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BY 8. W. MASON AND CO.
SAVANNAH. TUESDAY,., FEB. 26, 1565. .
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Prtce Money to Soldiers.— We desire
to ventilate our opinions on what we
consider a most flagrant piece, of injus
tice to our soldiers, and in an humble
way, perhaps to set the ball rolling which
may eventually roll against the common
sense of the War they have
got any, and induce them to remedy the
matter.
Sailors, as everybody knows, have, in
addition to their monthly pay and ra
tions, a certain share of all the property
they may capture from the enemy, which
share is known as “Prize Money.”
This money is paid to every man on
board the ship, from the Commodore to
the Powder-Monkey, and the hope of.
this prize money is one of the great in
ducements to men to enlist in the Naval
service. This money is not in lieu of
Bounty Money, for the same bounties are
paid to sailors as to soldiers,, and they
have, their pay, clothing, rations and
prize money in addition to this.
There are many instances in the pres
ent war of officers realizing large fortunes
simply from their prize money. It is
said that Admiral Farragut alone has
amassed an independency amounting to
$350,001. Even if Madame' Rumor has
overstated this by half, there is still left
an amount wnich few of ns would des
pise, especially when we consider that it
has, every penny of it been earned in less
than four years. Os course, all the lesser
officers. Captains, Lieutenants and Mas
ters, even down to foremast Jack, who
have been with Farragut during his
cruises have done precisely equally well
in exact proportion *to their, rank on
bbard ship. Other commanders, officers
and men have done as well, or nearly
so, as have these, and there are many
case3 in which officers have at this day
deposited in Northern banks suras of
money ranging from SIOO,OOO down to
SI,OOO. In one instance a common
sailor walked into a well-known Sav
ing’s Bank in New York and deposited
$1,700, the proceeds of his prize money
for a single cruise.
Now, we don’t envy Jack his money,
not a dollar nbr a dime of it; he works
nard for it, and he fights hard for it, and
he ought to have it, every stiver of it,
but can any reasonable and reasoning
man give a shadow of reason why the
sailor should have all the Prize Money
and the soldier none.
We don’t want the soldier to have any
of Jack’s Prize Money, but only his own
proper share,in accordance with his rank
of whatever propriety may be captured
through hard fighting in which he assists,
from the enemy.
The soldier works as hard, fights as
hard, endures as much, and in every
way earns his country’s favor fully as
well as does the sailor, and if there be
any reason why he should not receive a
like reward, we should like to know it.
Why not treat ail alike, and in every
case where the valor of our men has
triumphed over the bayonets cf the foe,
and wrested from them their property, let
each and every officer and soldier come
' in for his own lair share of all that is
legally confiscated, and condemned. By
no means would we advocate a system
of individual plundering. No, let all
captured Hebei property be at once
taken in hand by the proper officers,
brought before the proper courts, be
condemned, and sold at auction on ac •
count, not as now, of the Government,
but of the brave men who conquered its
possession. Let Government, in their
case, as in the case of.the sailors, claim
its half, but in the name of Justice, Fair
ness and Honesty, divide, the rest among
the men who have fairly won the same.
We believe this course would do more to
prevent plundering than any other which
could be adopted, for if every soldier
knew that in due course of time his full
share would be given to him or secured
to his family, the temptation to help
himself would be materially lessened.—
In any event make plundering death, and
wc should have an end of personal
piracy.
It may be urged that there are so
many soldiers that their shares would, in
most cases, be infinitesimally small, and
scarcely worth having. In • reply, we
say that is for the soldier to
judge—it he says his share is not
worth having he cau easily make it over
to the Govern meat, or can, as Is constant
ly done on board ship, buy up the shares
of his comrades at such discount as they
should chance to make, until he had ac
cumulated something that should be
“ worth having.”
Why should not the officers and sol
diers who have brought Sherman tri
umphantly through the heart of Geor
gia, have their share of the profits which
accrues to the Government ? Os course
they ask no interest in property which
our Generals are compelled to destroy,
but only in such part as is preserved,
confiscated, .and sold in bebalf of the
Government. *
There, are doubtless difficulties, and
many of them, in the way of the final
arrangement of such a scheme as this,
but let it be placed in the bands
of a Board of Army Officers who would
be each one personally interested in the
adjustment of all difficulties, and our
word for it the affair would soon be
managed.
