The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-01-22
The Rank and File .

A correspondent in the Army of Northern
Virginia, and an esteemed personal friena, Il
pleased to express his appreciation of re
cent editorial In this paper advocating the
claims of the private soldiers to the gratitude
OF their country aud the consideration q
their officers. He is greatly mistaken, how
ever, in the impression that this is the fist
time attention has been called in these
columns to the subject. The memory of our
regular xeaders and the files of this Journal
will bear witness that, from the beginning Of
the war to the present hour. if any enc topic
connected with the army has received more
editorial attention than any other. it has been
the rank aud file, whose prodigious sacrifices
for the common cause, and whose purely
disinterested devotion present altogether
the brightest and most immortal chapter in
the history of this country.
We are sorry to hear from our correspon.
dent, (himself an officer and therefore Il dis
passionate witness that there are some of
ficers in the Confederate service who treat
the noble soldiers whom they have the hon.
or to command as inferior beings, mere ma
chimes, like the mercenaries Of standing
army, and never manifest towards them the
sympathy and kindly attentions which are
SO dear to the soldiers heart. We hore the
number of such military popinjays is small,
for struggling and deser,ion in the army will
never be put stop to, where their influence
extends. 1t is easy enorgh to talk of en-.
forcing military discipline, aud unless it is
enforced, we might as well not have tin army
but the strongest discipline in camp Or court
in earth or heaven, is that which flows from
Love. The fear of he'll itself has never melt
ed the human heartlike the influence of Di.
vine Bencvolence. There are few men in the
world so thoroughly depraved that they car
not be more easily drawn by affection ttaR
driven by fear. 6ach exceptional reprcbates
there may be in the army as well as in other
vocations, and upon them the sevfre4 pen
alties should be dealt without mercy. But
the great mass of our rank AID file are as
much gentlemen as the officers who
command, and deserve great deal
more credit, as we have often said, than the
officers, because they have no earthly mo-
tive, except love of country, to prompt their
heroic exertions. AS gentlemen they ought
to and must be treated, If the army is to re-
tain its efficiency, and the peculiar spirit OF
the Southern soldier to be Developed
Whilst discipline Is strictly enforced, the
soldier should be elevated, instead Of de-
pressed, in his own esteem by the treatment
of the officer; he should never be permitted
TO lose the selfrespect and conscious dig
nifty of the gentleman which he brought
with him to the army; he should never be
permitted to forget that he has as much In
terest in the contest az the officers by
whom he is led. We believe that most OF
our oAcers, like our intelligent correspond.
ent, 1aver the good feeling and the good
sense TO take this view Of tie subject. hu t
there are some miserable exceptions, and
they have done more harm to the service
than their bedizened little c,rcases, buttons,
gold lace, and all are worth
At the same time, we hold it to be the
solemn outy Of the private soldier, who may
happen to have over his head cold-heartcd
and tyrannical officer-his duty to himse.
not less than TO his country-to obey in all
things, and to stick to b is colors to the last,
not for the sake Of his officer, but Of his
cause, and Of his own Character character
too high at home, and too long maintained
in the fiery furnace of this wars tribulations.
TO be sacrificed at this time Of day on account
ofany kind of sutferings If there are some
Southern officers who treat their men almost
ashanhly as Yankee officers, let there be no
privates In our ranks who can be driven, like
Yankee pIivates, to faithlessness and ieser.
ton by the miscon1uc Of hard-hearted OIL.
cials. Let them live and endure all for the
sake Of their country and their cons,ancy
and virtue, equal to and worthy of .hell he
rclsm, will ultimately receive a deserved
reward.