultivate the spirit Of our soldiers.
There is too much drunkenness among the
officers on the Potomac, aud too much vacant
idling among the men. We are informed, az n
positive fact, that In the majority Of the army
on the Potomac the practice of regiments al
drills has fallen into complete disuse. This
alone would be sufficient to demoralze any
army In circumstances such "a ours. The drill
Is not only essential for schooling the soldier;
II fulfils other vastly important aud essential
purposes II developes and eiucates TIE
physique, fortifes the soldier against disease;
and, what is, perhaps, the most important moral
consideration Of all, gives him occupation for u
portion of bis time each day, and protects him
at least measurably, against that canker-worm
Of the army, ennni What can be predicted d
but utter Generalization for on army whose
condition is that OF tens OF thousands OF meo,
living In utter idlenets, grovelng In their tents
with no other occupation than what Is afforded
by the greasy pack Of cards that is the inevits
bic inmate Of every tent or the yellow-covered
novel, whose wretched aud perhaps filthy en-.
tertsinpent has more than once gone the
rounds Of the company.
We cannot shut our eyes to the fact that the
army Is becoming name Of terror and dread
to the minds Of our citizens. The newspapers
are still filled with advertisements OF bonusss
for substitutts," although the War DeparS
ment has adopted a rule restricting the num-
ber of su0stitutions TO one In each company.
The rates paid for substitutes are enormous y
We are iuforme that they average from two
hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars and
we have been told Of q recent instance where
fifteen hundred dollars was paid for the prompt
procurement Of substitute to take the place
OF private suddenly constrained to leave th /.
army. Evidences stare us In the face Of the
unwillingnesaDf men TO accept the life of fam
ine, dirt, and vacant idleness in the army.
Richmond is filed with soldiers, who have come
out Of the hospitals, or who have got here Oh
some pretence or other, applying for dis
charges, and striving and wrigglipg In all sorts
Of ways to get out Of the army. 1t was but u
few days ago that a soldier, discharged from
one Of the hospitals here. committed suicid.
rather than be constrained to return to TIE
army.
There Il no unwillinguess among our young
men to serve their country. There are thou
sands who would willingly 20 with their Sives
on their sleeves to battle with the enemy, and
to attest devoted and courageous patriotism
but who dread to betake themselves to the
wretched, half-fed life of dirt, vacancy, and
idleness in the camps. This is the restraint
upon volunteering. The Government will In
vain essay to remove 1t by a bounty law for
re-enlistments-the provisions Of which, by the
way, for company reorganiz iiion, has already
we understand, proved fruitful source Of in
trigue and decentralization in our army-with-
out other measures that will reach to the root
Of the evil. The authorities at Richmond may
assure Themselves that. as long as the health
of the army is neglected, and 1t Is maintained
in its dirty, sluggard condition, the drills neg
lected, the half ratons of commissaries winked
at, the rowdy'sm Of officers passed over, and
the vacancy aud ideness of "a defensive pol
icy" held out as rewards to volunteering, the
army will not be filed and replenished but
from few classes Of our people.
Why was It that, when our soldiers were
daily dying by hundreds, the Government did
not show the common humanity of the small
measure of inetituting medical commission to
examine the camps, and, II possible, check the
progress and ravages Of diseassf Why was It
shot Wheu suO 0OSSiumcut udu COuuOl Vi LQt
whole line of transportation from the Carolinss
and Louisiana to the depots at Manassas and
Centreville, and could have bought sugar In
New Orleans at three cents 1t permitted our
army to suffer for months for rice, sugar, and
olasses, aud winked at the practice OF buying
sugar from the suffers at forty cents pound !?
Why is 1t that to-day the Government recks
not what 1t reads, and tolerates habits of in
temperance among officers and the disuse Of
regimental drills in our army on the Potomac
All Of these acts Of omission and negligence,
which have contributed TO the Generalization
OF our army, might have been avoided. 1t Is
not too late to repair them.
All are firmly convinced that the reform Of
the condition OF our army with wise and firm
hand and the holding out Of rewards, not to
avsrice or idlehess, hut to the true patriotic
enthusiasm of our country in the proepect of
an active military policy and of share Of mil
itary glory, will provide the best security for
re enlistment and the most successful stimu-
liant to volunteering. We are firmly convinced
that no other measures will restore the spirit
Of the volunteers and the enthusiasm Of the
country