Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-19
DRUNKEN OFFICIALS.

The Macon Confederate d Telegraph
very properly remarks: If there is any
one evil more than another whose con-
domination should he written with pen
OF fire, it is that of drunkenness in officials
of the government. In words that burn
and sentences that scorch like flame it
should be made to recoil upon the
hearts of those that practice such a terrible
wrong. 1t is monstrous vice that feeds
upon the soul till all the springs of life are
poisoned with its bane. 1t is a canker
that subsists upon the moral sense until it
saps the very fountain Of the heart on
which private worth and public virtue are
based. Our cause has suffered more re-
verses from this one evil than all others
combined. When circumstances have
conspired to give us victory, like mid
night thief it has stepped in and robbed
Us OF the laurels we might so easily have
won. Oar armies have been demoralized
by its pernicous influence, and Our gen.
erals the victims of its prey, when the ad
vintages We're mainly on Our side.
Our remark,are not personal With an
eye to the common veal we forget men,
and the motives that some times prompts
others to vent their spleen because they
have pretext for doing 80. 1t is high
time that the public mind should be
awakened to the momentous issue at stake.
BY the force Of example we should i'm
plant seed in the popular heart which may
spring up into prolific branches whose
fruits SNAIL be ga healing to the patton"
IT'S minated, and we can scarcely
doubt the inputation, that our late disas-
Ter in Virginia is ma;nly attributable to
this cause. 1t is painful to think that the
salvation Of our cause.-The vital interests
of a great nation should he hazarded in
such away; that heads Keeling with the
delirium of whiSk > should have control of
armies ill the hour Of battle. And why
is this9 Have we not good men enough,
Of high moral character, of temperate
habits, combining the other qualities re-
qu!ste to great captains, to lead our men
in battles Where WAS an army ever safe
in other hands9 What people are secure
with their destinies conided to the keep
ing of men whose brains are constantly
darkened by the orgies of Bacchus2 High
moral worth shoald be the chief standard
in the scale Of military pre.erment-so.
briefly the first requisite to promotion
A stern, a solemn, warning example, not
only for the good of the private in the
ranks, and for the whole country, but fol
the benefit Of those who aspire to HIGH
1.laces, should be made of every office,
whose conduct does not strictly compor
with high sense Of morality. 1t should
be understood that, without this requisite
other high qualities BETTING one for com
mand would have no wei ght with our au
thorities. The scale OF excellence shout,
be graduated according to those degree:
that give tone, dignity and character to ;
people. With less high standard no ma
lion need ever aspire to tr!e greatness
The virtues of people arc the Standard
by which they are adjnged. As the,
lower that standard in that proportion the,
cease to command the respect OF othe
nations.
Aside from moral advantages in othe
respects, the odds are too great against II
to hazard an engagement at any time nm
der the lead Of drunken and imhec:!e OFT
GERS. We cannot afford TO confront IL
numerical strength against us, unless q
the moral power on our side is Drought t
bear in our behalf. Our hope rests /
making up what,we lack in physical ,
moral strength. Ii both be against Il:
then indeed we arc in deplora.,le cond
tion. II is high time an example shout
be made of some one-sueh an exa1n!'l
IA will eradicate this evil, root and branch
from the highest to the lowest, Who