New-York daily tribune., 1862-11-06
DRUNKENNESS HN THE ATTY


! DRUNKENNESS sN THE ATTY.
We are not aware that any esFcfs has bees
successfully mods by the Temperance Societies
70 collect statistics Of the spread of drunken.
ness in the army, but the matter is one o
prime importance and should be attended to.
Mr. Cough was recently announced to lecture
on this topic at Cooper Institute; but. %
taking the stand, he frankly confessed that he
bad no data for connected argument and
should therefore. coEGne himself to the discus.
sion of intemperanco generally. 1t may fairly
be slid that one-half Of the young officers and
men of our volunteer service are becoming al.
dicted to the habit Of using Intoxicating liquors.
We shrink from an estimate Of the proportion
OF those who become confirmed drunkards bo-
fore the expiration Of ftheir term Of enlistment
but it viii be feaIiully great Oficers of all ranks
from the highest 10 thc lowest, have fallen vie
tins TO tjeir appeIites, by scores upon scores.
I ard snoDg the number are many OF the highest
promise. Generals have ridden unsteadily along
! tho lines of battle under the influence Of
drink coloDels have staggered at the
bead Of their resimcpts in the charge, and
majors, in maudhn excitement. misplaced or
sacrificed battalions. None know how much
drink iuoy have had to do with the revefsss
we have met in battle since the war began.
II is held to be proper that oficers should
keep liquor in their tents for the entertain
ment of friends, and custom compcs them to
drink. for fear Of seeming singular. Let an
Amy corps lie in camp for a week, and ono
will hardly find a wal.-tent which docs not
cover a bottle Of whisky, nor pa's guard
house where soldiers are not tied by their
thumbs 10 posts, or Otherwise being punished
for drunkenness. Is a town entered or o city
taken the struggling soldiers rush 10 every
Tun-holc and Gil their canteens with what
liquor they can find, and the provosteuard
must be quick indeed if they would prevent
scenes of rio;ing and Drunkenness Whom the
psynsstsr comes, the men, careless Of conse-
queuces, buy wretche2 liquor ct fabulous
prices, and giye themselves up TO thex
beostly appetite for drink. We have
known of instances Of 81 beog paid
for canteeniuls Of whisky. and as
much or mcre for botiefuls and
this by men who left home temperate and re-
spectacle. Bot for all this, we would not
have it thought that tho condition of our Grmy
is as bad in this respect rs that Of the Issbela
which hss at times been 30 scourged by tho
irtenp.rance Of officers and prvatss that
,mnptnsry laws were deemed oecessary by the
Rebel Congress. The restraining Influences OF
home, through the letters and newspapers
which go to our camp, by tuns weight daily.
keep our soldiers from harm in many instances
where they would otherwise fall. II Is bad
enough, though; terribly bad; and something
should hc done by Government TO stay the
awful tide OF misery which is rolling back upon
The community.
1t may be asked why, with Articles Of War
prohibiting tie use Of liquor under stringent
penalties, and even forbidding its introduction
into camp all this iDtemperance Should exist.
But it must be remembered that each regiment
is allowed to have a su.ler, who Is to be bound
by certain restrictions, and that the class VI
men who usually accept this position are those
Wa do not thrive, or at least bave not tbrsen,
ia ordinary business, and toe often arc wholly
devoid of moral principle. To such it matters
ltlle that the sale Of liquor is forbidden; they
will tmaagle it into camp for the sake Of the
enormous profits it pays. So loDg as they make
their two or three or i've hundred per ceut
they do not caro- q fig how many druukards
they make, how many officers they break. or
how many good soldiers hey turn into soss.
10 these harpes, ten times more than to spy
other cnusc, must the drunkenness in tho
army bs attributed, and for this reason,
/ il for no Other, they should be extir.
ps.ed. But il they have no liquor to
sell they are Cling the camp hospitals with
case, Of diaryhes and dysentery induced BY
eating their unwhOlesome PIES, cakes, preserves
and candies. In many cases the reginentsl
suiler has been driven from camp at the ear.
nest request of the conscientious surgeons, and
wc have yet TO meet an honest and intelligent
colonel who did not pronounce them unplsi'
gated nuisances. The few things that the SOL
der needs beside his ratiOu-such as tobacco.
pipes, some small articles of clothing. station'
cry, &c.-can easily be kept for sale BY the
regimental commissary. aud thus oil apology
for the presence Of the sutler would DO
destroyed. We hope that the friends OF
Temperance and good morals will, either
through the already organized channels OF tho
Sanitary Commission, or otherwise. address
themselves to the task Of investigating TINS
matter. and procuring for it that attention