Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-01-12

WAS always his idea.
SoME one writes usA very friendly letter
dePrecating in severe terms the military
act OF branding deserter with the letter
D-recorded in our columuH u few DAYS
ago. Our correspondent is sorry that we
did not speak out against the act at the
time, aud feels very certain that it was a
most inhuman and nti.christian perform
Ruoe. We have to say to our correspon.
dent that the Incident to which he refers
was published in our paper as an item OF
local news, and not as q matter of seuti.
mental selection. So far as the abstract
act itself, aside from all its proper consid-
eratiOns, is concerned, we confess TO the
same sort of feeling expressed by our cor
respondent. To brand man is u terrible
punishment, hardly less extreme and even
more 'gnOmiuious than to shoot him But
then deserIiOp is terrible crime; the
highest, under certain circumstances,
known to military law. Desertion is fatal
To an army, and by consequence 10 the
cause for which it is enlisted, il tolerated.
No nation ever IOleraLes it, aud, so long
as war exists, none ever can. To make ii
thing of rare occurrence it is defined and
punished as an offence of the highest
grade. When man is branded it is only
to save him from being shot. His punish
ment is regarded as Ouly ono shade below
death itself, and did not military law, in
its anxiety to temper justice with mercy,
provide that shade of difference, the Grim.
iuAl must needs be shot.
We suspect that our correspondent did
not stop 10 take this view Of the case.
1t will not do to cry out against the rigors
OF discipline. Too much hangs upon it in
the fortunes Of war. No war was ever
waged wherein greater leuisncy towards
oue"lers was exercised than in this pres.
ont one. We have all seen the evils Of the
want OF higher discipline. Where pun.
ishmOnt is certain, and we'll adapted to the
oaenss committed, there is the least oc q.
casiOn for its enforcement. Braudiug A
man is the least painful Of all corporeal
Puuishmeuts; much less so than the .'buck.
lug and EageiuE," of the Army, or than the
''cat-O-uiue tails of the Navy. Ills ihe
ignominy OF the punishmunt THAT Riyes II
its terror. Il Is the fact OF putting u mark
upon man that shall endure forever that
makes itspsh Terrible punishment. Oniy
those who have outraged all claim upon the
. clemsney of = oOnrt-marliAu are ever pun
'shSd by branding, and, as We said, only
those are thus condemned who would
otherwise boshOt, We commend this view
oil the case to our correspondent.
We are indebted to friend out In HAr.
risop county for a copy of the Sou,k.yn
Aifs'"rs lHssosNger, tor November aud De.
oembeF 1.-TWO months in ouel captured bv
AVerills msa At Salem during the raid
Compared with Hooper or the .Atlahtie. the
&ts'eNgrf makssea very shabby appearances.
indeed, but compared with such current
literature Of Dixie as 6uds It's way North
nowadays it makes pretty respectable
showing. The paper is moderately good,
say an extra quality of tea paper. The sub
. soripiiOn Prieeis $40 per year.
Our RtleOtion was asked to two articles
in the Rssssassr, viz, one entitled .sFbe
Anglo Saxon mania,p and the other tFhe
Revelations Of l76s and 1861 eou,tas,.s ),
Both the articles are Ofths kind that ,semed
10 the Southern prints previous to tbs var
the same saPsEOiHioas, PharasioaI, boiler
thAa,lhoa. Kidd. Il is elabofatsiy solFht %
hsHhOWa il Tie frst named irtipis that Tie