Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-07-11

KING such step IN public as will place
his neck in halter, for he is bad maD
and scoundrel, and 1 have frequently
denounced him as such before the people
of Mississippi, and the dirty paltroon
and artful william never had the courage
| to relent it,
The Vandalism of the Confederate
Army.
A facetious person remarked the 9TH
er day that as the political nom de guer-
re of Barn burner had gone out of date,
SO it should now be succeeded by the
military one of Bridge burner which
would fit the Confederate army much
better than the former did the Free Soil
ers, to whom it was applied ten year, a.
60. l agree with him, for never did
troops show such an aptitude for the des-
truction of those noble and costly works
of art by which the rivers of the country
are crossed and our system of internal
communication maintained. Now am
aware that it is rule of war that the
destruction of everything that can facili-
tate the advance or retreat of an attack
ing force, or afford it cover or convent
ence of any kind, or, it may be, turned
to any advantageous use whatever, may
be destroyed. In this age of Christian
civilization, however, this rule is appli-
ed with much more restriction than for
nlerly, when hostilites were waged up
on more vindictive principles. Wanton
and unnecessary destruction of the prop
erty even of the enemy is not consider
ed allowable, and the nation which should
commit such excesses would incur the
severe condemnation of universal nublic
opinion.
conceive that the Confcderates have
subjected themselves to this censure in
their proceedings thus far.-Look at their
acts. They are defending Virginia from
the United States forces, and for this
purpose are occupying forts all along the
Potomac border of that State. Their
first effort is of course to keep the Fed.
eral troops from coming upon Virginia
territory, and for this purpose they burn
or blow up all tho bridges across the
river, six in number, including the great
Railroad viaduct at Harper's Ferry, and
those six miles below aud twenty one
miles above Cumberland, all of which
are on Maryland ground-the bed of the
river belonging to this State. Here is
public property to an amount of nearly
four hundred thousand dollars blotted
out at once, and lamentable as is the loss
of such useful and expensive structures,
it may be palliated, perhaps, upon the
plea of military necessity. But not sat
isfed with this wholesale devastation,
these bridge burners having their
hands in. proceed to give to the flames
other structures on the sacred soil of
their own State, and the destruction of
which has served no other purpose than
to infict causeless injury upon the COM
pany to which these works belonged and
which is as much creature of Virginia
as of Maryland legislation. The bridg-
es across the Potomac being destroyed,
between the two States
now in hostile attitudes towards each
other was cut off. Why then destroy
the bridges at Obequan, at Martinsburg,
at Sleepy Creek, at Pattersons Creek |
and perhaps, by this time, at all the
other points where such works occur?-
all on Virginia territory, under Cohfed-
crate control, so far. And why attempt |
(happily in vain, thanks to the gallant
people of Williamsport, } the destru ction
of the dams, banks and boats of the Ches-
apeak and Ohio Canal, work altogeth-
or In Maryland, it is true, but of which
no use for any purpose hostile to the re-
volutionists would be likely to be made,
or if attempted, could be effectually
checked by batteries on the Virginia side
o. the river?
Every telegraph from Virginia and
Missouri brings us the news of some
new destruction projected or executed
by these patriots, whose sole aim, they
would have us believe, is peacefaI sep
a.ation between the North and South
The viaducts which span our rivers are
not the only structures given up to gun
powder and the hrebrand The flames
are made to feed on the naked buildings,
gutted of their machinery by previous
spoliation, and cars and locomotives are
laun ched into the river in the mere mad
ness of devastation.
The recent retreat Of the Confederates
from Harper's Ferry exhibits one or two
striking points in this view. Their spec
dy halt less than days march from the
river and their return since to its banks,
would seem to intimate that the retreat
was but feint to draw the United States
army after them upon Virginia territory.
Why, then, were not the bridges left
stonding, so as to make the rusc more
effective? There is an inexplcable con-
tradictiuE here, and we are forced to be-
lieve that the bridges have been sacrif-
ced to malign spirit Of bitter hatred
and rumorless revenge. Who that has
noticed the way in which this unhappy
war has thus far been waged on the two
sides can fail to be struck with the su.
perior moderation of the United States
Government? Its forces have DESTROYED
no property that did not belong to itself,
and would otherwise have been unaues.
tioDably turned against it to its own des-
truction. The Confedcrates have de-
molished property not their own, aud
the sparing Of which would only have
given them sooner that meeting with
their enemy for which. if we are te be.
lieve them, they bave been SO impatient