Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-12-15
RIGaTs.
RICHMOND WING.
TUESDAY MORNING, DEC. Is, 1858.
InNLsTLTR RIGaTs.
RAsnnnsihilitY.

in surreoder more or less ignomiuous eleven times and
o only had there been no punishment for these dis
ces 10 our arms but that in some instances the par
ties di.graced had actually been promoted The article
WAS ofsuch excellent temper and forcble that some
Improvement might have been expected to follow Its
null cation Such has not been the case In proof, We
NAV aiduss the recent elevation Of HndmAn to the place
OF acting Lieutenant General held BY Breckinridge at
the battles of Lookout and Missionary Ridge. This %
more surprising in view of the fact that HndmAn had
inst been Elected from this army because OF gross
derec,ion of duy, as detailed very fully and strikngg
in the resume of Braggs operations lately published by
the able correspondent of tbs Dispatch II we add to
this the performances Of Ganeral HndmAn in ArkRnsa
which the public have forgotten, his returnto any
army, much more his elevation over Breckenridge
uus be regarded as something not far removed from
an outrage.
But irresponsb.lity does not stop with the srmy 1t
permeates all affairs of the ConfederAcy all branches OF
the civil a. well as the military service and all grades OF
au no .ity municipal and private What is more, the
habits becoming fixed, and any attempt to institute
responsibility is decried attempt to subVert and
alter the organic form of our'goVernment. Congress
desires if poss BILE to get rid of al unlucEy and impot
ent Cabinet to induce the President 10 accept the
counels of really able men, to relieve him OF Al insup-
portable load Of responsibility, to furnish him with an
excuse for freeing himself Of parcel of lite BArnaoie
and thereby to place the affairs of the country under the
guidance of mcn capable of directing them to happier
results than have beasp during the past two years
Tne plan bitterly OppOs5d and no method Of assisting
! the President Is even suggested.
The land is ringing with oucries against the enorni-
TyiEIn m
proof of the inepacy, if not insanity, OF the Com
nssary General aud repeated attention has been called
10 the trckery of reproducing Orders which had been
amulet and which, there is reason to believe had
been sdroty changed whom Isiublished. All these
things are brued abroad in the most public manner,
no sufficient refutaton Of them IL made aud yet We are
asked to endure the incubus of Northrop hemnDger,
Benjamin. Mallory Co.. forever, lest we interfere with
the preropatives of an overburthened Executive
Where will this end? Ualess corruption be proved, the
President is beyond the reach Of punitive measures
Toe ors,ousness rather than the obligations Of re-
spOnsbity is with him. and all beneath him are even
more free than himself for they shelter themselves be
hind his tender friendship, which they well know Is in
e1hausble True, there Courts Martial and Courts
OF Enquiry but experience teaches that their functions
cease in the presence of persons OF higher grade than
private in the ranks Occasionally, as in the caSe Of
Lowell, there IS gentle Censure but what does that
amount tos Again. as in the case of Surgeon Garrett
we have an rate Cabinet Officer moved secret but not
unknown impulses setting aside the decisions Of Court
aud grossly insulting them. Again, as in tho case OF
BsrjAmin, while Secretary Of War, We have vote Of
want Of confidence on the part Of committee, which
is answered by promotion to the post Of Secretary OF
Safe Where will these things cad, if responsibility
De rot Axed upon the highest off ,ials ? And what
manner Of responsibility is that which is unattended
with punishment Or must We accept as the settled
pol cy Of the Government that private soldiers may be
sho. and private citizens robbed With mpunity and be-
yoad that the enient friendship of the President rules
supreme? Surely, this tax upon bis affections ought
somehow to be mitgIted.
Nor is this all. In this misgoVerned city, there have
bsen exhibitions Of passion, PRIDE mlleassuce neglect
Of duty and justice the part Of military comman
iars which well deserve something more than the NUT
tered e1ecrstdns of citizens at the street But
there is no responsibility, because it has como to he
understood that any attempt to bring official to ac
elun. Is blow aimed at the President himself. The
mistake is a vary grave one, but il has become the
general expectation in all su,h cases. and the Executive
mas yielded to it ofen that culprit officials claim
l. Is prescriptVe right and count upon obtaining il
With as much certainty upon the rising Of the sun
Hence their impunity.
But the end is not yet The irresponsible system OBJ
tains in Municipal as well in Confederate affairs
Bugaries for months pas. have been Of nightly occur
renee. Nearly every ctEsn of means has been robbed
OF provisions plate what not and som, Of them have
been robbed repeatedly. Nobody held responsible,
nobody is punished and the robbereS of course con-
nue The case is the same in the country near town.
It would be an interesting inquiry to ascertain from the
daily journals complete isi of the burglaries fires,
ETC. which have occurred in this city since the be-
gan ard contrast with it the list Of policemen who have
been punished with anything more than mere rePri'
mapd We invite the attention Of reporters to this sub
jet
Since responsibility is the fashion in high official
circles it follows as the night the day, that there are
ima.ors in the humble walks of life Time was, when
slaves we're held responsible. That time has passed.
Who in town or country pushes servants now, or who
hears of their being punishedS The practice has be-
Gene obsolete. Why, except because 1t has become
the habit over the whole country, in all departments
where JUS Toe used and ought always to be, rgOr-
Ousy administered, and where punishment was e1sCu-
ted promptly, and with more sympathy for the public
than for the OfSnderl
But we tire of this ine1hGustble theme, and decline
to follow it to its legitimate concusion-thAt the coun-
try VII inevitably 90 to rack unless from the highest
70 the lowest we take 4 point Of departure, and
begin again to exact responsibility of WhOmsoeVsr it is
due. All evils have their cure, and the time has come
to apply remedies to this, the great evil of the land.
Increasing the Army.