April 10.—The transport steamer, General Hunter, was destroyed by torpedoes in St. John’s River, twelve miles above Jacksonville, Florida. The quartermaster of the steamer was killed. All others on board were saved.
—”We can hope no good results from trivial and light conduct on the part of our women,” says the Mobile News of this date. “Instead of adorning their persons for seductive purposes, and tempting our officers to a course alike disgraceful and unworthy of women, whose husbands and brothers are in our armies, they had better exhort them to well-doing, than act as instruments of destruction to both parties. The demoralization among our women is becoming fearful. Before the war, no woman dared to demean herself lightly; but now a refined and pure woman can scarcely travel without seeing some of our officers with fine-looking ladies as companions. You are forced to sit at the tables with them; you meet them wherever you go. Is it that we, too, are as wild as our enemies, scoffing at God and at all rules of social morality? For heaven’s sake, let us frown down this growing evil, unless all mothers and fathers would have their daughters grow up in a pestilential atmosphere, which but to breathe is death. Is not the hand of the enemy enough to send destruction to our homes, or must we have disgrace added to death? The evil can only be remedied by banishing the frail sisters from society, and putting no man in position who is not moral. Are not the bright and shining examples of Lee, Jackson, Johnston, Wheeler, Maury, and many others, enough to teach aspirants for office, that pure and moral men can make generals? that it is not necessary to play lackey to fast women to gain their country’s applause? Nor need they think they are not known. By their deeds we know them. Our President is a pure and moral man; were it not well for him to set an example, by discountenancing and refusing promotion to this set of moths? We have no laws to reach such a class but public opinion; then let that be used without mercy.”—The battle at Prairie D’Ann, Arkansas, took place this day.—(Doc. 130.)
