The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-03-24

The President and Congress have both
called attention to the subject Of absen-
tccism and desertion. In its late address !
to the people, Congress says:
ave have upon our rolls very large army Of |
veteran soldiers It's tiuc-and it is sad truth to
conf s,-that the number present for duty is ter- |
blv csproportoned to the entire aggregate. This |
is too notoriou; for conCsalment-and We have |
desire TO conceal anything. We wish to speak |
frankly and tlut,fUy to you Of the actual cond- |
ton oi thiucs. The number of abseHtecs from your
armies has been q fruitful of disaster On |
many IA h4ri-iougtt fl, ii the tide of success would
have turned Overwhelmingly III oar favor had all |
De /. present HON duty required TO particpite i'll
the strife. We will not stop to inquire into the |
causes of evil which we have so n.uch reason to
leyore. The remedy is partly in the hands OF Con-
grcss, and it is our province TO apply 1t. Bnt 1t Is
partly, also, i'll yours, ard we appeal to You to use
il. Let every good citizen frown down upon and m
dignantly discountenace, all evasion OF military
duty, whether temporary or pcr1nancnt-no matter
how plausible the pretext or paliaung the reason
"No duty, in this crisis OF our affairs, can lie
| more imperative than to fight for ones country,
family and home. Let skulker, dcserter, or aS-
sentee without leave, from the army, be tcle ated
| in nny community. Let the reproachful glance OF
our women, between whose honor and the brutal
| foe our noble army stands "a q hamng s~or-
| drive him back to the field With proper officers,
! strict discipline and an elevated tone Of public
opinion throughout the country, descrtion and abb
scnteeisn III the army can<be arrested and all men
| liable
ranks OF our armies. If this be effected, We can
maintain in III. fl, "a force sufficient to defy SUBJ
jugation"
We commend this appeal to the peo-
pie, to our brethren of the press, and to
dcscrtcrs and absentecs themselves. We
know that all arc not equally culpable.
But the time has come when none of
them can longer forsake his noble COM
radcs without everlasting remorse and
shame. Already have we been brought
to great disasters by their conduct. But
they may still retrieve their good names
by coming Back at this critical moment
and helping the brethren they have de-
serted to achieve triumph which will
cast into the shade all their former de-
linqucncies. What can they gain, if, by
their desertion and absence, we are con-
I ouercd? viii the enemy respect them
any more than those who have been
faithful? Was there ever an enemy
who, while he loved the treason, did not
. despise the traitor? Was Arnold an
object of love to the British Govern
$ menty They will be the most miserable
: and the most scorned, both by friend
. and foe, of all the inhabitants, white and
Z. black, Of a subjugated land. How will
y they like to look upon themselves, their
e wives and children. reduced to the socia
t position of negroes, thrust aside from
r every way Of earning their bread by
: Yankees and foreigners, and feel thai
i but for themselves this degradation ant
o misery might not have been ?
But look at the other side OF thu
uue,tion. What will be their con
d;tion if we succeed Let us tel
!, them that this is no such impossible mat
i ter as some of them fancy. There ar
If armies in the field who are strong ant
,e a confident of victory. There is JUS
'e God above, who controls the destines o
nations. and can save by many or b.
few. The United States can ncvc
. bring such forces into the field as it ha
N had in times past. Their capitalists ar
,sr becoming alarmed by the prospect OF a
se te indefinite prolongation Of the war
I'd I'd Their public debt is believed to be a
ready equal to the national debt of Eng
of land. A grand financial crash may q
te ~ any moment, bring their arrogant pr
tie tensions to- the dust. If true to ou
ts selves, if faithful and enduring, we shal
with the blessing Of Heaven, yet accom-
S, plish our independence. And what WI
D be the feelings, in that event. OF the me
ed who have forsakcn their country IN N
nt st trials, and their comrades in their da'
ger? How will they like to be po'nte
:, at then as deserters, and have that nan
ID d. | cling to their children and their chi
to dren's children? A Yankee desert
necd feel no shame, for he is desert''
an army Of invasion. But Oonieaera
vo descrter,-a man who forsakes the q
50 fence of his country, his hofne' :
liberty, his own flesh and blood, WI