At all events let it be tried—give the
Blue coats the same chance that is ac
corded to the Blue Jackets, and they ask
no more. _
That Dog.— We’re but we
couldn’t help it. That Dog is dead, de
funct, collapsed, deceased, gone under,
done for, played out, dried up, pegged
out and forever gone. Mr. Death came
along and said he wanted him—we tried
to put old Bag-o’-bones off—told him we
hadn't any dog—never had any cog—
didn’t know what he meant by dog—
never heard of dog—“what is a dog?”
we asked him. No use. Then we tried
promises; told him to come next week
—told him to call round day after to
morrow—said we expected a large
invoice of dog by the next
steamer, and we’d save him a frag
ment or so—All was no use—Old
Scythe-and-Hourglass was not to be
fooled—said he’d been in printing offices
before to-day, and knew that a promise
of Dog day after to-morrow, from the
Herald, was a good deal like a promise
of News in the Republican next Wed
nesday, all very well,—when you get it.
In short, old Grim Death wasn’t to be
put off and the Dog had to be forthcom
ing—G. D. wasn't to be fooled, and that
Efog had to be produced. G- Death im
mediately grabbed him.
The Dog part of the animal died about
half-past three in the afternoon, but the
Tail lived till sundown and didn't want
to die then—Joe and x\be had to stamp
on it before it would peg out at all. Abe
cut off the tail and wore it on his watek
chain for a week or so,—Then a glorious
idea struck him, —it hit him in the head
but didn't hurt him much, so he proceed
ed at once to act upon it—he got a box of
Russia Salve and rubbed it on the tail in
the vain hope that anew dog would
grow out of it—but the life principle
was extinct—the tail had been kept a
little too long—in fact it was rather
“high”—Abe, (who goes about with a
large tear in each eye) sw ears that if he
bad thought of it a few days earlier, we
should have certainly been by this time
in possession of a full litter of pups.
However, the thing's done —that Dog’s
gone, dog-gone him. The dog part was
esten up by a Rat, but the Tail part was
interred with all the honors of war in a
cigar box.
Well, after all That Dog had some
good poiuts—he was a good counter-irri
tant; if you wanted anything to make you
swear, that dog was good to swear at.
Now you know it’s "wicked to swear un
less you’ve got something to swear at, so,
in giving swearey folks something to
swear at, we look upon that dog as a
great moral good.
Then he was a good whiner. Now,
3 r ou know if you want any whining done
you want it well done, and that dog
could do it well.
Then he was a first rate thing to turn-'
ble ovqj—now, you know, if you must
tumble over, you want to tumble over
something, Else folks ’ll say you're
drunk—we’ve known several people
tumble over that Dog, in fact, we can 't
remember that we ever knew anybody
who didn’t tumble over that Dog—we’ve
known people in a state of tipsifieation
tumble over him at the rate of forty
seven a day, and consequently be per
suaded that they were sober. No w,
if you can get a fellow to believe
he’s sober, be at once believes
that he can stand a few more drinks,
and so he goes and gets ’em, and
that makes it good for the Barkeeper,
who are a most industrious class in this
eommu nity.
So, after all, that Dog had his good
points, he could point at a beef-steak
and whine for it in a way we never saw
excelled. But he’s gone, let us hope, to
Canine Paradise, if there be such a
pi ace.
So much for the Dog—That Dog is
dead. “Requies— Dog in Peace.”
As for the Tail—weffi at last, that Dog’s
Tail is concluded, for of course, when
the Dog is gone, the Tale must always
be at — The End.
Theatre. —We are happy to announce
that there is at last a prospect of having
a series of legititmate theatrical en
tertainments our Jstarving-for-amuse
ment city, in the initiatory one of
which is to be given this evening.
The Company, some members of which
we know, promises well, and the plays
for the opening night are certainly ad
mirably selected. Douglas Jerrold’s beau
tiful three-act Comedy of the “Rent
Day,” and the capital farce of. the
“Turned Head” are to be given. We
trust we.shall be able to give co-morrow
the commendation they hope to earn to
night.
