Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1862-01-02
EDIToRIAI CORRESPONDENCE.
CERrREvILLE, EAIRrAx, Va,
rridar Morning. December l3, 1851.


,,.t9 & q 49, CHsrRHvILLr, FAIRrAx, Va, I
- Friday Morning, December l3, 1851
Dear Enquirer There isscarcely any
thing more offensive to an enlightened pat
riotism as we'll as Christian feeling and
faith, than the unnecessary, unwise and
wicked policy of universal Sabbath break
ing which prevails in the army. II the
desire be to obtain the greatest amount Of
service from soldiers aud horses, more work
can be done in six days with day of rest,
than in seven without rest. Hence, it is
unnecessary. tits moreover direct mock.
cry of Gods holy Law aud no cause, how
ever sacred 10 itself, can receive assistance
from conduct which bellies, and therefore
opposes it. If there is any one thing to
which the mothers of the South have edu
Gated their SONS with peculiar zeal and
fidelity, that thing is to welcome and keep
the ssday of sacred rest" The constant
and utter disregard which is paid to this
beautiful, sranquilizing, happefying institu-
ton, consequently rests like parslisiug
night mare on the army.
Yetalmost as often as the "blessed morn"
returns, there is an inspection Of arms-a
piece of corruption copied from the "srmy
regulations" Of the old wreck, and work
which might be done as well on any other
day. Last Sabbath morning, our Brigadier
General red.tape Westpointer of the
first water, who devotes himself to "Dis-
cipline" and military clap trap, With all the
fondness of sssome maiden wasting her pas
sion on marble statue of Jove"--having
received orders to make general inspec-
ton of his Brigade speedily, had the tents
of the four regiments under bis command
struck at nine, to air aud SUD the ground,
and the men drawn up at twelve to see if
their "fre.locks" were clean, and they had
forty rounds of ammunition This was all
the harder for the "5th," as we are with
out Chaplain, as numbers of us had not
heard sermon for months, and We had
been invited by Dr.. Harold to attend the
service Of the First Virginia Regiment
When few applied for permission to at
tend, they were told that there was not the
least chance to obtain it. But Gen. Jones
is not solely to be censured; for, although
he could have taken the responsibility upon
himself without orders, Gen Longstreet
should have ordered him to postpone the
inspection until after Sunday. Norris Long
street alone. Beauregard and Johnston -
the heads of the army, and therefore t'the
head and front of the offending"-had
their working parties digging away at the
same time on the bitches and forts; and,
as long as we have been in the service, We
have never seen single general order to
their subordinate officers of the field, CON-
missary and quarter-master departments, to
respect as far as possible the Sabbath day
1t is an unpleasant task to inveigh against
anything which may appear to be essentia
to the full maintenance of the cause We
have espoused but when from sad expe
rienee we are forced to the sadder conclu
sion that the officers of the army as rule
with-its few noble exceptions, have but lit
tie practical regard for that religious liberty
which hallows the cause, We then deem il
high time for the press TO cry aloud, anc
for the Government to bring them to theil
senses. We heard COL Pendleton the 9th
er Sabbath say that when he passed through
the camps and saw officers as we'll as pri
Yates 50 foolishly profaue, it made hin
tremble for the success of our cause. The
Sabbath breaking and intemperance tina
prevail in official circles, are perhaps great
er causes of alarm. The engraftment o
West-Point regular: armyism upon our mil
itary, and Washington superciliousness ant
snobbishness upon our political system, ar
hated evils-a chain and ball to the feat o
our volunteers and people. We want I
purer, freer, simpler system less OF tyraa.
and insult from "oue-borse" officials; 1
more generous appeal to the intelligence
patriotism and gentility of our boys Fo
a commanding officer to 60 out among hl
men op duty, and because they do not wor'
exactly to please him, to fly into a passion
and curse them and bemean them-wh
can stapd this? We know not what other
may say but we say, such wretch is un
worthy to lead the Southern volunteer