Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-05-21
correspondenoe Of the STANDARD.


8 Nh. EDIToR: It is enough to excite the sympa-
thies of the most obdurate heart to visit the offices
OF government officials here. No one with parti-
Gle of sensibility about him can return from such
visit without melancholy feelings. 1t is true these
officials have rooms that look comfortable, their
clothes are neat and Clean and their hair is smooth
ly brushed and to all appearance they well fed
and cared for but it Is saddening to listen to their
tales of trials, tribulations and hardshps. They
actually keep their offices open from 10 a. m. to
p m, and some of them are subjected to the furth-
er suffering of keeping open until p. m. During
these hours it is difficult to imagine what they un-
dergo If their complaints are to be relied upon.
They are continually vexed with papers thrust be-
fore them-they must answer queStions-they must
refer to this book that-look up this or that doc
ument, and often times they are called upon by men
green and ignorant enough not to know whether
the official he approaches is the proper one to trans
act his business motif he is why, he is subject
ed to the punishment of doing it; if he is not he
has the unpleasant duty to perform of huffishly tel
ling the visitor to 90 elsewhere Their sufferings
are so ntoerable that they long for sympathy, and
to OBTAIN 1T they not unrequently spend more tine
in relating their hardships to a visitor than it
euIes to transact his business And thus for three,
four or five mortal hours, out of the twenty four,
are these miserable men subjected to the tortures
have mentioned and after all get only few thou
sand dollars each per annum as compensation for
their terrible sufferings. If ever there was a class
of men to be pitied, surely it is this class; and
while the eyes of the sympathetic overflow with
tears at the recital of their miseres, let them be
membered with JUNCTION in the prayers of the pous
ly inclined. Surely it is not wonderful that these
men sleep soundly on downy beds at night. Poor
fellows!
But it does ones heart good to turn from the con-
dltlon of these unfortunate men-to leave their
offices, bathed in tears You must be- and visit the
happy soldiers in their camps, having Just compile
ted the ghly reished amusement of failing back"
from Yorktown to the Chickahomony, over a road
IN many places not more than knee deep in mud
Such was the delight they took in this failing
back diversion, that they scarcely paused, day
night, for an entire week, never taking time to eat
enough at single meal, and sometimes not
taking a mouthful for "a or sc hours except pick
ing few green whortleberries and budding the
bushes along the way. In the enjoyment of their
exercise, the happy fellows parted with nearly all
their clothing, some of thep even leaving their
shoes in the soft depths of the yielding mire. But
now IN their camps, luxuriatinG on three crackers
each, and piece of bacon OF beef, per day, with
the further luxury of black and ragged clothes, and
not at all subjected to the unpleasantneSs of putting
on white shirt, adjusting its starched bosom and
collar, combing and pertaining the hair and other
troubles of the tOilet-not annoyed by undressing,
| turning down bed clothes composing the limbs on
feather BEDS &C., but coiling up in blankets drop
| ping upon the BOSOM of mother earth, and sleeping
| soundy when it is not cold-surely their lot is an
| envious Then they have the pleasure of drill
ling many hours in the day. frequently of exercising
in some way all night besides and in addition to all
these amusements they actually paid (sometmes)
| eleven dollars each per month How the heart is
relieved in forgetulness of the mseries of the poor
| officials in Richmond in contemplating this happy
condition of the soldiers Is it not surprising that
the former do not aspire to the places of the atter
In point of health too how far above the condition
of the official is that of the soldier. While all the
! former look pale and wan, not than half per-
hapS, of the latter suffering from disease Truly
| does visit TO the soldiers oblierate the sadness
occaSioned by visit to the officials. And then
only think of the safety of the soldier and the dan
ger of the official The one has only war nipple
ments to fear while the other may be turned out
! Of office!
7 There is, am sorry to say quite an epidemic
among military officers. A great many we'll look
ing, well fed officers in the City the sick list
They procure board at the hotels at So or $3.50
per day. which is a small item but they find the
| expense of whlskey at So per bottle quite oner-
ous, reaching from Sc to Sl5 or more per day,
according to the condition of their malady. have
not learned what name the doctors give to this Pc
culiar disease, but some unscientifc people here
SANDER the patients by pronouncing it "bullet-
phobia," and confidently predict sudden recovery
after the "big battle" Of course do not endorse
any such opinion. Very respectfully,
EYES.