The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-10-05
Where Rests the Responsibility

and from Taylorsvile to Memphis. Tho
peace, the property, the lives and liberty
Of men and the purity Of women are now
At the mercy OF self constituted, irregu-
lar and irresponsible armed bodies, who,
In the words fan eminent jurist, unite
in their persons the fourfold character Of
spy, brigand, assassin aud rebel Mobs
and Vigilance Committees have ever been
deemed hostile to the preservation Of law
and order, even when led by citizens Of
worth and honor, and evils have always
followed in far worse than
those which they were designed 10 rene
dy. What then shall we not fear from
troops Of men composed Of outlaws, and
nearly always led by desperadOes, act
ing without authority, and wholly ire
sponsible, roaming over the country and
pillaging, plundering and numbering
without stint? And these marauders
are rowing about not in time Of com
phfaliNt ptaCti put ~ n st"'"h " "h''''
sal agitation and coHvulsion, when the
courts are interrupted, when the laws are
dead, when judicial DEGREES and judg-
ments are unexecuted, when all things are
drifting on the wild waves Of civil war.
Armies can be restrained from violence
by the laws OF warfare, and by the mu-
tual stipula tons of the respective gov
ernments under which they act; but
what possible restraint can be placed
upon the maglignant passions Of irregu-
lar bands of soldiers roaming through
distracted country, in troops of ten,
twenty or fifty men?
There can be none, for the only law
they acknowledge is their excited pas
sions and u corrupted and perverted
moral sense They have unlimited OPP
portunilies to crafty their love Of plum
der, their thirst for private revenge, their
iondncss for wanton destruction, their
propensities for cruelty, tyranny and
lust Such a life would make decent man
brute, and bad man devil. Whatever
crime the guerrilla may commit he knows
that there is no one TO call him 10 ac-
count, unless he chances TO fall in unex-
peciedly with the enemy, when il their
iorce be inferior, he has the chances of
war in his favor; if superior or equal he
can take TO flight. A desire to preserve
discipline will alone make the command.
er of a regular military force punish all
Irregularities with promptness and sever
ity, since not to do 30 would be suicidal;
hut the sole purpose Of the guerrilla is TO
commit irregularities. The condition of
country in which these irresponsible
bodies abound, is inconceivably dreadful.
The bad are emboldcned to commit any
deed, the inOiIensiVe are brOwbeaten and
kept In awe, while all who protest against
the barbarity of the system are followed
with incessant and aggravated persecu-
lions SO prolific Of crimes Of all kinds
has this guerrilla warfare been, in Spain,
in Mexico, and in all other countries
where Il has ever existed that all writers
on the laws of war denOuncc it as bar
barous, and beyond the pale Of civilized
warfare. But as present examples affect
US more lorcibly than past ones, let us
look at the work which these desperadoes
have done in the vicinity of the Capitol
of Tennessee Travellers have been stop
ped and robbed by these Confederate
cavalry; women have been searched
and insulted; an aged and respectable
citizen was riddlod with bullets while
quietly travelling to his farm; three
highly respectable women have been
made the wretched victims Of the most
revolving outrage which could be COM
mitted against their sex. Our own eyes
have Witnessed in the action Of the guer-
rillas all that is wanton, cruel, cowardly
aud brutal. Is it not passing wonderful
that such deeds are done, in this wealthy
aud enlightened community? There il
a dreadful responsibility somewhere, and
where does il rest? These desperadoes
must have powerful hackers, influential
aiders and abettors of their course,or they
would not display such boldncss and in
science Who is TO blame Who are
these accessories in the work OF robbery
assassination and kindred outrages p
They live in Nashville. They are the
owners OF large and elegant mansions
They are the men who carry on large
Wholesale stores in the principal streets
of your Capitol When the guerrillas
committed a foul aud atrocious murder
on an old man. did they denounce Ia,
deed, or did they silently acquicsce in it.
commission? When repeated robberie,
were perpetated, did they urtera WORD
of denunciation When the shrieks Of
outraged aud helpless females picrccc
their ears, did they exhibit manly in
dignation? II they did, We confess thai
we have never heard OF IT, twill not d,
for these aristocratic and kid-gloyed re-,
bells 10 say that they do not approve o.
these outragcs committed by their South,
ern friends, aud therefore, are not re-,
sponsible for them. They are doubly
responsible for their crimes, RESPONSE
BILE because they furnished the oorlum
for their commission, by rebelhng sgains
the laws Of the land aud stirring up civil
war; and doubly responsible, because Ag