Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-05-25

The Premium On Piracy.

The Act for the announcement Of
Piracy, recently passed by the Con
gress Of the Confederate States, makes
distinction in the reward it gives for
killing men who are loyal to their coun-
try and those who are taken prisoners.
For every man on board m armed yes
sci Of the United States that shall be
sunk, burnt, or destroyed, the pirates
are to receive a reward Of $40; but
for all who are taken alive on board
such vessels the premium paid is $25
each.
We have been slow to understand
the character Of the Southern conspir-
ators. But thirty days have taught us
what thirty years had failed to teach.
The country has opened its eyes with
wonder and Indignation to the fact
that these traitors have all that time
been educating and preparing them
selves for treason, and that they only
waited for the moment to come when
it should be evident that they could
count no longer upon the implicit sub
mission Of the North, to attempt it's
subjugation by arms or the overthrow
of the Government and the destruction
of the Constitution. The atrocity OF
the treason is Idly attended by
atrocities which could only be concciy-
ed of by semi-savage people.
We may consider ourselves 10 have,
at least, reached that point where the
expec tation Of any barbarism on the
part Of the despotic rebels who now
rule the south is reasonable. That
there is Il purpose in Offering IS more
head for live men than for those who
are slaughtered is obvious.
1t is absurd to suppose it to be q
merciful one, for people WHO torture
and hang, i'll times of peace, any quiet
traveller Or citizen Oh the bare sa&Dio-
ion of his holding abstract opinions
unfayorablc to slavery, can hardly be
supposed, without violence TO all ratio
cination, to entertain any tender cor
slderatiOns for those taken in arms
against them. II, as is obvious, then.
any mercitul solution CT the question
Is not to be thought Of, ,7e IRE to seek
for an unmercifil one and as semi
civilized States " no resort to piracy
and sayages who sell scaIps, are then
exemplars, it is fair to presume that
thoy mean to follow the AEgerino OK
ample in the disposition Of captiycs.-
The thought is shocking to our civil
cation, but We must do them thc ere Iii
Of acknowledging that to them there
cannot seem to be any peculiar wick
edness IN such an act. Some of the
most distinguished Of the seeding
statesmen, and, if we remember
Alright, diyines also, have distinctly adj
vocated the onslavemcnt Of the work
ing class in general They have as.
serted, not merely in general terms.
that capital should own labor, but
ayowed that in the future to which
they looked forward, the principle OF
the Southern social system should be
extended all over the country. and
that white and black alike, when Ia
borers or mechanics, should be rcduc-
ed to slavery. They are altogether
above any prejudice in regard to this
matter: and would give to all their
place III the State, not according to
race but according to condition. Gould
they take man-ot-war, with mixed
crew Of Irish, English, Danish, and
Americans, Mr.. JEFF: Davis, so fan
from feeling any compunctions at put
ting them up for sale at New Orleans,
would rather glory in doing homage,
by such an act, to the great principles
Of the Southern Confederacy. Such
are the people with whom we are at
war, and we must conquer them utter
~ If We, ourselves, are not 70 go to
perdltlon.-N J. T'5b,e35e
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