Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-11-26
syfHa.

Il seems 70 10 that subjsst making urgent d.
mand upon the immediate attention OF Congress, Is
systemsz,d plan Of Passports and Police 70 circumvent
or guard against the machinaons of the cmssaes Of
the Yankee Government 10 our midst-yes even In the
Departments themselves. This can be done, and 1t
should be done quickly or else ncaculable cury may
be inflicted on the cause 90 brsvsy defended BY peo.
pie determined to be free. Il asserted by gentlemen
Of approved Judgment thss every demonstration which
has been attended BY the least gmmerng Of success,
might be easily traced to the insgaons spies and trail
tors who have bean rdusouy eusas ID in the work Of
impartng intelligence to the Yankees The death Of Gen
Garrett, and the disaster to his command, msy be In
great part atbutsd to the periy Of men too easily trust
cd within our lines. Ia the way have the OPEN
tons Of our army In western Virginia been embsr.
rassed The capture Of our at Haterss BY the
acknowledgement Of the enemy, owing to information
conveyed to the North BY released prisoner The at
tack ct Port Royal would have been made had not
the secret agents Of the Yankee Government first made
careful inspection Of It's defepcss and the pusianl
invasion Of the Eastern Shore Of Virginia,
dertaken when assured that there were only 500 Cond
crates to confront 5000 Lncolnte robbers The points
be rsvaged next and what other information may be
in possession of the enemy furnished BY the secret
gents who allowed TO pass with impunity will be de-
veloped in due process Of time.
It might indeed, read well in history that magnanl
nous Southern Govern ment repealed the host Of John
Brown invaders without hanging q single Spy, or
incarceratipg q single political offender; but ss
what fearful price would such result DO bought
The question Is shall disregard the experience of
nd tha ruleo nd If In.
volvng, this policy necessarily must involve the os
Of many precious lives the irremsdabls suerings of
helpless women and children, and the unnecessary de-
strucion Of vast amounts Of prop ry, In heroic and
QliIoio attempt to make Q unique record in biz.
tory and when the failure of the insane attempt might
drape In mourning the page which recountsd the futile
sfJrts Of brave and patriotic people to accomplish an
impossibiiiys mol Let Us keep the enemy In profound
ignorance Of our condition and purposes and then his
marsuding bands will not venture within striking die
lance Of our avenging forces. -
There are scores Of persons Of eq1ivocs calling now
travelling at pleasure within limits and soross our
lines protected BY passports granted months ago. These
should be recalled and cancelled. Oilers are daily 60
ing the enemy with orders from this that head
Of Bureau for chemicals" Surgical instruments" Of
whom nothing more is known than that they do really
return with the articles sent for. But would NOT Lin.
coin himself send few such articles for the value Of
the information returned by his messenger How did
the North obtain copy Of our musterrolls? sHowh
1t that the Herald, the Tribune and the Time
maps Of all our Notifications! How do thes CORES
pondents repeat all the conversations heard nightly at
the Spotsvoodf There are bridge-burnes, m our
midst The Government "a not ssfs the President him
self, the Cabinet and the Congress, cannot DO eKsnp.
from danger % long the eissaries of the enemy
permitted to about the country at pleasure In
times Of revolution there always dangerous near
the persons in authority; and in such . rsvouisu
this there those Ito the manor born" whose syup.
thies have not yet been sufficiently weansd from the old
aesh.pots at Washington to DO fully trusted.
Let Congress look to this matter 10 time. There
should be perfect system Of passports and police during
this internecine Undue bsraity to such enemy
as are contendDg against while 10 may b beautiful
in history, may prove destructive In reality.