“Our House Saloon” has just receiv
ed a large quantity of the celebrated Al
bany Golden Ale, which is for sale, whole
sale and retail. Those who love a foaming
tankard of clear, spariding ale,can procure
the desired article, drawn from the wood }
and of the choicest quality. Those pre
ferring may obtain [a glass of brilliant
wine, a nectar fit for the gods, that move
about this globe, now-a-days. Try eith
er, and be happy !
Accident. — At noon to-day a colored
woman, while engaged in washing a
yindow over Adam's Express Office, fell
from the second story window, striking
on the paved walk below. Strange to
say no bones were broken, and she was
removed in a wagon to her home.
Foreohdinatiox. —Tliat distinguished
modern philosopher, Joseph Billina
gels off the following :
We kommense life —we are somebody's
baby—we have flaken here—we go to
the district skule —we slide down hill-,
we pla hookey—we have tu smoke, and
find ourselfs men grown all tu onst.
Thus far natur has piped, and we have
dansed, and there haint been no. fiddler
tu pay, but now comes in the special
ordainment times. I have bin through
with awl this miself and stood on the
threshold, young man, a looking round,
reddy tube ordained. I felt as though
I wud give $75 at Jeast if sumbuddy wod
cum sloug and ordain nfdft*nd let me
pitch in. I waited for weeks, if I
rekolect right, I never gqr fne first smell
of enny ordaining. Then I konkluded
to ordain miself hit or miss. The fuss
thing I tried oh was 80 ! acres ov land in
the western kintry.
I ordered the venison and wild turkay
possums tew leave, foi l wasagoiu’ tew
farm. I ordered a log heuse and much
rale fence immegiately, and put in a
krop of wheat and procured swine and a
yoke ov staggs. I worked two years, had
raised the ager and little cropsjprim Ipalhq
and managed tu sink the farm and staggs;
I haint seen either ov tkem from that
da, and don’t think I want tu. I didn’t
seem iu be specially ordamed for farm
ing in the western kintry. Since that
time I have tried eveiy kind ol bizness
that I Gould hear on, and hain been spe
cially ordained yet in my knoliege.—
The fait all lays in the different kind* of
bizness, 1 hain t the least doubt. The
bizness that was designed for me prob
ably hain’t been ordained yeh b\tt I in
tend keep boring, and when I do strike
thare will be a good time generally
in my immegiate neighborhood. I hav
got any quantity of friends (they don’t
seem to cum by" ordinashun.); F got mine’
and managed to keep them by not ask
ing them for anything but a vise ; you
can’t ask ennything of a man that he
loves to give more, and that koste him
less, than advise-
The Exchange op Prisoners* —Mr.
Wade, Saturday, from the Committee on
the Conduct of the War, reported to the
Senate Lieut. Gen. Grant’s- testimony
relative to the exchange of prisoners.—
It » as follows :
Question— (By Mr. Wade>-Jt is-stated
upon what authority I do not know,, that
yon arc charged entirely with the ex
change of prisoners.
Answer — That is correctand what is
more; I k,ave effected an arrangement
for the exchange of prisoners, man for
man, and officer for officer;, on h® regi
ment, according to the old cartels, until
one or the other party lias exhausted
the number they now hold. I get a
great many letters daily foom friends of
prisoners in the South, every one of
which I cause to be answered, telling
them that this arrangement has been
made, and that I suppose exchanges can
be made at the rate of 3;,000 per, week,
and just as fast as they can deliver pris
oners to us, I will receive thorn and de
liver their prisoners to them.—
All the Salisbury prisoners wilt be com
ing right on. I myself saw Col. Hatch,
the assistant commissioner of exchange
on the part of the South, and he told me
that the Salisbury and Danville prison
ers would be coming on at once. He
said that he could being them on at the
rate of 5,000 or 6,0d0 a week.
Question— There is now no impediment
in the way ?
Ansicei^ There is now no impediment
on our side. I could deliver and receive
every one of them in a very short time,
if they will' deliver those they hold. —
We have lost some two weeks lately on
account of the ice in the river.
Ox the road to the Epsom races a mous
tached youth, ©n the top of a dray, evi
dently ambitious of being mistaken for
officer,” thus saluted a fat coachman
who was gravely driving his master and
family—‘Tlullo, you sir ! where’3 your
shirt collar? How dare you come to
Derby without a shirt collar?” Jehu
growled forth, without lifting bis eyes
trom his horse. “Ow the deuce could I,
when your mother has not sent ’ome my
washing ?”