Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-06-10

PATRIOTIC AND JUST REFLECTIONS

An esteemed friend, haSsi the Atlsnta latelligsn.
cot, has submitta b b letter addressed to him
bya gentleman well known in this city, from which,
on account Of the patriotic sentiments and Just re-
fection5 embraced therein, We. make the following
extracts commencing them to tho readers o.
tention: - >a.ts r. ..~
81 fully agree with you, my dear sir, when you
say that we are al called upon to make sacrifices
for our country, during this her time OF TRIAL l
have made sacrifices for the common cause, which
it does not become me to enumerate. For months
suesed all the privations of camplife-the battle,
the march, the midnight vigil Of the sentinel-ss .
private in the ranks. l have suffered and bled for
youth and ambition, home and friends, without
murmur, for our liberties. And, dear as my wife,
and babe and friends are to me, assure you, sir,
that I would give my life, a. free-will Offering
upon the altar Of my country, if it would purchase
my country's freedom. Ny heart is in our glorious
cause, my kith in God. Ny friends who know me
best know my feelings on this subject.
But sir, let me tell you what has pained my SEN
sitive nature. When entered into the great strug
purest and most patriQqc motives. I believed al
others were like myself Before the war broke out,
we were wont to egrAtul1te ourselves on our free
dom from the mof6 6sordid vices Of our deprayed na
ture. We thoughtand >agresd that mammon-wor-
ship and greed Of gain, was confined to the mean,
contemplate Yankee. Fatal mstakei God has
hunbled our pride and vain boastings, BY permit
ting this very lust to obtain foothold aad devel
opment in our own land, and at our own dooB.-
This has taught to believe that man is, after ali.
the same depraved creature, wherever he is found
When Left home, patriotism was on the lips Of
every man. There was deep.felt sympsthy, felt
and expressed, for the poor soldier, and willing
ness to assist him. and to provide for the wants of
his family during his absence. went forth, buck
led on my armor, and said to myself If die, It
will be in glorious cause; my country will honor
me, and my friends at home will not sec my wife
and baby suffer.
Months rolled around, and returned home
What change was therel I stood in my home
among strangers. Two out of every three met
were strange faces. The necessaries Of life had ad
vanced from five hundred to two thousand per cent
The city was filed with hungry Shylocks, engaged
in speculation and extortion. The very blood Of
the soldiers was being coined into gold wrung out
of the very hunger and nakedness Of their suffering
families. ~
II met men, young men, in the full bloom and
vigor of life, whom had formerly known as loud.
mouthed patriots and red hot secessionists. These
had either bought substitutes and were engaged in
speculation and extortion, Or they had availed
themselves of snng berths in the Quartermaster's
or Commissarys departments, thus cowardly skulk-
ing FROM the foe and the field. No wonder there
are oIeao TioIS III I'll our prlnclpal cltleS NO won.
der that starvation stares in the face. No won
der there are letters written by mothers and wives
at home to soldiers in camp that would melt the
heart Of any but the soulless extortioner. No won
der that the poor soldier who receives but the pit
tance Of eleven dollars per month, after reading the
letter from his suffering wife, should exclaim n the
anguish of his spirit, What have gained by ex-
changing the exactors of one Confederacy for the
extortioners of another? And why should suf:
fer, and fight, and die, to defend tho rights and
property Of men who are not only skulking at hone
to evade these dangers, but also fleeing me and
mine Of our hard Learned pittance to swell their al
ready bloated Golfers"
"Of one thing we may be certain, that the God
who so terribly punished an Achan, an 1scariot,
and an Ananias, will not allow that land to remain
unpunished that follows in their footsteps Or shares
their spirit"