, 1862-12-25
AN UNFAIR ADyAETA

Given an Important post in the heart of
an enemy's country. It has been won bv
careful and slow marches. It has been
made the base Of operations further on.
1t contains Government stores to the
amount Of half a million dollars for the use
of the army in front of It. Cotton buyers
Secure IN the presence Of 8 large Federal
force, have accumulated there large
amounts Of the hocculent staple. This
place is Holly Springs, Mississippi. Given
also an adequate force to guard it. And
now on these premises, who can with any
degree Of emotion short Of the extresnest
modification and rage, read the shameful
conclusion stated in our dispatches in an
other column? The rebels get into the
own 1,y night, and find two thousand
men quietly sleeping, and meanly take an
'dvantage Of them. Worse than that,
hey do not come into town by
he roads, but "across lots''
,us leaving useless carefully posted sys-
N Of our pickets. who were watching the
ghways, never dreaming that the rebels
ould take any other route. The unhappy
clsets find themselves cut off from the
ain body with vengeance, for the main
dy is gobbled up, with the exception Of
few hat1ess, shoeless, f ing night riders
At get away in full Georgia costume, on
rsehack.
What the rebels did, may be imagined.
IT dispatches tell the whole painful story.
ley paroled the easily Won prisoners.
icy burned, pi1laged, destroyed, and then
airing that Federal force was approach
clay down in the Public Square, Of
urse. and went to sleep, allowing them
;es to be surprised in turn2 No, they
in haste to find another sleepy Federal
.rrison, and will do it unless q change
mes over our conduct Of this war The
,rth is being flied with disgracefu1ly
re mob Of parolcd men, while Southern
change is against US by some thousands
d advancing, with rapidity Of which
= lrtsville, Holly Springs are the measures.
The subject is one upon which we can
freely command patience and calmness
w1ite. Wedoubt flour feeling be not the
iversal one amcng loyal men. The dis
er at Fredericksburg befell an army in
open and nobly fought field. Their
1or and devotion lends a glow to their
feat, but there is no such redeeming
PAM in the spectacle OF sleepy
1dd1e Of frightened men turning out at
1dnight to run to and fro, fire few chance
71skets into the air and then surrender.
Inc case would be less aggravating were
1.-THE first Of series, which it is not. VIII
i1be the lasts Is CUR Government nearly
rady to begin that sharp retrzbution on
military incapacity and neglect, which has
b'cn one Of he best props to the rebel
Cause in this war. No Influences have held
ono Of their efdce1s in place an hou1
af1cr his oHe1se reached headquarters,
Their list Of Generals retired under censure
ae1ls Of the pronptness Of these penalties
and the influence pervades their whole
army down to the lowest barefooted con.
script. we have no such discipline, but
1axity and looseness have leached down
through the whole mass, from the hiehes,
10 the lowest grades. 1t is time that t1,is
should end. The death penalty should hp
hung up before our army as sure to follow
its grade Of military crimes. There should
be an end to this mistaken clemency; liks
That which has filed the North with de
scrters and shamefllly paroled men Ey
cry investigation into affairs like this O
Holly Springs should end with making
some officers fate as memorable as his ani
the country's disgrace Let him be fouut
and punished. We are lost, and the wa,
then farce, if these disgraces be no
amended by reform that shall strike al
the very root Of the evil.