Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-01-05
OUR PRINCIPAL DANGER.

pies iOF tile SOlUlGTS Stitu PSOp1O, oiu
the increased efficiency of the army,
says the "R;chmond Dispatch" are
three momentous questions which de-
mand the most energetic and yet the
most til oughtful and intelligent action
of Congress. The first is the most diff
ticult Of solution, b the time for dis
cussing it has passed. The second, The
production of supplies, is a question in
volving the efficiency Of the army even
more than an increased number of
troops. We have already enough men
on the muster rolls of the army, if they
can be brought to their posts. But we
have not enough force engaged in the
work of feeding the army and the peo-
pie, and these must be f d, or the work
of subiugation is accomplished. We
can whip the Yankees, bnt starvation IS
an enemy that the bravest people are
unable to resist,
! We have not yet reached this dire
extremity, but the enormous 4plies
all the nece ssaries of life aEdafl
are sorcly taxing the capas
people, and give rs solsfa
to develop all our energies and iliis6k
all our resources to provide for the fn-
ture. Congress should look this danger
steadfastly in the face, and beware how
it adopts policy Which will diminish
in any degree the productive power
of the country. 1t should not permit
itself to be driven from its propriety by
occasional military disasters, even OF SO
grave character as that at Chickamau
ga. If General Bragg's defeat vas a :
4 tributable, as we are incl,n ned to believe,
to want OF men, there is ready mode
of supplying that deficiency without cx-
tending the conscript age, and increas-
ling the consumers and diminishing the
producers of the country. The muster
rolls of Gen. Braggs army call tor one
hundred and four thousand men yet
he fought his battles with only about
forty thousand. The rest were detailed
in various Observation-Disclosures,
commissary, and hospital departments,
ward masters, nurses, stewards, W gon-
ers, besides host Of stragglers and de-
serters. Bring back the stragglers and
descrters to their duty, substitute disa-
bled soldiers for all able bodied men
detailed in other departments, and put
negroes in the place of wagoners, The
Same remarks apply to other Confeder-
ate armies which lave been diminished
lin like proportion with that Of Gen.
Bragg. and from the same cause, Let
Congress devote itself to making the ar
ny as strong in numbers as upon the
muster rolls, and beware how it draws
upon the producing population to in
crease the number OF mouths to be fed,
whilst by the same process it ailnin-
ishes the means of feeding them, and
4 adds to the army only infirm and IN
| competent men, who are rendering in
valuable service where they are, bu.
would only fill the hospitals ifplaced in
| the field.
The only effective military service
/ that men outside the conscript age can
render, is II home organization against
raids, which will enable them to guard
against one of the most injurious annoy
ancas we suffer from the e,emy, and
this can be accomplished either by
4 Confederate or State legislation. Any
thing beyond this should not be thought
of for moment. The army of pro
ducers is as essential to the achievement
of our independence as the army OF
soldiers, and neither can be diminished
with safety to the cause. The able bod
led men of the world are to be generally
found between the ages Of Is and As,
and it is only in exceptional cases that
they are it for military duty beyond
this limit. Let Congress act with pro
dence as well as with rigor for there
are tremendous interests at stake.