Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-16
RICHMOND WHIG.
TIE ARMY QUESTION.

gau'yng reant IN the large NUMBER OF volunteers who
have rushsd tbe rescue aud who have made sacrifices
for hs geod of tho whole oouatry such Volunteers
alone VIII bake. have observed the farther fac. deyel
oosd tha The volunteer forces Of Virginia in their full
strength nov in the fsld and tia; those who arc
not Ia service in the nail Of class who wait H.,
!lw Coz POI them to do their duty have observed
likewise boh tao doings OF our law makers and the sug
gesoas Of Press which together are in some sort
the exponent OF the popular wiki These considered
ask place for ssa Considerations on tho "situaiion."
From what has been done by the Convention and sug
ges:ed by the meditaed IL Justice to the volunteers
s palplba and dseonent and demOralz stion seem ue
visb!e il the lie slAture long delay in coming to tho
re,cu5. Having erved his country yesr at his own
optiol uads III whcl address, ID itself all others
with nueh authority himself the volunteer can
/ no. ur s,aud why the State should suddenly gcow
jou5 al Of he patriotism and, ins cad of recogniz
/ ing and applauding the spirit which prompted
him voluntarily Co do this much, sppy TO him
the requirement hch has become necessary to
the services OF the backward and the rocresnt lie
eels that She State csuno without justice, say that he
who has been Ehfa in the first grea. exgenoy of his
country w.boa. eoastrain will be recreaEt in any sub
s,quen emergency, vhs. he ia left free, and his
I
him oace embark IL the service of his country &
c,.feo which canact be mod, by any wtO may here
after engage in il. His summons found him wholly
prepare l-bu,iness, ifnly, all the concerns OF his
hone-ocs supa,oa, were dismissed with scarcely mo.
melt in cases, o.Povde against serious loss, or
or tue necessary o; his family for the space Of
o7e, much less twelve monthA In volunteering he
simply gave expression 10 the convictions and impulses
OF bis mind and hear and sood prepared to accord
ike convictions and like impulses every citizen SIM
ilary situated with himself, and eIPec; that in cue
lime he too would respond to the same high appeal IN
behalf Of his couatry which had called him TO the sl.
Is {, lie fAu ths; the bsnefciry OF his toll
sacrifices wlhots his hand, when jus ice and pa.
lriotism llIo command him to to his brothers
rlei2 Is The vclaaeers DISAPPOINTMENT remarkable, is
his ss'oashnent marvel when be bis fel,ov.ci
awaiting the compulsory process of Lac to summon
him duty, aud the Lsislicrs delaying action, with
no otes as far b, jldged, bat to posi-
ton from which they may Offer the plea OF want OF time
and thus compel the volunteers continue in service
endure the odilm OF hayug ief it at q critical period
the fortunes Of The colnIry Sir, it is quite time hat
our people aud our las nskers had regard
0; the miguuie Of that in which engaged, with
it, prospective gigantic Prop'rtio;s the serious thing
stich H. and realize the fac: that IL i. continue
II nov promises Virginia viii Ttqlire in the field this
year, no. o0ly militia force equal to the volunteer
orcs now In the service, but every volunteer wfo
be secured teSdes and it is both idle and criminal for
the Legislature 70 be delaying aud hesitatiug ab3ut
natter in regard 10 which justice, policy, and necessity
in requiring immediate steps be .akeno place
upon the back of every sble-bcdcd mau 10 the Com.
mouvealh that burden -hieh, in the dis Fibuon CT he
barders Of tho State, belongs TO him, and which no
o.ter sto1d be allowed 10 carry for hin. What legis.
aor would dare incur the odum Of an Cpac.men. upO.
sing uu,qut aSs,ioa upon property oqull il value ard
Of Ike character, held by two elow-cidzsHs To- the
support Of common goyerDrent? More earnestly /
ssk what legislator sill dare by ensctmeuL to make
DISCRIMINATION in the enforcement. Of tho duty OF every
permanent ctz'n 20 bear arms in the service Of his
country and compel enc man TO take up arms because
he is willing and abl ard excuse another because he g
able but unwilling? Isis TO DC expected that our legis.
Ia ors viii be shy I'D iolih stir rcm their beds
their dear tosstutus whCs- voice the polls is so sig.
n6caut tu. may il not o. well for them to reflect that
there is aloh5r po4cr in the State witch Says thm
1--WE are doing our dGy; geo 10 it that you do yours'
Again sir. this iria7tce to the volunteers not
70 have bseu couincd to the law makers. have oh.
served that the press Of Richmond in part at least has
boeu strangely prone to expect, in spike Of discourage
mer.s and iusice that the volunteers viii continue 20
struggle or unliiej lsst porcaanCe, their patriotism
nigh. be doubted, aud becarsa, forsootb, they have
homes and Interests 10 dct'nd and protect, well
other peoplcl Shame upon press, which, in trying
hour like the present elai the services Of the. will
ing and urge them by app,a!s TO pride and shame to
make double sacrifices in where all are equally
interested and yet fud sCourge for the creatures who
no, ouly have not patriotism enough 20 urge th,m
raise fngcr in defence of home or country, but Who
from day to day, seekipg device by which to
gather up tho pennies distributed to the necessities Of
the volunteer and his family Shall these lsst "a. bread
in comfort and pcsoe whilst my family s.aryirg?-
She! they prosper IL business, and continue to do So
without limit, whilst mine has gone 10 wreck by my ab
scuce? Shall they remain at home 10 rsgre: that thou
saud of their galul defenders did not succumb where
nut ore poured out bis blood upon the bat, fai ii by
b mcars they could be advanced but step towards
the day Of reconciliation, and another ray Of hope be
aided 10 their stock, which nov leaves them trembling
les; their precious organisms be shattered by Yankee
bullets.
From eborae articles in the columns Of least one
Of your contemporaries, spun OUT rom cay 10 Gay, u
cca that its expectation is that the volunteers rog in
Vcs shall bear all the burdens Of this war, unaiaei-
Soldiers cannot bo made OF the militia infour months
aud yet soldiers made Of those now in the field, in
four days. many Of them Because they cannot BE- rade
good soldiers in four months others at the end Of
twelve months service therefore we will excuse them
altogether, aud make regulars of the volunteers !;
the class of men, losst adapted OF all others, to
the rotDg regiiains Of inaction, and the slow and
sicLeuiug grada;oIs By which they reduced to
the standard Of the regular service, under the teach
ing of commanding acers who know little either of the
volunteer or the regular service except what they heard
read from book about the time they received their
commissions, and who more likely to violate the
.,.iaa oil san.ihla se-vlcn than in nnrihnr