The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-11-06
Getting tue wors, OF ,t.
ny Rev. TnosAs r. HuSr, an old Pennsyl.
" mia Chaplain.


drank, the wsrmer, he got, until his face
was red like unto turkeys sntut, aud
his spittlc as white aud thick us cotton.
He was thirsty, very thirsty, and constant
drinking did not relieve him. His blood
was up To fever heat. His valor began
10 manifest itself in disposition to pick
u quarrel with all around him, H. sh Juts,
oaths, aud threats Of violence. In vain
the orderly CndcOvorrd To quiet lin ui.
awaiting were the efforts OF friends aud
their enlrcajics tn reduce him to order.
" lie had come to6gh; he could fight; IL
wos a free country; liberty Of speech wds
secured in The Constitution /; ne Touid
speak as he pleased and ash no mans
icdre."
He was ordered to- the guard house.
! lie refused tn 90. "He had not rolun.
ieercd to 90 10 the guard house. bat "a. .6ght
for the Constitution. lie ,co.ld not gre
/ up his liberiy: ne roHid die first A file
of soldiers was detailed to take him
away. lie refused to 60. They might
carry Aim, force him, II they could; bWi
he ras free man and rouid ncrcr DO
whdt he had not mind 10 do" So he
painted his b, els in the ground, stifIicucd
himself cut aud would not bulge peg.
The soldiers reversed him and began to
draw him along. He then limbcrcd
himself up like a coddlcd cabbage leaf
and gave no assistance whatcycr 10 those
who hud him in charge. IL was more
than thrcc.hundrcd yards To the guard
house. by the time they reached II, the
! file was in pcrspiration, brcuthlcss ard
1 "A. l. al. l..
peculiar to the drunkurd, looked at them
a. they painted aud famed themselves
md said, g guess you got the worst Of
it,"
In the month Of February during
dark and stormy night Of slcct, an order.
" IL beard ordering. Turn out Turn
out" The men in their tents hud faith
fully performed the duties Of the day -
had lust ceased to think of home, of
friends, OF their tolls and privutions in
cump-had just forgotten all In the
sweets of the fret sleep OF night. "Wbat
is the mater Have we orders TO march !
Are our pickcts driven in Is the enc
my upon us r' hurricjly asked the half
sleeping mon us they hustcncd out from
ther quarters girdng on their arms, and
making ready, sh,v'ring in the cold,--t to
obey commands. Nothing Of the kind
threatens. There Is u drunken row in
one Of the officers tents, who has been
treating himself aud his friends to liquor
he has allowed to como into the camp at
the privatc's expense. Tho officer Is put
under arrest, that is, ordered to remain
within his comfortable tent. Alter drink.
ing the rcnnnant Of the liquor, he covers
up in his bed clothes nnd sleeps Off
gorge. As he was not on duty and had
cniy little merry making with his
friends, he runs Lut little risk Of further
notice. The priyatcs were ordered of
to wrctchcd brush tent called the
Guard House, where without fire, cold
aud wet, they fall into drunken stupor,
aud in that state are soon lost to u II sense
of suffering in this world, or fear of suflt :
ing in the world to come. But the sober
guards nre different. The slcct freezes
upon them, the chilly wind aud wet
steals nwoy their animal heat shivcring,
slecplcss, exhausted, they pass the night
in their lonely tramp. Early in The
morning the chaplain hears thut his
'"partncrs" IN the war urc in trouble
Hc visits the guard house TO see what he
can do for the erring. lie finds them
still asleep or stupid. The guard ap.
pculs to him Chaplain, we try to do
our duty. We have never had any charge
preferred against us. But see how we
are punished! The ,fliccrs who get bet
ter pay aud have high honor, may have
liquor sent for their use may drink
every day even on parade il they do not
get drunk may get drunk in frolic il
II not on duty. But the soldiers is not
allowed to have liquor sent 10 him and
il he gets drunk, liable to DO court.mar-
tinlcd and imprisoned. No excuse taken.
Now II IL is dangerous ard injurious to
the service for the privates to use liquor,
il cannot be safe or beneficial for the
fficcrs to do il. They occupy more inn
portant and responsible positions, md il
is as unwise to trust the safety of al
urmy to drinking officers, rs to drinking
men. Let there be but one rule 10 al
when the safety and efficiency Of the
army is concerned We who lrc ON
guard arc punished thut is suilor more
than the culprits 'lo. We get the worst
OF il. The drunken soldier, is put the
next day on the top Of barrel, or tied to
a stake. Hot or cold, rain or shine, so-
Der aud obcdcnt soldiers have TO mount
guard over him and then 10 clean Up
their arms and clothes soiled on guard
We do indeed get he worst OF it," The
Chaplain thought so too-bul kept silent.
!, He knew that il there could be found
among the officers, those who could be
trusted, that there was among the Vol
a n
honorable, intelligent, trustw orthy men (;
as worthy Of confidence as those Of any
other class. Still we DO not lcgslate for
exec ptions but lor rule and the fact is.
the good Of the country demands that no
one should be allowed TO use the intoxi-
eating cup. Strength OF mind and purity
OF morals, not strong and pure enough TO
resist the ten ptution, afford no security
against the physical effects Of q physical
cause, when under its influence. The
most intelligent moral officer who neg
lects the proper precautions, is as much
in danger when exposed in battle, or TO
! infectious disease, IL he receive the viruS,
ss the weakest and most immoral. A.
long ns the officers drink and mny get
drunk under any circumstances with i'm
puniiy, soldiers cannot be expected IA
, avoid the ,vil. The soldier Is punished
0 even il drunk of duty, because the coun'
try expects him to be always ready FOL
every duty, and for every emergency
, An tfficer in camp, not absent ON fur
, lough, is never oG duty. Ills country
J demands his whole influence and energ,
: mental, moral and physical. 1t pays
/, him literally; confides in. honors him
and has the right to expect that by pre-
cept aud example, he will always be pre-
a pared 70 further the discipline OF the army
ON which depends the safety, the de-
tense, the honor and glory Of the land
g No man is in as good condition to dc
, his duty while drunk, or partially under
, the influence OF liquor. or just recovered