Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-11-09
From the Hartford Times.
Drunkenness in DiamOnds-In
Camp and Court.

The war has worked monsrous demoraliza-
ton. The Washington correspondent of the
New York Independent writing under the
date of October "a, 1863, says:
There was sight to be seen in broad day
light few days ago, in front of the Presiden-
tial Mansion, which gave those who witnessed
It a shocking idea Of the onward strides which
the vice Of intemperance has made in good
society during the last few years A woman
clad in the richest and most fashionable gar
menis with the diamonds flashing from her
slenders fingers in the slant western sunshine,
sat upon the stone balustrade, unable to pro.
eeed on her homeward walk without bstrayng
herself. AT last she rose and started on, sway
ing TO and fro, and yet soon rested again, ut
terly unable to proceed The carriage of
foreign minister passed blythe poor woman
was noticed-and il turned, stopped, took in
the lady, and carried her to her luxurious
home For the lady is wealthy and occupies
a high and social position, but she was drunk
in the streets Of Washington Drunkenness
PreDdits almost everywhere, in camp and
court 1t is a vice above all others, that Grip
Piles the army The poor soldier drinks gets
drunk, and is disgracefully punished for it
The officer does the same thing, and is not
even reprimGnded. 1t would ast0und some Of
the sober, deyout people Of the free States, to
learn how many young men, officers in the
drD'H hare already been ruined by strong
drink. The War Department is making every
effort to prevent Intoxicating liquors from the
common soldiers, but why does it not forbid
drinking among oflicers2 One halfthe Briq-
adler Generals noiO on pay, knoW tar better
hoic TO siOdllop prodigiOus quantities of
lchisky, than to manage brigade of troops
upon the field of battle. 1t is time that good
men everywhere spoke out on the subject"
What a picture, this Drunkenness in
Diamonds in Camp and Court Now that
we have Court and Court Circle, il would be
interesting to the people upon whose free and
easy generosity the moral and political lepro-
sy has grown, to learn how many of "the
Court get drunk and, as the Independent
pretends to deal in plain truths to the very
faces of tits friends" it should state the
names of the drunkards in tho Court" so
that the temperate part OF the government
may not snlier from unjust suspicion. We do
not presume to say that it would work any re-
form for bayonets will keep the drunkards in
power, especially as Zone half of the Drigadier
Generals now on pay, as the Independent
informs us, drink and get drunk" The peo-
Pile cannot readily reach the evil through the
ballotboX, whilst the ballot-box is pinned by
half a million of glistening bayonets, to the
shoulder straps of officers who know better
how to drink "prodigious" quantities OF whis
ky, than to manage a brigade on the field of
battle 1--WE could hardly believe it, did not the
Independent declare it,) and these officers
controlled and directed by destructive Aboli.
tlonists. We have faint hopes of reform in
the drunkenness which the Abolition preases
portray, as existing ain the Court" al Wash,
ington among the wealthy diamond bedaz-
sled females in high life in that city in the
army "ruining" the young man of tho
army besotting one.hAlf Of the Briga-
dier Generals mo hope of reforn in WASH
ington among the army of prostitutes there,
some of whom appear, as asserted by Repub.
lican newspapers of that city, in view of dress
parades, in spendid carriages, hugging and
the commissioned officers-patriots, who are
not fighting but rioting under the noses of
the Court some of whom are drunk We
do not look for reform Corruption, licentious-
ness, intemperance, robbery, fraud--all have
their iron fingers upon the government They
will not loosen their grasp, But, let the III
dependent whose correspondent presents to
us this abhorrent picture, give the names,
otherwise the innocent, if there be any, will
suffer too Now that you have commenced,
Mr. Independent let us know the worst.