Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-01-27
For ths. kdyertiysr.


ty aud maaliness than Mt any previous Session
since tie organization of oar Government
IN apprehension has been expressed by some
of our newspapers that the agricultural and
manufacturing interests Of the country are to TO
injured by the late Acts to ill up tho ranks of
the armies, and severe structures have been full
minated upon q. want Of discipline. absenteeism,
desertion, and on. Some Of the structures have
bc,n well-founded, but sll exaggerated. The
want of discipline is and has always been, great
evil in our armies, aud has been brought about in
no littlesdegrcc by The tone and public sentiment
of the country, aal au ides that our preecnceiyed
notions of democratic indvpsndence. freedom. Of
speech and action, and in many instances mobo-
cratic licen.iousness should be carried. into the
army, because zoe ,sere rvlnnteer5 and if an cti-
Ger endeivored to enforce the, Regulations and
Articles of War, and establish wholesome di.ci-
pline iu accordance Herewith, be was denounced
as tyrant and despot, and threatened with os-
trasism and vengeance at the polls if he should
eycr become candidate after the war. Too many
officers unfortunately become candidates for fopu-
lar favor and expect to be after the war; who harnt
The moral courage to withstand the threat, and
Fence n relaxation and want Vt discipline. So
the country is to somo extent responsible for tho
evil which it csnsures.
AS to tho unauthorized aLsentecism-for I
scarcely think auy at home would besrudge an
occasional furlough to those who have suffered so
long and go much in tkeir defence-it has batn
produced BY want of'vigorous discipline, by
the tsmporing Of political demagogaes, and by
toleraiion Of tho people ut home Congress has
contributed to it by undertaking to regulate
system Of Fur,pushs. The Aulic Couacil of Aus
tria, in the interior Of the Empire, assumed to
regulate four different armies against Napoleon in
his Italian Campaign, and in consequence thereof
were each successfully defeated by one head with
N inferior force. So much for tho interference
Eof whelc.skin politicians, whose carcass.s wcfo
ensconced behind the walls Of interior fortrosses
beyond the range of the oncmy's guns.
Desertion has been principally. produced by
three causes, 1st, Decentralization of the people
at homo. End, The hitherto inadequate rrovi-
sion for the poor families of Soldiers. Aud 81,
The ins,iSation Of The devil.
Abscntecism, dcsertion, and want Of disci
pine, are great evils, but not the paramount evils.
Generalization, produced By speculation at LONE.
the great number of exemptions FROM scrr:cc IN.
der false p.etenecs, the w"ut Of accountability by
the agents Of tho Government in carrying cut its
do.ails-mhich could lie rcmeded by searching
Inspectors--afe greater evils Th.s; latter WILL
in my judgment, be partially cured at leastby
the late Acts OF Congress. large class of spec
nlntors will be taken into tho army by making
the principals Of substitutes liablo to military
duty. Nor will tho interest Of agriculture or
manufacture suffer by tha. class Of men boing re-
moved. from the country. The pro,ent Bill from
the Military Committee before Congress, propo.
sins the repeal Of all exemptions except Civil
Officers, Setcsintcndents Of Lunatic Asylum,
Clergy and soreo ottcr., and authorizing tie
Secretary Of War t. dcts:l where tha requirements
of society or domestic interests make it nccessa-
~, will do away with large number of fraudu-
lent e,rptionz, fill up TIE depicted ranks Of lie
army, and subsc:ye the ends Of society as sfce-
tually as the former system compel the d,vel-
opmons of TIA energy of ,Loss ut hcmo, and lift
samo Of cur older gentry from their couchcs Of
luxurious ease, and make thon contribute s:mc-
what with their ponderous persons 70 tho commen
cause without depending SO muck upon lazy able
bodied oversecrs. If our old men, conscTipts and
disabled soldiers would unite their cnorgies in
proper channsl, they woaid bo ample to supcrir-
tend the luber Of the country nnd make abun-
dant supplies.
Some mon suppose because they bsve scnt !.
,oa, and ci-rn q bnrrel of hour, and 3 lund:od
pounds of bacon, they have done their whole
duty They leserve no particular credit for either,
it WAS nothing bu. an obviOas duty.
The great difficulty with the people of our
country has been, that they have sot made Up
their minds to endure the rrivaiionS, the reycr-
ses, tho hardships Of var. They have dciudcd
themselves with false hopes of shart MAR, for
e;gn intervention, the invincibility Of our arms,
the iassr;ority Of the Yankees. They uu.t ra,s
through tie craciblo to come out Ecamsn. Ma
po!con has sast tbat poverty, .sriraticns and
misery arc tho schooiss..s good soldiers" Hard.
ships and priyatiens arc as teeessa-y to make
good citizens. The seopcr cur re.-.ls nlaks up
their mind for protractcl and hitler cortes.frt
remuneration of their comforts and pleasures,
and concentration of all their ,neraits upon tn.
singie object of independence the sooE.r VIC will
achieve it. It has narrowed to contest for
strength, manliness, endurance and frmness
Conquest rapinc and murder on tie part of cur
enemies. yassalase, extermiaation and exile if
ws are conquered power. wealth, brilliant des-
tiny If we are not. We cannot be- conquered if
VIC are firm, vigorous, manly, true.
The LAWS of Congress haro boen in the main
good enough, but they have been received with
lukewarmneas and carried ont with lcthargy.
Under the present Exemption Law Gay mau in
the community could get apet:tion drawn up in
Issal form for fifty dollars, praying Lis exemp-
tion from, service, and ovcry man in the conmu-
nifty would sign it, sill parties knowing full we'll
that he should be,inthe army, and Chat the law I!
-. ha;r =, aveiad and ,bo end. Of tbs Goyern-