Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-15
From the Christian Observer
THE WORST ENEMY.

Mr.. EDITOR: when patient is sick,
the scientific physician examines with
great scrutiny, to ascertain the cause OF
the disease before he ventures upon any
treatment of the disease. So when the
body polite becomes deranged, the cause
of that arrangement must be known be-
fore the evil can be remedied. We are
this day suffering, and what is the causea
When the first great battles of this war
were fought, our undisciplined volunteers
were everywhere victorious over the regu-
lars of the United States our old English
muskets and squirrel rifles in the hands of
Southern braves, were even more than a
match for all kinds of rifles, long range or
repeating, that Yankee ingenuity, or
money could supply. Now our veterans
are beaten by raw levies from the North,
and no kind of arms can save US from de-
feat.
What is the cause of this change p
Why do our veteran soldiers become pan
ic-stricken and fly before an enemy they
have beaten on hundred heldsf Why
are our cities surrendered to subjugation
with scarcely an effort in their defence
Is it because we have no menjn the tield4
or because our armies are now composed
of raw and undisciplined troops, or because
they have inferior arms with which to
meet the foea No; our armies ought to
be larger to-day; and more efficient than
they have ever been since the. beginning
of the struggle. No, sir; verify believe
there is an Achan in or camp. There is
sin in high places, which must be removed
before the light of prosperity may dawn
in full splendor upon our cause. 1t is
generally believed in the country, that a
victory to our arms was converted into a
disaster in the valley of Virginia by the
intoxication of the officers in command
1t is suspected that the ruinous defeat of
Gen. Hood in front of Nashville originated
in similar fault. 1t is believed that the
failure after Chickamauga's bloody day
was caused by like sin on the part of
some high oficers-though not the high
est. have heard from soldiers that one
officer, of the rank of Brigadier, was &C.
customed to tell his men soldier who
would not drink whiskey was Of no &C
count. This Brigadier was captured with
most of his command at Nashville.
Outside of all moral considerations, no
country can prosper when it's business is
conducted by drunkards. While our ar
mics are conducted to defeat by drunken
generals, our legislation is carried into
woeful laundering and confusion by
drunken Legislators. Not long ago, l am
credibly informed, Confederate States
Senator, 80 10 ,ch intoxicated that he
could scarcely stand, appeared at rail;
road station in South Carolina, and offered
ffty dollars for drink Of whiskey.
know another Senator who is notorious
for the quantity of liquor he consumes
And these are not the only ones. Besides
there are but few of our Congrcss-men
who are known as temperate men. But
our government officials, not satisfied with
drinking, must 90 step farther and en-
gage in manufacturing ardent spirits. Sc
far as my reading extends, no government
has ever engaged in distilling Intoxicating
liquors, excepting the Confederate gov.
eminent. Other governments have taxed
distilleries, some have encouraged them
all have made them source OF revenue
but it was reserved for the Confederate
government to erect distilleries and manu-.
facture ardent spirits.
Is not this the Achan in the camp2 l.
it not the wickedness in high places, u
for which the people are scourgeds This
surely is the source of the lamentable
lack of wisdom or foresight in our legisla'
ton, and of our several disasters in battle
When the sober-minded Stonswali Jack