The Placer herald., 1862-07-19
"Barbarism of the South"


while they have done more to bring about
the present civil war than any other portion
of the community, have done less towards
furnishing the men and materials for its
present successful prosecution. With cool
ness and etfrontcry that could hardly have
been surpassed, they seek to control and d'
rect, not only the policy of the Government,
but the plans and movements of the gene.
rails in the field. Unfortunately for the
country, this class exercise an influence
which is out Of all proportion to its actual
strength and force in the great political di.
vision of the nation. Its success, therefore,
is one OF those accidental circumstances
which occasionally occur in countries where
pluraties as well as majorites obtain pos
session Of the Government. In this case,
however, this class is allowed undue control
by an administration which claims to be
both national and conservative. The worst
feature which it has developed is that bitter,
deadly antagonism which it seeks to infuse
into the mind of the North towards the
South. Entirely ignoring the great Object
Of this struggle, they would impart to it all
the pre- judice and hatred of a war of races.
1t was the vile tolls of this party who, while
they sbrank from meeting Southern courage
on tn battle field, were among the first TO
circulate reports of the inhumanlty and cru
city Of the rebel enemy towards the wound
ed soldiers Of the Union. Thus placards
were posted in most CONSPICUOUS places
throughout the city after the battle Of Bull
Run, stating that the body of Lieutenant
Colonel Haggerty had been treated with the
m fap6iSh harho rit ap1 that hiS tIrnat
had been cut from ear 10 ear. We did not
hesitate at the time to denounce this fabrica.
ton as it deserved and the sequaI proved the
correctness and the justice of our course.
More recently, however, The desi igns Of this
class have been made still more apparent in
the statements published in a portion Of the
press, detailing atrocities of still more
tiendish character on the part of the South
ern tellow'countrym A grave and pre-
tentious document was drawn up by com
mittee of Congress setting forth at consider
able length number of circumstances in.
tended to tasten upon the South the perpe
tralion Of crimes of the most diabolcal de
pravi,y. In fact, in reading over the terri.
ble record it forcbly reminded us of the
horrid compound of witches cauldron in
les of the Northern soldiers were dug out of
the fostering trenches, the limbs bad been
hewn off, the flesh either scraped or boiled
off their bones, while the bones themselves
had been fashioned and moulded into vari
Gus forms for Southern ladies'. If our mem.
ory serves US right, the skulls underwent the
same process, and are now used as drinking
cups by the "Southern ChivaIry.' In the
manufacture of the evidence on which these
statements were based there is not even the
style aud character of Raw head and bloody
bone stories wherew,h foolish nurses from
time immemoral have been in the habit of
frightening refractory children AS for the
drinking cups made out of human skulls,
it is evidently a plagiarism on the Sagas of
the old Northern Skads, Transatlantic YER
sion of drinking bout in the Wahalla.
Assuming, however, that these statements
are true is the whole South to be branded
and stgmatzed for these exceptional attroci
tiles? But two short years ago, we of the
North would have been foremost in repell
ing so odious, so revolving a charge upon
our national character If these Southern
men are Americans-if they are Of the same
blood and descended from tae heroes of the
Revolutionary slrugge-if we are sincerely
desirous of still living in union with them
is it a part Of policy or patriotism to de'
nounce them as the vilest of wretches and to
hold them up to the execration of mankind?
Let us tear the mask off these insili
Gus enemies of the Republic. Let not the
people be deceived. If these Southerners
are as black as they are painted, why are we
so desrous of a renewed association with
them? Can it be that after this damning
array of evidence they are good enough
company for us? But this is not all, for
when we bring them back, we shall not only
be willing to associate with them but anxious
and desrous to have them as friends.
Away then with these vile deceptions by
which the Northern enemies of the Union
would create and foster an undying hatred
between the two sections of the Republic.
1t is not by such a system of warfare that
the Union can be ever established; and only
those whose cowardice keeps them out OF
the battle field will have recourse to such
dshonorable shifts. If we must, for the
preservation and integrity Of the country,
intlict upon them physical and mental suffer-
ing, let US, for the sake of our national repu
tation, leave their character unimpaired.
". Y. Met. Record
The Bay Of San Francisco was discovered
in the wear 1869, BY party of Missiona