Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-08-22
RritIsh Trcatneut of nebcls.

| 4 ne DfltiSn presses Stii nAfp on the cruelty
and ferocity which our loyal commanders are
said to exhibit in their conduct Of the war;
| No proofs are given 10 sustain the allegations,
which, we observe, arc not recalled, even when
the rumors on which they are professedly based
have proved destitute Of truth. These things
arc only important as showing the spirit of our
foreign accusers. And 10 put this In clearer
light says a contemporary, let usglance atsome Of
these well known proceedings Of British armies
which have never received the condemnation of
these British statesmen and presses. The City
of the Badajos was gallantly defended by the
French against Lord Wellington's troops, but
was at length captured. The consequence is
thus related by Colonel Napier:
"Now commenced the wild and desperate
wckedness which tarnished the luster Of the
soldiers heroism. Shameless rapicity, brutal
Interference savage lust cruelty and murder
shrieks and piteous lamentations, groans shouts
and imprecations, the Kissing of fires bursting
from the houses, the crashing of doors and win
dows, the reports of muskets used in violence,
resounded for two days and nights in the streets
OF BaGaiOs. On the third day when the city
was sacked, when the soldiers were exhausted by
their own excuses, the tumult rather subsided
than was quelled. The wounded men were then
looked to and the dead buried"
These atrocities, it should be remembered,
were perpetrated not ON the French, but on the
innocent inhabitants, the allies of those who
pdPbWeu tne ClIls ana ought 10 nave protected
them. And yet men who never said a word in
public about such affairs as this, have pronounce
ed General Buffers course at New Orleans as
infamous" But Wellington fought many years
ago; and as our English friends insisted, in the
Mason and Slden case, that the precedents of
old times were good for nothing we will come
down to the present day. Within a few years
England has had to snbdue a rebellion, Just as
we are doing now. Let us see how she went to
work, and what example she set us. We have a
sufficient authority in DR.. RUSSELL who has in
part, described both wars.
In his book entitled "My Diary in India, Dr.
Russell says a French officer had complained of
certain violences attributed to some British Off
GERS in cold blood. "But he should know"
says the Doctor "that there is no cold blood at
the sight ofa Rebel" He then adds:
"When Neill marched from Allahaded his ex-
ecutiOns were so numerous and indiscrminate
that one of the officers attached to his column
had to demonstrate with him on the ground that
if he depopulated the country he could get no
supplies for the men,"
AT Delhi certain house was held by the
rebels with resoute bravery which, DIR. Rus
sell says was worthy ofbeing ehanted in nation
al song. But after the house had been complete
ly perforated by artillery and entered, and most
ofthe few remaining inmates despatched-the
narrative proceeds thus:
zone of their number was dragged out to the
sandy plain outside the honse; he was pulled
by the legs to a convenient place. where he was
held down, pricked in the face and body by the
bayonets ofsome of the soldiery, whilst others
collected fuel for a small pyre and when all |
was ready-thc man lcds roasted dlirel There
were Englishmen looking on-more than one
officer saw it. No one offered to interfere The
horror of this Internal cruelty was aggravated
by an attempt of the miserable wretch to escape
when half burned to death. BY sudden effort
he leaped away, and with the flesh hanging
from his Dones ran for few yards ere he was
caught, brought back, put on the fire again and
held there by baycnets till his remains were
consumed"
DIR. Russell refers to the hanging of relative
of Hindoo Prince, 'under circumstances of
most disgusting indignity, while chaplain
stood by among the spectators" and he adds
aAll these kinds of indicative, unchristian
Indian tortures, such as sewing Mahommedans
in pig skins, smearing them with pork fat be-
fore execution, and burning their bodies, and
forcing Hndoos to defle themselves. They are
spiritual and mental tortures, to which we have
no right to resort and which are dare not peype-
trdte in the face Of Europe"
What a confession this But what reader of
these extracts will not feel that it is too true2-
To proceed, however. Here are two brief ex-
tracts:
some ofthe civilians of the station, who visi-
ted me, boasted that he had hanged fifty-tour
men in few hours for plundering village"
"In two days forty-two men were hanged on
the roadside, and batch of twelve men were
executed because their faces were turned the
wrong way when they met on the march. al
the villages in his (Renauds) front were burn
ed when he hailed"
Recording visit to particular locality, Dr.
Russell says: Il heard story which astonished |
me-not the tale so much, for I have heard many
of them-as the way it was told" This is it,
and we think it will astonish others:
"on certain occasion place was strongly |
with great gallantry, and bursting in, proceed to |
kill all whom they found inside. The work |
was nearly completed when the officer preeeived |
a number of Sepoys crouching upon the flat roof |
the enclosure. They had been firing on our
men, but.seeing the terrible fate of their COM
rades they soughtto escape notice, and had taken
to this place of refuge. They made signs to the |
officer atthey would surrender, and he order.
ed them to come down the narrow staircase lead
ing from the roof and as the first Sepoy appear
ed he told the men to take off his belt and pouch
and lay it with his musket down upon the
ground. The same things he did with each
succeeding Sepoy, till he had got them all, fifty
seven in number; upon which he said, 81 held
them in against the wall and told my Sikhs,
who were handy, to polish them off This they
did Immediately, shooting and bayoneting them
so that altogether, they were disposed of in a
couple of minutes.
Is not this enough, in all conscience? And
yet this is but fraction of the published and
unpublished, of the atrocities perpetrated by
the English in suppressing the rebellion in In
dia They are as opposite TO the course of our
Government in the present war as the blackest
darkness is to sunlight. We know they are
condemned by the great mass of the English
people. But while they are freshly on record, |
before the eyes of the world, can any English
81 II
tice propriety, attempt to direct public indig-
nation against our Government There can be |
but one answer to such a question: Clcpelaad
Herald
The unanimous outcry of all Christendom |
against the barbarity and wickedness of invol- |
untary servitude, is heard and needed all over
the world. Russia will, before the end of the |