The New York herald., 1862-04-02
The Vandalism OF the Rebel Leaders and
the Rebel Army-Thc Union the Only
Refuge OF the Southern People.

The Vandalism OF the Rebel Leaders and
the Rebel Army-Thc Union the Only
Refuge OF the Southern People.
In the matter Of straining at q gnat and
swallowing camel, the rebel Congress at
Richmond has favored the world with most
notable example After issuing decree en-
joining the burning of all cotton, tobacco rice,
&C., in the so-called Confederate States, which
cannot be removed out of the way on the ap-
proach of the armed forces of the Union.
resolution in the rebel Congress, providing Ger.
tain pains and penalties against the production
Of any cotton this year, except two or three
bales to plantation, was rejected on the
ground of its unconstitutionslity. The power
to destroy cotton matured and gathered was
clear enough; but the power to prevent the
planting of cotton could not be found in the
Confederate constitution, and therefore the
proposition to make cotton planting a misde-
meanor was rejected.
These Confederate stickers for constitutional
law, even Of their own making, have about as
much respect for it as for the Koran or the
teachings of Confucius or the Book of Nor
mon. The rebel government at Richmond is
simply an absolute despotsm Of league OF
the most desperate, unscrupulous and ferocious
revolutionary conspirators of the nineteenth
century. JEFF. Davis and his ruling confede-
rates, civil and military, in their audacious en-
terprise of Southern confederacy, know that
if they fail they have no alternative before
them but the extreme penalty of treason
or an ienominious exile. Accordingly we find
them exercising without stint power over
the lives and property of the people of our
rebellious States as absolute and as frightfu
as was the reign, some years ago, of DR..
Francia. in his model despotism of Paraguay.
Our readers will remember the late procla-
nation Of two of the chiefs Of the provisional
Confederate government of our revolted
States-Howell Cobb and Robert Toombs of
Georgia--to the people of that State,
and how they urged upon the women
and children to apply the torch to their
homes and their substance, and to make
the face Of Georgia as blank and desolate
as Sahara to our advancing armies This adj
dress was doubtless regarded at the time, to
great extent, in our loyal States, as the produc-
ton Of a brace of exceptional barbarians, pre-
pairing, like pirates, to blow themselves up with
their own vessel, in order to escape the cord of
the hangman. But few indisputable facts Gin
addition to the late incendiary acts Of the rebel
Copgress) will serve to show that Cobb and
Toombs represent in their address the ruling
spirit Of the rebel government and the leaders
Of the rebel army
When it was first reported last summer that
the beautiful little village of Hampton, near
Fortress Monroe, had been destroyed by fire. in
pursuance Of orders from the rebel General
Magruder, many OF our charitably inclined
citizens were disposed to doubt the unwelcome
intelligence; but when the act was admitted
and justified by Magruder as military neces-
sity, there could be no further doubt upon the
subject. Magruders plea was that, if not de
stroyed the town might have become the
winter quarters OF detachment of
our troops; but we apprchend that the real
objects of this proceeding were to drive into
the interior the inhabitants of Hampton and its
vicinity suspected of loyalty to the Union, and
to impress upon the people Of the south gene
rally the idea of success or destruction as the
only issue of this contest. This Hampton ex-
perimcnt whatever its object. must have been
satisfactory to Magruder; for II appears that his
latest achievement has been the burning Of the
hamlet of Big Bethel, running away himself, as
before. by the light Of The confagraiion.
Again, when the rebel guuboat gcet a'