The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-07-29

ment Tor tDe WOIk dt ieHSt fop,VOo
mems 100000 1000. The Congress con
curing in the doubt thus intimated
as to the sufticiency Of the force de-
manded has Increased it to half a
million men. The enormous prepar-
ations in men and money for the con
duet of the war on a scale more giSan-
ic than any which the New World
has ever Witnessed. is u distinct
avowal in the eyes of civilized man
that the United States are engaged
in a conflict with n great and pow
erful nation. They are at last com
PEELED to abandon the pretencc ofbe-
ing engaged in disposinx OF rioters
aud suppressing instructions, and
are driven to the acknowledgement
that the present Union has been dis
solved. 49, -.-=
They recognize the separate exis-
tence Of the Confederate States by in
terdiction, embargo and blockade ON
all commerce between them and the
United States, not only by sea but by
land, not only in ships but in cars,
not only with those who bear arms,
but with the entire population OF the
Confederate States. Finally they
have repudiated their foolish consent
that the inhabitants of this Gontede-
racy are still citizens of the United
States, for they are waging an indis-
criminate war upon them all, with
savage ferocity unknown to modern
civilization. In this war rapine is
the rule. Private residences. in peace
full rural retreats, are bombarded and
burnt. Grain crops in the field are
consumed by the torch, and when the
torch is not convenient careful labor
is bestowed to render complete des-
truction of every article of use or orn-
ament remaining in private dwell
inss, after their inhabitants have fled
from the outrages of a brutal soldierv.
In 1851, Great Britain, when in
yading her revolted colonies, took
possession of every district in the
country. Fortress Monroe, now oc-
cupisd by the troops of the United
States, and the houses, then inhabited
by the people, after being respected
and protected by avowed invaders,
are now pillaged and destroyed by
men who pretend that their victims
are their fellow-citizens. .-
Mankind will shudder to hear the
tales of outrages committed on defence
less females by the soldiery OF the
United States, now invading our
homes. Yet these outrages are prompt
ed by the inhained passions and mad
ness of intoXication.
But who shall depriciate the horror
with which they regard the cool, de-
iiberatc maGgnity with which, under
the pretext of suppressing an insur-
rection. said bv themselves to be up
held by a minority only of our people,
makes a special war on the sick, in
cluding women and children, by care
fully devised measures TO prevent their
obtaining medicines necessary for
their cure. Sacred claims to humanity
even during the fury ofactual battle, by
a carefal deviation of an attack upon
the hospitals containing wounded eue-
mics. are outraged in cold blood by a
Government and people that pretend
to desire continuance of fraternal
connections. AL these outrages must
remain unavenSed, save by the uni
versal reprobation Of mankind. In
all cases where the actualprepetrators
of wrongs escape capture, they admit
of no retaliation.
The humanity of our people would
shrink insfinctively from the bare
idea of waging like war upon the
sick, the women aud the children of
the enemy. -, .e-.
But there are other savage practices
which have been resorted to by the Co
. vernment of the United States which
do admit ofrepression by retaliation
l have been driven to necessarily ell
forcing this repression.
The prisoners of war taken by the
renemy on board the armed schooner
Savannah, sailing under our commits
sion, were, as L am creditably ad.
vised, treated like common felons, pu:
inirons. confined in a Jail usually ap-
propriated to criminals of the worst
dye, and threatened withpunishmen,
as such. had made application foI
the exchange Of these. prisoners to
the Commanding officer of the enc.
/ my's squadron, off Charleston, but
that officer had already sent the pris
oners 10 New York, when the applica
tion was made. I. therefore, deemed
it my duty to renew the proposal fol
the exchange to the constitutions
Commauder-in-Ch Chief Of the army anc
navy of the United States, the only
officer having CONTROL of the prison
srs. To- this end, L dispatched M
officer to him under flag of truce
and in making the proposal inform
ed President Lincoln Of my resoft,
purpose to check all barbarities o,
prisoners of war by such severity
retaliating on prisonars held by tn
y United States, as should secure tin
abanfonment Of the practice. Z
, this communication a reply would b
returned by President lincoln a
lsoon az rossible. / earnestly hop