Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-12
To Tie Editor of the Whiq :

Dear Sir: send you for publication, copy Of letter
from COL Simcoe, who commanded {" the Queens Ran
gers" with much distinction during the Revolutionary
war to Msjor Lee whose Lighthouse at the period when
the letter was writep continually skrmshirg with
Simcoes It will in come degree to measure the
enormous degenerscy in refinement and humanity, which
black repubicanism has brought upon the land nov
cursed With ls tyranny And to appreciate this properly
We must remember, that our first revolt from mon.
arch. of whom we we're subjects, ard who naturally
enough believed in the divine right Of kings, for was
the doctrine of nearly all the world al that day. There
was then quite strong show Of reason for stiguah ns
US as rebels and treating us as traitors But you will
see how even war between such parties had s aroci
tes mtg,ted by motives Of justice the spirit Of humanity
aud the feelings OF gentlemen all Of which are bansaed
from tho councils Of the great black abomnation now
dsing the world But What else can be expected from
those to whom the Bbles an jet OF rsproseh, and
the negro of idostryS Their understandings
as darkened their morals corrupted and their
civilization degraded. They caLnot understand that il 10
impossible that the just and humane men Who framed
our Institutions could have been SO cruel 80 to have
placed their possrity predicament which no conduct
Of their own could save from the penalties Of treason
Iney preteuu W UcheNo suu essu'"y eSeSiS'et
that State has authority to hang its citizens for dsobey
ing one Of its nens, for complying with which the
United States may justly doom them 10 death. no!
Seward would answer the sovereignty conferred on the
United States does not conflict with that reserved to the
Safes That may be so; but unfortunately people will
differ about the amount conferred and that reeerved and
also about which Of these soveregnties shall rghduy
decide this question. So that practically as the present
troubles prove according to the Northern view Of our
Institutions the citizens Of eleven States Of the late Union
cannot so shape their conduct to avoid subectng
themselves to the penalties Of treason Is 1t possible
that our fore,hers designed such doom for their ee
scendans!
But moreover the citizens Of these eleven States not
only owe them allegiance in their capacity OF sovereign
States but also u sharers Of whatever sovereignty be-
long, 70 the United States and as it skss three fourhs
of the United States to amend their Constitution BY an
article decIaratory or Otherwise seems evident that
tn, sovereignty of the United States cannot reside in
e,s than three.fourths Of that body rotc. that be
so the said body polite Is defunci; aud so We OF the
South essem it-"And none poor to do reverence
Bat further, our fathers did achieve their indepen
depce for the purpose Of establishing the Federal Con
.tIt
the purpose Of guarding the points OF that indepen
nce, and the sacred rights its declaration pro-
claimed to mankind. Eminent amopg these, it pro-
claims that whenever any government becomes destrue
i've of the euds for which It was established, Is
the right of the people alter or to abolish it. and to
institute now government laying It's foundation on
such principles and organizing powers in such form,
as TO them shall seem most Likely to effect their safety
and happ:nets" This Is the most important oil the
ends to preserve which the Federal Constitution was Oh
dsined as means but by the back horde OF the NORTH
in accordance with the universal Law which marks the
decline from civilization to savages the means are sanc
,s ed While the ends are tsmped on-the image Is Wor
shipped and the Deity outraged Hence the spectacle
al common to sges gone presented to that nov pass
ing the spectacle oil the struggle to UPHOLD Tor base
posss tho prevented means to the destruction oil the
ends for whose protection they were adopec the arog
Gle of the uphodes o. the shadow to the whitening OF
the substance Of the maintaners Of the doay TO the
overthrow Of the worship. 1t Is TO this savage
dseepcrscy that We can alone attribute the IN.
milieated atrocities Of the civil war now raging
around us, and that lie ripl, te,ded monster, Lin
-Bair--seward should deem us unworthy OF the
,,cprocatsd courseses which sofened contest With
George I'LL The Cerberss at Washington cares net
how Lis r6raf Of prisoners may suffer II he can there
b. subject Southern gentleman to the pains of imps
onment But COL Smooe thought that motives Of ja-
t,e authorized commanders Of ghs troop, to exchange
their respective cspves at once, without going through
the isryon of comEssarss" Col t.e feels that be-
o,mes him as gentleman t, go TO some trouble and
expense to restore to his gallant ad'eray dagger Tor
which be might have faucy lost probably In the skir-
mish with hi, horse but Picayuus Butler presents the
sword Of gallant prisoner as an acceptable on'rns to
biz pcayune Oommandsrn-chlef Of the army and navy
Of the Uui.sd States. Only Imagine The resemblance