Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-06-03
For the Advertiser.
Suhatitutes.

Mr.. EDIroR.-There is q mania prevailing Tor
tho employment of substitutes in the army. Ci'i-
Gems arc avoiding tho duty personally due to their
country by getting it performed ('GOd save the
mark" ~ by deputy. Is this conduct properF Is
it putriolic2 We think that the military system
Of tho Confederate States is defective in :ai', that
it permits tie enrolment of substitutes, in the
place Of tho conscriptsd citizen.
BY the military Inv Of the Confcderscy, oil citi-
.ens between the ages of is and 45, are subject
to CONSUMPTION for service in the army. Congress
by selecting these periods Of life, for the begin
ming and termination Of military service, unques-
tionably considered the person. falling within tho
two ages, alone qualified for active service in tho
field. 1t recognized these points of time as em-
bracipg the physical and mental perfection OF
man, hut regarded moro particularly bis physical
condition. It's views in thi, particular were in
accordance With the opinions Of Psychologists.
With o strange Disregard however Of tho principle
of human perfection, it nevertheless permits the
c~onscript to substitute in his place another, who
has passed beyond the tsrm at which ftness for
service terminates. In other words, 1t ha, enact
cd that between Is and As years, men are alone
ct for service in the army, and yet it has allowed
others, over the latter age, and impllOdly unfit, to
take their place. In other words, il allows a man,
expressly declared to be o proper soldier, to SUBJ,
stitute in his place another whom it recognizes,
by c1cmpting from CONSUMPTION, to 10 On improper
one. 1t is true thst instances may DO found, Of
men over IS, who arc superior TO others under
that age. These are however only exceptional
cases, not affecting the generality Of the rule.
Tho system is not only defective in this phy'i-
eal element, but i, equally bad in its moral char
scter. What is All army composed Of substitutes,
but an a,ssmblagc of hirelings, or mercrnaries
And what IL on army Of morcenaries worth, unless
in great numerical folco9 Reduce the stains Of
the Confederate forces to that Of nOrcenarios, and
NC are at once sutjusatod by the numerically 'u-
pcrior mcrccnary forco of the Yankees. The cause
of our continued successes is due to the superior
~mn.erial Of IKE Confederate armies. 1t is duo to
the character Of the citizen soidiery, who having
national and individual pride, Gun never he con-
oucrcd. Be assured thai, that pSopte, rhich en-
pioy. a hireting force TO defend "Jresdom, "no
longer de.erpiny IF lite ~bie'sings or itsnanle. "By-
their right arm the CO..: quest must be won."
What is a substitute? A human being. exempt
from service in the arEy on account Of u%.J''ne!s,
who foya stipulated gum, takes the place Of tho
citizen whom. the military law has declared to'bc
nj. A rational biped, who runs the risk of being
- - ahnroofnr uhOp, fha in
justice and crimes of :ac enemy, could not excite,
but who i: moved to action alone by tho sordid
influence Of money. Is there patriotism then in
such u man Arc not substitutes purchased by
the highest bidder? If the Yankees were to out
bid tho Confederates, how long would we hare IN
army of hirelings2 How long can you keep
treason out Of your camp, when you have such
merchantable material within il? How would
you present the dangerous communication Of spies
with such faoilc oonsciences within your lines?
Do our fellow citizens reflect upon the dangers
upon u demOralized army? Do they
crer ponder upon the insecurity Of their lives and
property if the army is oYcrcone? Tho comforts,
conyeniences, and benefits, which they now seek
to obtain and enjoy by employing u hireling rab-
6lo,,' viii Be dsarly purchased blythe sacrifice not
only Of our gallant '%cilfzcH sOldrSsly, Who. still
proudly rally around their standards, but by the
loss Of all that for which they have sold their
manhood to Mummon. Will the citizen soldier
lesm the hireling substitute . 6t associate at tho
N css, ga the camp, or the aeld? VIII tho pres
tige of the Regiment be improved by the intro
Of this element. In our opinion this is
serious defect, and although in q communication
ike tho present wo cannot do moro than notice
,ome of tho salient points of the system, we trust
h At enough has been said, to satisfy the rejecting,
md uuprsludieed, that Its repeal merits the sori-