True Democrat., 1863-04-29

severe scourging; but if he has do ne it, am too thick headed to see it. He seems to think, in the innocence of his little soul, that am not Mis- souri solder but an attachee of Che True Demo- crat office. He says he 'presm les'' so Indeed, "A Missouri Private" seems te /, be quite a pre- sumptous fellow. He commeT ices his article by saying, "I have just arisen, and he has not let us know yet whether he has ever taken his seat. Not wishing him to stand solong { cordially invite him to be seated while give b i'm my opinion of him and his kind. First then, Iwould advise "A Mis- souri Private'' to oabbling about tyranny, and forging chains to mar acle free people wth for no such things exist wit | us. Let him go to his camp and obey cheerf' lily, the commands of his oiheers lie may De o dered on guard ia the streets of Little Rock. Let him go and do precisely as the officer oi the gu Arl tells him to do. If "A Missouri Private q soldier, lie knows full well thatIf guards were not stationed on the streets keep the peace, h1diSereet soldiers would make Lit tie ROCK Tar ineEre wretched place than if martial law of tae most /despotic character proclaimed over it. Such linen as "A Missouri Private'' no doubt wants tihe guards removed. There are a great many re stless spirits in and out of camp who feel thensei 1es tyranised over if there is the least
 restraint ov .r them, and my opinion is that "A Missouri jfivate" is of that tribe.
 "A Mis lsouri Private' says that he has been solder ever since the 9th of May, 1861. Then "A Mis- 5our Private' s no Mssourian, unless he belong "a to the militia under Gen. Frost. The
 war di 4 not break out in Missouri until the 10th of
 Il cam'5 Jackson. And the first soldiers were sworn Tn ne service of the Missouri State Guard on the
 II .h of May. So "A Missouri Private mutt cor
 r'jct his chronology or no body will believe that Cannon history ot his If it did not look little
 like borrowing the idea, would charge "A Mis-
 souri Private' with being some dead head about the "Patriot' office. l would ask the writer, "A Missouri Private,' if he dictated the heading of his communcation--"Maniy truth and soldierly
 independence" If you did, "A Missouri Private,'' h.xrn l,s h..sI .J,u
 have ever met. If it is ''puppyism'' as you clas-
 scally style it, to hate the course pursued by the "Patrot' and alf the brawlng gang that eternally
 islander the army, why then I'm content to be ''puppysh" You say that you never, until no,p, heard of soldier, Or any one caHinq himself a
 soldier, contemptble to help forge the chains that are to manace his hands," You strive to
 create the impression that am helping to forge
 these chains. ou are oery hard pressed for some
 thing to say! l try to do my duty in the army and if this is forging chains'' 1 would advise you to set up shop and go into the "chan' business. You ask me what business have ill Parsons brigade. Well, sir, my business is to obey the orders of my officers, and to fight for the independence of my. country Let me ask you what businiss you have in our brigade. You seem to obey, ia your heart, the commands of the "Patriot' man Butler more than you do the commands of your officers. No
 good soldier will help to islander his officers, es- pecially for such man your idol Butler. You
 say that you cheertuly underwent all the tolls and privations of the past Then what are you grumb- | ling about now! Tell me honestly don't you want
 to get out of the army? If a discharge was offered you wouldn't you accept 1t loytuily and let the | Confederacy go2 1 fear you would. You say you
 wouldn't be-deprived of Gen. Price, Gen. Parsons
 and Col. Kelly for all the military wisdom of the | Hindnans the world Neither would H. | The man who IS more devoted to these comman- | ders than am, is extraordinary character But Hindman and Holmes have both shown
 thelnseves willing to do their best, if they only
 knew how to do it; but is it for you and me- as soldiers, to tell them what to dol And above all,
 has the Patriot Butler,'' (who is perfect nuisance in this war; any business to dictate to l them? Instead of helping the ecause Of the South,
 this Butler continually harping upon the supposed l mistakes of others, and making great froth of
 words about military despotsm, until such shallow l minds as "A Missouri Private" believes that the
 whole country is swallowed up in the most terrible | despotism. "A Missouri Prvate'' can see patriot l ism only in that person whose characteristic is to grumble and fret about unavoidable consequences and if everything, both military and civil, don't l do just as they want it, forthwith there comes q
 proclamation of iliberal opinions, and bom- bardment of unmeaning words.
 | The |" Patriot again brings up that unfortunate woman, who was so grossly matreated by soldiers. 1 He says the circumstance occurred at Batespilie. | Well, it must have been Mssourians! There has
 been no soldiers about Batesville for good while | but Missouri soldiers. According to "A Missouri l
 ly and brave. They are A Missouri Pri- ! yate" told the truth t5at time. "A Missouri Pri
 vate." don't you honestly believe that this whole | story about that woman is base fabrication? | do. believe the Patriot" has wilfully and ma- | lciously lied! I don't believe such thing ever
 happened. Martial law, depredations of the | sodiers," etc., have become stereotyped charges
 against the soldiers. A negro never steals a chicken; hog is never missing; an indecent word | is spoken; armed bandits never plunder, I and no crime on earth can be committed near an | army but what the soldier must bear the blame-- | soldier once hearing minister ill the pulpit | say that Christ was crucifed by Roman soldiers, 1 said: Aha just as l expected I've been look
 ing for the old Arab to charge soldiers with some
 crime." Ever since that day until now, soldiers
 have been very good goats for rascals out of the army
 Soldiers of the " Missouri brigade" the day of
 action is fast rolling on! Wen be in the field going home! Let us be true to ourselves put confidence in our commanders, and we will again be free. A few battles-a few more
 brave hearts laid low in death, and peace will dawn
 upon us in it's noontde splendor. We will be free if we but manfuy struggle on.
 A MISSOURI SOLDIER.