Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-01-06

NH-4aA1AtN &41 NaAN4 N4- A-NE
rank il tia army If promptly executed.
We have Tho executive authority vested in
individuals whs have enough of natural sense
Of culture and experience men who have BE-
fore ihsn resources fer more extended iuf0rns-
tion and whose responsibility and patriotism
eught to prompt them to 5 full discharge q thoir
tuties. There il a sufficient amouHt Of feed
and clothing to sUstsin cur army in reach Of tho
officers whe have the direction Of Gose depart
msEss. With thsss al cur disposal, men, Gg-ns,
ammunition With quartsrmastsrs aud commis-
ssry stores; with q sufiOisncy Of msdieslBEaIss
70 SUSTAIN that department as wel ss il should
be expected, Which the health Of cur army fally
a~t.es.s, is there any exCuss fer d~e5psndoneyf
Is there any cause for : demoraliEsd or auffer-
ing aTmyf Yet We Fave the facts befaIe-us to
sHsh an sxtsnt IL to excite 30 Little alarm.
30, the truth Is, ths great reqEisits for sue.
cszs in al orgs7'ssd enterprises, Is most shAms-
fully disregsrds namely: a System eff uniVor-
sal observance Of dEsy on he pant Of all, and
al equally serupGlous Observance Of respect fer
the rights and privileges e al concerned. Es-
pecially Is this necessary in al cases where the
ruler and The ruled come so directly in coztact
with each other as IN the army.
What arc TIC effects of this want Of sysiemi
In all conditions OF society, and in ali he vsTi-
Gus circumstances which surround the human
family, men have certain rights AID privileges
and certain duies to psrferm. Certain rights
are either admitted by the Ssciety in which we
exist, upoH civil and humane reasons, or are de-
mEndsd ana defended by superior physical
force.
In eiViliEed communities all men are allowed
these Fights-Hot sEly rom 3 general sense OF
Justice and bsHsVelenos, but to promote the vel
fare of Ihe eOnmuaity as such, and as indiyia'
uAls to insurs psacs and mutual protection
proper Limitations are either by rule or tscitly
imposed by the nature Of social life, upon which
mainly depends cur earthly enjoyment.
Restrictions are neeesssryi liberty Is not un-
limited license TO use cur powers for good OF
evil extraordinary circumstances require extra.
ordinary rules Of conduct, and hence extraOr-
diEary notifications Of cur rights and privi-
leges. Bat under no circumstances DO ne
think we sR0ald surrender them, although it
may be eIPe5ieat for 4 sAert tine to submit
70 very HsIrow Limitations upon their exercise
for the purpose Of securing shem more POTma-
aeat-y or 10 Eestors more important ones. To
classify 0U lgAEg as natural, civil, neral, mill
.z1y, eio, as IN tHis counsstion, is sapeTAuous.
To iTespsss upon lhs rights of q people with
aEuTpsd aulhsrity Of whatever cazIzotsr they
may be, or Epsa any defined OF admitted righl,
essally exciiOs Indignation upon whstevrr
PTs'su Of good intentions, and Is a thing which
sGs bseH guarded against by all good law
riyer5.
Our military rights and eU.ies hsTs (ss las
bseH said) been defined. ana penalties nave been
fzed. It emily remains, then, to execute them
and iGfict the penalties for their violation,
whether on the part of officer or private, as they
oHs aztiss mutually to each other-the enc to
obey add respect, the other to protect and de-
fend.
We declare without fear Of aay successful
contradiction, that open violations are daily
committed, and ulHarranted Authority daily
usurPed, for want Of moral courage in officers of
high grade to do thoir duty; that sho rights AID
privileges to which tho good soldier is entitled,
are wrested from him to check = present evil, ia
stead Of puaishiAE The guilty ~deliaqaents; .hus
CT atiBg groEseT and growing oRa- namely, the
Generalization sf the army. This is p~rsctiesd
apOn evsTy privilege which is abused, When the
inAie!ion Of the proper penalty was bu! plata
aad essy justice. Il is act ~unffequently the
case that for several days together, mon hsge
duty regularly required Of ibsn, and receive
raions in al NOT exceeding "a thres-fourths of
a pound, and part Of thal Ii. :. the beef), is alb.
sslbsely unfit for any purpose, however veil
served up noHs bat the hungry soldier could
eat it.
We kave said ElAt military lave Axed penal
ties for their violation. Lstthe army be regu-
lated by these laTH, let tbs s5use of privileges
bo corrected, not the privilege destroyed lst as
not cay by eur actions that We are unable to
maintain our rights; if We have lava let it be
kzsBn by their execution, and my werd for it,
The soldier vii. move with alaerity and courage
10 the performance Of his duties With a hopeful
and cSRfdent heart Il will feed him; It will
aleihe hini it viii demand Of him Hoshing bus
that duty which be SO freely took upon hiaselE
A partial observance Of 3 rigid course Of dis
ciplins, and On Re other hsnd a strange neglect
Of other and equally plain duties, have highly
scensed our bravo soldiers, and justly SO.
The inevitable consequences of such condust
is, either to excite mutiBy or to degrade. Being
aador military authority, the tendency is to
degradation rather than sny~courAgsous scs,
under sacheireanstances hois dispiIited, and
shis condition, sad TO say, is rapidly sRthIallirs
our once hucyspt army.
oar army when first organized, was con-.
posed of honorable, intelligent and patriotic
neni the substance of the sovereign powsr
zsn who appreciated The cause in which they
had enlisted, sAd who kaev, and still know;
what their rights are; who were willing to sub
NIT to ell the Privatioas and curtsilmonts Of
their rights and privileges which were nscessAgy,
and evoa THEN lives for the causa of liberty and
their Country; Hhs were willing ana expected
10 do their duty, and looked to their officers to
discharge theirs with fidelity and prOmptnoss,
half fed and far less than half clothed, aud
suffering nsAay privatio8s because of the bad
Ct others; deprecated currency, slow
pay, and saeh defeats as Kieksb1rg and Mls-
'ionsry Ridge, have elmost broken the spirit of
'ur once gallant heroes. Indeed, there arc
nAny aow Who if they taink a they speak,