Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-10-10

| u
arsc aud punishment nn actual criminals
lhls Is the general scheme of the bill!
The accuracy Of the recitals in the prcam
hle IS unqucstionablc. lt allirms that "ths
Northern States, now represented by thu
fedeIat Government Of the late Union, com
lnenced The present war Of intaion to en-
iurce nm unthundcd and tyrannical claim of do
inlnlen over States which had withdraw
from the Union, and, pretending that these
States are in rebellion, have dcuied to them
from the beginning Of the war, the rights &c
! corded TO belligcrcnts by the usages of na
flons; and, after prosecuting this war without
SUCCESS. more than year, since this Govern
lncnt WAS recognized by European nations a.
hcllis"renL Power, have continued, under
The Same pretext, to inilict upon the good poo.
pie of these States iuhuman injuries, in con-
touiptu"uS Disregard Of tho usages Of civil.
izud warfare, eXacting from them reasonable
oaths and service, ond, upon refusal, subject
ing unarlned Citizens, wouI"u and children
To cumfisratinh, hanisflutnf, Imprisonment
and death; wantcnly hnruiog their dwse1.
iy::-houses; ravaging eirr lard; murder
ing men for pretended or trivial offences
making rapinr Of private property syste,
matte Object of the whr, organizing the ap-
,lurtion Of slaves iy armies and agents O
Government; esnenvoring to idmenL scrvile
iEsurrcrLinn by lampcrin:, with slaves, by
procnlming schcnrs for cInancipsting them
! l'y pa"suig laws tn eqniiIH- the races, by
protecting slaves III resisting their masters, by
proclamation Of their President that aitc1
the first day OF January next, his Govern.
will do no act 10 rcprcsS the slaves &" in any
efforts they may make for their actual free
dom, and by preparing armed bands Of Ut
grocs to fight i'll the presence of negro slave.
for the suGjugation Of the white race: permit
ting outragas on women to be committed by
IL licontirus soldiery, encouraged in memo
rable instance by the order Of a Major Gen
cral and the acguiescence Of his Govern
ment: attempting, until restrained by q threat
Of retaliation, TO murder prIvareel Smen fol
| engaging in Il mode of warfare expressly
sanctioned by the Constitutions of the United
States and the Confederate States and by The
laws Of nations: refusing, with douh'e inhn
manity, to exchange prisoners until c"n
strained by the long duration and advers.
fortune of The war; attempting tn ruin oul
cities by hllnIg up the entrances 10 their har.
h"rs with stone and diverting the ancient
channels Of great rivers cutting of our sup
plies OF lur,llciIlta needed as we'll for suffer.
| lnr women. children and captive enemies as
for the sick of our armies; and perpetratng
| other atrocities W hlch would be dssracelIu
| to Sarages.
The preamble adds that the " Federal Gov.
ornIhrnt, III the same spirit Of 1arbarouS fe-
rocity, has recently enacted a law entitled
An act 10 suppress iDsurrection, to punish
treason and rebellion, to seize and contiscatt
the property Of rebels, and for other purpo,
81 ', and has thereby made manifest that the
vast war Of invasion which it wages with
such law less cruelty is Wagr'l with vcw-by
judicial murders, haniph,nens aud otherwise
to cXteriniuate the loyal population of these
States, to transfer their property to their Gil.
e:nies and to ensncipale their slaves, employ.
ing slaves and other negroes for these purpo.
ses with an atrocious design Of adding sur.
vile instruction and the massacre OF families
tu the cnlaInities Of war"
| It is also rrcited that since the passage O
said act, executive md military orders hav.
esincod determined purpose Of The o,,elny- Il
carry ont the policy III rnplne anu vxter.
minaton with brutaland unsparlns severity
| 1t is affirmed that "manilcSt'y with the
Knowledge and ronnvance Of said Feiera
Government and for the purpose rt destroy.
ius the credit and circulation Of the T:"as
ury notes of this Government. lmnleist
alnaunts Of spurious or counterfeit notes, pur-
porting to he such Treasury Notes, have beer
fabricated and advertised for sale in the enc
my'a country and have nccn brought into
these Safes and put il circulation by persons
in the service of the er'emy."
This preamble tinaiI; asserts thn: this
government has hitherto observed and yet
desires to observe, with scrnpu!oua fidelity
all the obligations uf bclliscrenl power, ac-
curd;ng TO international laws aud llsagcs, al.
though fairly absn we'd from Snch obligations
towards the enemy by the refusal Of the ene-
NV to acknowledge or perform any rccipr0.
cal obligation, unless constrained by ncces-
sity;' that "justice and humanity require
this government tn cndeavor to repress the
lawleSs and atroclous practices OF the enemy
by inficting severe retlIbution for inhumsn
clines;" and that 'it is deemed proper to de-
clare and enforce the principles maintained
by this government respecting certain prac-
tees of the enemy
This catalogue If crimes committed BY tho
enemy cannot be fully understood without
aivrrilng to thu act Of the Federal Congress
mentioned in the preamble. IL Is commonly
known as the "Cofscation Act" II was
passed in July, loG2. tnore than year aft-i
this government hui displayed 50 Inucn poweI
AMI stability in war as to be recognized by
the great neutral nations uf Europe as a
beiigcTent power. entitled to the rights anG
SUBJECT to the duties of belligerents. 4 wal
which begins IN lnsurrection, does not, al
first according to received doctrines, entitle
| Il h.
government which they resist. But, as soor
as the insurgent party acquires certain tie
gree of force and consistency. tic war cease:
to he regarded Us IL mere rebellion, aud II
called u civil war. Then both parties art
entitled according to the usageS and laws o
nations. tu all those rights which hclUug tC
nations as bsilsereuts The laws Of war at
tribute equality uf rights to all bcligcronts
This principle for The regulatieh Of civil var!
is essential To humanity and justice. Eel
example, it would -;e atrocious for govern
m.nt TO execute, as 4 rebel, a private pers6r
because he ohey"1 or adhered to a govern
m.nt which had became TOO strong for hiu
to resist. and which he might honcsll y regart
as the righliu government nf his country.
For the sakc ut iu"tice and humanity, there.
fore, he Is to he trcnreh according to the law:
and usagcs Of international war when they ap
ply 10 hiu. Ii. being nushandInan, -h'
quietly purSues hiS ordinary avncatiou, he /,
not to be moIeSted, though he luay SuppOr
his own party rs non n-cpmbatant citizens sup
mort their government when at war with &
foreign country.,, II he becomes So!dier
and captive, he is tu be treated as prisoner
of war, and not Is rebel. The question Of
rebellion, l.kc The original cause '1t every war
remains in abeyance Until determined by The
arbltraui.nt Of the sword; so that 1t shal
not interrupt or prevent those few humane
practices which mitigate lhc awful raiainitc'
Of war.
If wr should adnIit. then what We utter
IL dcny-tlat the act; OF secession hnd ut